Cambridge, MA (January 27, 2009)—Let’s Go, Inc., publisher of the world’s leading student travel guidebook series, announces a unique publishing, sales, marketing and distribution agreement with Berkeley, Calif. based Avalon Travel and Publishers Group West (PGW).

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Tourists flock to the Charles Bridge in Prague to take in the sights of the Vltava River, but why not enjoy the view from on the river itself? The Prague Dinner River Cruise operates year-round, and takes passengers along a slow, scenic route with prime views of the Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Malá Strana, and Vysehrad Fortress, amongst others. Aside from the trip itself, this is an excursion that will feed and entertain you as well. Passengers nosh on an extensive buffet of classic Czech dishes whilst enjoying the repertoire of the live jazz band on deck.  The cruise is an ideal location for a great date, and even better for a bad one since your gentleman or lady friend can’t desert you halfway through.

Travelers on a budget tend to avoid this sort of excursion as prices are usually quite high, but the river cruise comes at a surprisingly reasonable rate; includes the cruise, dinner buffet, and entertainment - a bargain when you consider the price of a meal in Old Town Square. Cocktail attire is appropriate, so leave your grungy backpacking clothes at home and spruce it up a bit for this worthwhile night on the town.

Cruises depart nightly at 7pm for 3hrs. Boarding point is the river embankment by the city center, near the Charles Bridge. Reservations can be made at the Prague Tourist Office in Old Town Square, online at www.pragueexperience.com.  Cost is 790CZK per person.

World-famous poet and dramatist, Granada’s Federico García Lorca is finally receiving his due. His poetry, full of olive groves, lemons, gypsies, Moors, and bullfighters, brought images of passionate Andalusia to the world. But upon the outbreak of civil war in 1936, Lorca was arrested by Franco’s Nationalist forces and killed near the hilltop town of Alfácar, northeast of Granada, following the outbreak of the civil war. As Lorca was both a known homosexual and a socialist-leaning public figure, the motivations for his murder—social, political, or personal—remain controversial to this day.

Since the fall of Franco, Lorca’s childhood homes in the neighboring towns of Fuente Vaqueros and Valderrubio have become museums honoring his legacy. And in a lonely olive orchard in Alfácar, the alleged site of his execution, a park now shelters a memorial wall engraved with his poetry. Meanwhile, Granada’s literary pilgrims visit the blooming Huerta de San Vicente, the summer house where Lorca wrote some of his most famous poems.

(To reach Parque Garcia Lorca in Granada, walk down C. Recogidas from Puerta Real; take a right when you hit Camino de Ronda, then a left on C. Virgen Blanca. Tours organized through the Granada tourist office in Pl. Mariana Pineda run on Fridays and Saturdays to each of these sites. For more information, call 902 11 46 66.)

Nightlife in Italian cities tends to be a glitzy, varied lot, offering everything from intimate wine bars to high-energy dance clubs. While many clubs charge steep covers, most cities have options without entry fees. Yet with drinks frequently ranging from €6-12, it’s easy to have your slowly developing buzz killed by lack of funds. Fear not, budget partier, for social lubrication is well within your grasp without breaking the bank.

1. Pregame. While a glass of wine in a bar or restaurant might easily cost €4-6, every Italian grocery store carries a wide selection of wines starting around €1.50 a bottle. If white wine is your fancy, your hostel or hotel owner may be willing to chill it for you in the kitchen refrigerator for a few hours or at least supply you with some ghiaccio (ice) and maybe a corkscrew. If no cooling facilities are available, stick with red wine.
2. Choose wisely. While a rum and coke might be just as expensive as more elaborate cocktails, bars frequently have a specialty that’s a few euro cheaper. Beer and wine are frequently much cheaper than their mixed-drink counterparts. If unashamed of your pennilessness, level with the bartender and ask for the cheapest drink available.
3. Shoot and score. Italian clubs frequently offer chupitos (shots) quite cheaply, oftentimes with bargains such as two for one euro. If you can’t do without your mixer, shots of non-alcoholic beverages are often available at the same price. A vodka and cranberry might therefore cost €7, while a shot of vodka and a shot of cranberry juice to chase would be €3.
4. Discount yourself. Many bars offer student discounts on drinks or happy hours. A little research can go a long way.
5. Hydrate without drying up your bank account. Obviously while consuming alcohol it is important to drink lots of water. While a request for water will result in a pricey bottled version, acqua normale will get you a glass of good old fashioned tap water—satisfying and completely gratis.

Traveling through France, you will undoubtedly encounter familiar words on signs and menus. Though these cognates will appear to help in your struggle to comprehend le monde francophone, beware! Some can also lead you astray. Here are some faux amis (false cognates; literally, “false friends”) to watch out for:

Blesser has nothing to do with spirituality (or sneezing). It means to hurt, not to bless.

Pain is anything but misery for the French: it’s their word for bread.

Bras is not a supportive undergarment, it’s an arm.

Rage is not just regular anger, it’s rabies.

Rabais, it follows, is not the disease you can catch from a dog, but a discount.

A sale is not an event with a lot of rabais; it means dirty.

Draguer means to hit on, not to drag, unless you encounter an overly aggressive flirt.

Balancer is to swing, not to steady oneself.

A peste is slightly more serious than a bothersome creature. It is a plague.

Puéril is not grave danger, just childhood.

Preservatif is not something found in packaged food, but it can be found in other packages, so to speak. This is the French word for condom.

Crayon means pencil, not crayon, and gomme is not for chewing, unless you like the taste of rubber—it is an eraser.

An extincteur is not some sort of bazooka. It is a fire extinguisher.

Fesses is not a colloquial term for “coming clean”; it means buttocks. Ass is not another way to say fesses or even an insult. This is a French compliment, meaning ace or champion.

Ranger is neither a woodsman nor a mighty morpher. This means to tidy up.

A smoking has little to do with tobacco (or any other substance). It is a tuxedo or dinner suit.

Raisins are juicy grapes, not the dried-up snack food. Try raisins-secs instead.

Prunes are plums. Pruneaus are the dried fruit.

Tampons are stamps (for documents), not the feminine care item. If you are looking for those, ask for a tampon hygiénique or napkins. To wipe your mouth, you would do better with a serviette.

The patron is the boss, not the customer.

A glacier does translate literally, meaning glacier, but you are more likely to see it around town on signs for ice cream vendors; glace does not mean glass, but a frozen summer treat.

If the French language seems full of deception, think again. Deception in French actually means disappointment.