TRAVEL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS : Getting a Taste of the French Wine Country

Question: We’re planning a tour to the French wine country. Where are the tasting centers and what do they charge?

Answer: Most growing areas and vintners have tasting facilities. The principal wine-tasting services are at Beane, Burgundy; the Champagne Information Center at Epernay, and the Wine Information Center at Bordeaux. Tasting is free. You can also sample wines for a modest fee at Academie du Vin, 25 Rue Royale, Paris.

Q: What merchandise made from birds or other animals in the Caribbean may not be brought back by travelers?

A: Crocodile leather, sea turtle shells and spotted cat skins are forbidden items. Some islands also ban the export of coral.

Q: We’d like to tour Canada’s Northwest Territories and Yukon late this summer or early fall, using campgrounds. How long are those areas open?

A: Some operate from May to October, others are open all year. Contact Travel Arctic, Government of Northwest, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada X1A 2I9, and Tourism Yukon, Box 2703-AT, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6.

Q: I’m planning a motor trip. Should I use a travel agent for hotel reservations or rely on automobile clubs?

A: Agents can book your accommodations but usually aren’t geared to do as much for motorists as AAA and similar organizations that provide maps, counsel, emergency and other services.

Q: Traveling on smaller aircraft, I noticed the space between first-class seat rows is no greater than in economy. Shouldn’t the higher fare provide more room?

A: Such spacing differs among airlines. Though first- and business-class seats are wider, they may not have more reclining space than in economy class.