Going on an adventure tour can be a great way to get fit on the road, but are you prepared enough to handle it? Here’s what you should ask before you go.

If you’re planning a hiking or biking trip, the obvious questions are: what is the altitude, how steep is the climb, and how many miles will you cover a day?

But don’t forget to ask about the type of terrain. For example, hiking trips in Switzerland are on wide and well-marked paths, but in northern Spain, you may literally be going off-the-beaten path on rocky, narrow routes and steep dropoffs.

A driving tour may not be as easy as it sounds: It’s one thing to take an African …

Here’s the deal on scoring affordable ski vacations: If you hit the slopes at the right time, you may be able to find some significant deals.

If you see a deal being promoted, find out if there are blackout dates. That will tip you off to the resort’s high season. This year, those dates will generally fall between December 18 and January 2, and February 12-15, also known as Presidents Day weekend.

Some so-called “early-bird specials” are actually meant to get you to lock in your dates early.

The Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado, is offering two free lift tickets for every night booked through the entire ski season—but it’s only based on availability. So unless you jump on it …

It’s one thing to travel to see exotic animals. But what if you could give back and get some hands-on experiences at the same time?

Let’s start with Bolivia. At an animal rehabilitation center called Inti Wara Yassi, volunteers can actually “adopt” a jaguar.

Inside a 2,000-acre jungle, you get assigned a rescue jaguar that you can take for walks every day. And, it’s affordable—about $300 a month including room and board, and a guide to show you the ropes.

If you prefer to be a little more hands-off, the same program in Bolivia also has construction projects and other volunteer opportunities in the Amazon.

In Zimbabwe, African Impact offers lion rehabilitation programs in a private game farm.

Visitors pay about $2,000 for two weeks, …

You may have seen insurance companies offering policies that let you cancel at any time for any reason. It can be a great backup in these uncertain times, but as always, read the fine print. The policies have gotten more popular due to the economic downturn.

If you’re not sure you’ll be employed in two months, it can be worth a few extra dollars if you have to cancel at the last minute. Travel Safe has a plan that allows travelers to cancel up to two days prior to departure, for any reason. But the amount refunded depends on the penalty assessed by your trip or tour provider. The same plan also promises that travelers are covered if they cancel out …

Looking for ways to travel green?

Well, the good news is that European-style bike-rental programs are starting to appear across the United States.

Right now, two U.S. cities are following in the footsteps of cities like Paris and Barcelona, which have popular city-wide bike-rental programs.

Washington DC’s program, SmartBike, currently has 10 stations around the city. For $40 a year, members get unlimited access to the bikes, which can be rented for three-hour periods.

Denver, Colorado, has a program called B-cycle, in which riders can rent bikes for unlimited amounts of time. These bikes are loaded with gizmos that record how far you’ve traveled, how many calories you’ve burned—and of course let’s not forget the carbon offset.

And if you’re in a city …

You may be aware that the US State Department issues travel warnings and alerts for countries that experience civil unrest, political instability, or high crime rates. But here’s why our government’s warning shouldn’t be your ONLY resource.

If you have a hard time sticking to your exercise routine on the road – and if you tell me you don’t, you’re lying – here are some ideas that might actually make your room more useful to you.

Want to travel but don’t know where to go? You might just need some inspiration. So check out some of these resources to help you figure out where you want to go, and on what budget.