There was a time when people rode trains all over Ecuador, from the capital of Quito to Otovalo, Cuenca, and the coastal port of Guayaquil. More than 60 trains a day departed from the main station in southern Quito.

Then came the age of the automobile, which killed off the trains in a lot of places in the Americas, from much of the U.S. down to Patagonia. Compounding the problem for Ecuador though was the terrain: this is a land of steep, high mountains. Building the railways in the first place was daunting enough. Constantly clearing the rockslides and broken tracks after natural disasters required more resources than the government was willing to spend. So over time the journeys got chopped up into smaller pieces. That’s about to change—and more on that at the end—but here’s one of those pieces: the Devil’s Nose train ride down a very steep mountain to the bottom.

This famous train journey is unique because of the engineering challenges the builders faced (ones that took the lives of some 2,500 workers) and one novel solution to them. At one point the train goes around a bend and then comes to a stop at tracks that end. At that point the tracks are switched and the train proceeds down the mountain facing the opposite direction: the previous back of the train is now the front. This enables it to tackle a much steeper grade than it could have otherwise. (You can see that transition in the video above.)

Soon it arrives at a renovated station in the narrow canyon, which is a place you can actually spend the night now if you want. There’s a package including the train down and back, lodging, and two meals for a quite reasonable $50 per person. Regular day visitors get a bite at a panorama snack bar up some steep stairs, where there’s also a museum. Local community people perform traditional dances on the train platform. And there’s a woman with a llama for photo ops. Sure, it’s kinda cheesy, but fun.

The exciting news is, short trips like this are not going to be all there is anymore. Workers are busy restoring the line from Guayaquil to Quito and it should open by July of 2014. A lot of it is new tracks, with materials meant to hold up to tremors. At first all the effort is going into offering a luxury 4-day grand train trip to get some real funds flowing in, but it should become a true passenger line that all travelers can use eventually. It will be one of the world’s great journeys when that happens, through the “Route of the Volcanoes,” from sea level to 3,000 meters.

I first took a train ride from Quito to Cotopaxi and saw new government initiatives in action. There was a spruced-up station with an attractive new cafe serving good coffee, a room explaining the history of railroads in Ecuador, and an introductory film about the train system here in two languages. The people working at the station and on the trains were bilingual and sporting nice Tren Ecuador uniforms with a cool logo.

We clattered out of the city, past factories and homes, and climbed up the hills to a point where we could look across park lands and a valley to mountains dusted with snow on the other side. When we got to Machachi station, a brass band was playing to welcome everyone. No, this wasn’t a special occasion—they do that for every arrival.

The revitalized train system is just one more reason to visit Ecuador, which is one of the best values in the world for travelers, with a lot to offer for a reasonable price. International Living just tagged Ecuador  as their leading retirement destination in the world for the sixth year in a row. Even if you’re not trying to live to 100 in Vilcabamba, this is one of the cheapest places to live in the world–with a good quality of life. It’s also one of The World’s Cheapest Destinations for travelers at any budget level, so put it on your list if you’re heading to the Southern Hemisphere.

To check the latest options on train trips in Ecuador, see the Tren Ecuador site or book an excursion with Metropolitan Touring—-my host when I was researching Ecuador articles for another publication.

Pardon the delay. I was feeding the llamas.

I’ve spent the past week in Quito and areas north and south of there, doing research for some articles, reviewing hotels, and updating the upcoming 4th edition of The World’s Cheapest Destinations. While I mentioned in the last post that most prices haven’t changed much since the last time I was here, imported goods are being taxed at a rate of 100% or more. It’s gotten much more expensive here to spend a night at a bar or replace your dead camera/laptop/phone.

Otherwise, there’s more positive news than negative, so here’s a quick rundown on official developments and word on the street for travelers in Ecuador.

New Airport for Quito

There’s a lot of bureaucracy in this country, so often things take far longer than they should have to get moving. Quito’s new airport is by most accounts finished, but it won’t open until February 2013 (at least) because, um, the roads to it aren’t finished. You can fly in, but you can’t get out in a car. Once it’s done, you’ll pay far more for a taxi to the city than now, but there’s going to be a shuttle bus service from the get-go that should be reasonable.

Get Used to This President

Rafael Correa may be pegged as a power-grabbing socialist by some international press outlets and diplomats, but he’s extremely popular these days at home, with a 70% approval rating. He could be in office until 2017. As in Nicaragua, people seem to put up with a bit of screwing the constitution to run more than the allowed number of terms if life is getting better—especially the roads. Everyone here is talking about new highways and bypasses, rural roads getting paved, and potholes getting fixed. Note to politicians: help people get to where they need to go easier and many other problems can slide.

For travelers, expect more cheap subsidized gas, better highways, and…

The Rebirth of Ecuador’s Train System

The history of Ecuador’s trains is one of fits and starts, joy and disappointment. Building train tracks through the Andes Mountains and then keeping them from being covered by landslides takes a lot of resources. In the late 19th century, some 2,500 workers died just building the Devil’s Nose section that uses two switchbacks to get down the mountain. This government is pushing hard to get the longest part—from Quito to Guayaquil—going again. It is scheduled to reopen in the summer of 2013. The first priority is a luxury service that will stop for the night several places along the way. But a tourist class one will follow and will be worth the splurge I’m sure. I went on two sections of it this week and was really impressed with the operation, both the restored and brand new coaches, and the scenery. I saw track improvements going on all over the place. Watch the Tren Ecuador site (in both languages) for updates.

Ecuadoran Food Getting Its Due

I’m amazed at the number of gastronomy, coffee, and chocolate tours now being offered in this country. As with Peru a decade ago, the cuisine of Ecuador seems to be finally getting its due. It’s not all that photogenic unless a chef does some magical reconstruction, but they grow just about everything here, all year long, so the profusion of fruits, vegetables, and herbs is astounding. Much of the street food and cheap market stall fare here is nothing to write home about, so splurge a few dollars more now and then and see what the fuss is about.

Most travelers don’t see much of the Buda side of Budapest when they visit Hungary’s capital. Few make it any further than the Fisherman’s Bastion and maybe Buda Castle.

It’s understandable as most of the bars, restaurants, and hotels are on the flat Pest side. But Buda has the greeenery—and the Children’s Train.

I probably wouldn’t have even known about this train had I not gone out on a cool tour with Underguide that spent the day on the other side of the river. (Remember that when you automatically pooh-pooh guided tours: some of them rock.) We took a series of metro rides and trams, then hiked the last bit to the starting point. So getting there was part of the fun too.

Here’s what the ride was like:

This is one of those classic narrow-gauge trains that bumps along old tracks. This one passes through forests and behind some grand homes in the hills. It’s a world away from the compressed urban grid of Pest.

It’s called the Children’s Train because kids aged 10-14 join a program to work there, taking tickets and giving signals to conductors when the tracks are clear. The tickets are a bargain at about $3 one-way, or $1.50 for children.

When you get to the end, you can turn around and come back or follow a path to a chairlift going up and down the mountain. I’d advise taking it down as you get terrific views of the mansion districts and the city spread out before you. The chairlift is slightly more than the train, around $3.25 one way.

See more on the Children’s Railway site in English.

Last week we published the August 2012 issue of Perceptive Travel, home to the best travel stories from book authors on the move.

The Bush People of Hadzabe are some of Africa’s most isolated people, still hunting and living nomadically the way they always have. Shelley Seale gets a rare look at a day in the life.

A few months back I visited one of my favorite small cities, joining 20,000 people for a series of horse races, learning about stud fees, and sampling some fine bourbon. I’ll Have Another in Lexington, KY.

Regular contributor Amy Rosen is back with a train ride in Alaska, from Anchorage to Denali: Alaska on the Rails.

Susan Griffith covers some fine travel books on England and India, while Laurence Mitchell reviews a batch of new music from or influenced by other cultures.

Get some Vasque hiking shoes

Each month we give away a piece of travel gear or something equally cool. In July, reader Peter M. of Delaware scored a nice guaranteed-for-life travel hat from Tilley. This time we’re giving away some rugged but attractive hiking shoes from Vasque.

How do you score these for your own feet? If you’re signed up for the newsletter, instructions are in the message you got August 6. If not, get on the list for next time. Otherwise go like Perceptive Travel on Facebook and look for instructions on how to enter. We post them a few times a month.

I get asked for travel advice a lot: from friends, from readers, from random strangers at cocktail parties. That’s okay. I enjoy helping out. Most of the questions are the same: the cheapest places to travel, how to save on airfare, and how to get a better hotel for a better price.

Here are some answers to the questions I don’t get asked though. There are a few random lesser-known deals and freebies out there for those who are really looking to make their travels a better value or have a more pleasant experience every time.

Loyalty and Credit Card Goodies

First of all, if you want to really fly free more, check out this recent blog post on racking up frequent flier miles. But apart from getting a free flight by signing up for the right credit card (something I’ve done three times now), cards affiliated with airlines often come with something else thrown in. At the least you’ll get more miles/points for using the card to book tickets. On some though, like Continental’s, you get to check an extra bag for free. That’s huge, especially if you have a family or a spouse who couldn’t pack everything into a carry-0n if her life depended on it.

I pay more than $400 a year for an American Express Platinum Card. Being the cheap bastard I am, you know that it’s gotta hurt for me to send them that much money. So why do I do it? The main reason is I get to use the airport lounges of several different U.S. airlines AND I can bring my wife and kid in the lounge as well—or one guest. There’s also a dedicated lounge in the Mexico City airport just for people with high-end Amex cards. As in the Continental lounges, that means free Wi-Fi, snacks, and beer/wine/cocktails. The other perks the card gives (including a mileage program that ties into multiple airlines and hotel chains) are the icing on top.

Going Up a Class in Ground Transport Means More Goodies

The difference between an air-conditioned express train in India and a 2nd class sleeper is like the difference between a 4-star hotel and a $5 a night hovel. Real sheets, waiters, guards to keep the bag-slashing thieves at bay, and toilets that are almost usable.

If you take a first class or executive class bus in many Latin American countries, you’ll get a lot of extra goodies for your pesos. Besides more legroom and better seats, you’ll usually wind up with a snack, something to drink, men/women bathrooms in the back, and Wi-Fi in a dedicated lounge at the station or even on the bus. Heck, in Argentina you’ll probably get champagne!

You Can Book Almost Anything Cheaper Locally

I understand why people book adventure tour vacations from home with a company in their home country. (And some of the small group tour companies are a good value.) But if you’re watching the budget and your schedule is not super-tight, you’re almost always better off skipping the middleman and booking adventures locally. In the old days that meant just showing up and walking into offices—which still works—but now you can frequently work out that rafting, trekking, and zip-lining in advance online or via Skype.

Often you’ll be using the same local company as you would have if you had booked it through an agency in your own country, just without the hand-holding and the doubling in price. Here’s an oldie but goodie on the subject: Book Adventure Travel Locally and Save.

Finding Wheeling/Dealing Hotels Isn’t Hard

When most people book a hotel, especially in the U.S. or Europe, they go to one or many of the booking sites like Expedia, Travelocity, or Hotels.com. That’s all well and good if you want something really specific or you’re especially picky. Otherwise, why pay retail?

Unless we’re in a boomtime or there’s a special event going on, very few hotels are even close to full on any given night. This means hotels are constantly selling rooms well below market rate, but not through those regular channels. The most common way they up the occupancy is by putting inventory through Priceline or Hotwire. See links here to those hotel deal sites , but also the message boards where you can find out what other people ended up with—and what they paid. This way you’re not flying blind on where you’ll spend the night. Believe me though, the savings can be huge. I’ve routinely paid 40-60% less than what was on Expedia for the same hotel, at every star level.

I’ve also had luck using SkyAuction.com for resort areas and people in a higher budget range than me swear by the deals they’ve found on LuxuryLink.com. I’ve had friends score great last-minute package deals too. Most of the sites that specialized in this have folded or been bought out, so now you see them on the big booking sites or on “flash sale” sites like Jetsetter or SniqueAway. This works especially well if you just want to get away for a few days or a week, but you’re flexible on where to go.

And remember, in much of the world, your rate is negotiable.

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