I"m no pro-grade photographer by any means, but I would recommend that if you are considering a film camera, consider the APS series over a standard 35mm. Kodak makes good ones for not much money (last one I bought was for $48 at Christmas, with a zoom lens and all the extras), and the film is SO easy to use because you just open the little canister , point it headfirst into the camera, and drop it in. The cameras load themselves (my technophobic mother loves hers!). The other added bonus is that you can easily take wide-angle and even panoramic shots, and the films come in standard varieties as well as black-and-white (a personal favorite of mine).

I will advise, from past experience, that if you intend to get any new camera you should obtain it a bit in advance of your trip, and waste a roll of film playing with it. I have several lost once-in-a-lifetime shots from a trip I once took with a new camera I hadn't gotten used to. Keep in mind that lenses and configurations and design can change what the camera actually sees as opposed to what the viewfinder is showing you.