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Trip Tips

It's Free -- Take advantage of the new ‘ambassador service’ at The House, hip new 34-room boutique hotel in Barbados. Enjoy a much- appreciated 30-minute jet lag massage on arrival, in a beach cabana, or in your suite. A sumptuous afternoon tea is also complimentary. Ambassador Andrew Braithwaite smoothes your stay with unexpected extras – like making espresso in your room, booking the best table at Daphne’s, or sneaking a Snickers bar onto your pillow because it’s your favorite! www.thehousebarbados.com

French 101 accompanies a stay at the Art Deco-infused Hilton Arc De Triomphe. To enhance your Paris experience, the hotel provides a French language guidebook that includes pronunciation, basic terms and phrases; plus a special lapel pin notifying the staff you want to speak French only. Knowing a little Francais opens your eyes to the real Paree! www.hiltonhotels.com

Jamaica, Mexico hotels all-inclusive

Bangkok’s 612-room Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel for transit travelers is a busy Asia hub, and this hotel is well above what comes to mind as airport transit stops. For about US$58.00, travelers can buy two hours minimum stay. Additional hours up to six max cost US$15.00 per hour. Check in day or night. Use the 24-hour shuttle service, or take a 10-minute walk through a convenient tunnel. A business center, 6 meeting rooms, 2 bars, 4 restaurants, a luxurious spa, pool and spacious lobby await you.   www.novotel-asia.com

Park/Sleep/Fly. Since travel now has so many regulations involving early starts, airport and cruise port hotels with parking packages are in demand. Names may differ, but benefits are uniform: one night's hotel accommodation, transfers to and from the airport, plus parking in a protected area for an average 7-14 days. www.parksleepfly.com helps you find these hotel packages at cruise ports and airports all over the U.S., parts of Canada and Europe.

Car Rental Deals. Don’t get taken for a ride when you need a rental car. www.carrentals.com and www.rentalcars.com offer comparison costs at pick-up and drop-off locations. Find all kinds of last-minute deals at www.independenttraveler.com/bargainbox.
 
Senior Discounts. Seniors 62 and over save 15% on train travel with Amtrak (800-872-7245) www.amtrak.com. Those seniors over 60 save 10% on full adult fare with Via Rail Canada (888-842-7245) www.viarail.com, and its ‘Bring a Friend’ program includes a companion free except during winter holiday season.

Need tickets to a hard-to-get show, sports event, a papal audience? Whatever your pleasure, no need to stand in long lines or carry on a lengthy correspondence. Keith Prowse is the oldest and largest source for tickets to worldwide events, and the agency does all the work for you.  www.keithprowse.com

MedicKey
technology eases health issues while traveling. Launched by medical professionals, this tiny USB device keeps medical records (medications, allergies, surgeries, treatments) with you, and works on just about any Windows-based computer in the world. New information is easily uploaded when you receive medical attention on the road.  www.medickey.com






Best Buys

St. Thomas Special at Bolongo BayBeach Resort.  Come to America’s Caribbean where no passport is needed, and experience the fun capital of St. Thomas. Get in the karaoke spirit, dance the night away with the locals at Iggy’s, enjoy one of the island’s best Caribbean Barbecue nights, and forget all your cares as you sail the ocean blue on the resort’s own 52-foot catamaran “Heavenly Days.” www.bolongobay.com

Young Island Resort, a tranquil romantic haven on its own island in the Grenadines, provides an escape from winter weather in an idyllic setting. The 7-night Lover’s Package from $2,792 per couple valid now through Mar. 31, 2010, includes three meals daily, airport and ferry transfers, a foot massage, tennis, basic laundry, non-motorized watersports, taxes and service charges. Sip a sundowner at your beachfront or hillside cottage, or meet new friends at the floating Coconut Bar that juts ten yards into the Caribbean Sea. St. Vincent and the Grenadines are a string of 32 islands located 1,500 miles southeast of Miami.  www.discoversvg.com

Book 21 days in advance at any HILTON HOTEL across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and take 20% off the rate. Rates include breakfast and vary per dollar exchange: Bangkok $262 p/room p/night; Singapore $216; Shanghai $160; Tokyo $278; and Sydney $173. I've stayed at the amazingly innovative Millennium Hilton on Bangkok's Chao Phraya River. A spacious spa blends indoor/outdoor at its best, a converted rice barge shuttles you free to a shopping mall across the river, and there is actually a real sandy beach by the fourth floor pool!  www.hilton.com

Holiday Inn Resort Aruba sets 2010 ‘Early Bird’ savings,
reducing rates by 45%  thru Dec. 23, 2010. EP rates start at $126 per room per night; all-inclusive from $319 per room per night for two in room. Minimum two-night stay required, and all room categories are valid except Lanai rooms and suites. Use Promo Code 145 when booking. www.caribbeanhi.com/aruba.

Ritz Tours’ 2010 Asia tour schedule offers reduced rates (up to $700 off 2009 costs). Premiere Series takes $300 off four tours around SE Asia, reducing rates to the $3,900 level on 15- to 18-day trips. Deluxe Series (10 to 16 days) covers China and a Yangtze River cruise at $200 off, costing $1,779 to $2,979. Departures run March through December, 2010, and prices quoted are per person, double occupancy. Renowned for offering the best quality tours at the most affordable prices, Ritz Tours currently offers more than 20 Premiere, Deluxe and Asia Series tours and six Deluxe programs for Europe www.ritztours.com

Embassy Suites Dorado, Puerto Rico. Explore the island on the Suites & Wheels package, from $222 p/night through March 20, 2010. Compact car rental, $20 gas card, 10% off on-site food and beverage outlets and massage treatments, plus the spacious two-room suite with wet bar, fridge, microwave and coffee maker. Add daily complimentary cooked-to-order breakfasts and daily manager’s cocktail party, golf and tennis. Drive on the right to El Yunque Forest, Camuy Caves, the luminous bay and mountain coffee plantations. The island is yours to explore.  www.embassysuites.com