Take your mother out of her world for a change

Taking Mom somewhere is a nice way to say Happy Mother's Day on May 8, or any other day, to show that you are indeed grateful for all she has done for you over the years. Here are some ideas:

British Airways is repeating its Mother's Day offer, which was a hit last year. Starting at $529 from Boston, the package includes round-trip air fare, three nights at the three-star Comfort Inn Kensington, a Harrods shopping voucher worth about $18, and afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason, the luxury department store. You can go before or after Mother's Day; departures are available through May 29.

Visit www.britishairways.com.

In Key West, Fla., champagne and spa treatments are part of the Wyndham Casa Marina and Wyndham Reach Resort's Mother's Day Weekend of Indulgence package May 6-8. There are champagne and strawberries upon arrival; complimentary breakfast for two each day; and a selection of spa treatments, including one 55-minute massage either on the beach or in the studio, and one Casa Marina body treatment, beginning with a choice of exfoliating salt glow or moisturizing body scrub and a choice of a detoxifying seaweed body mask or hydrating milk and honey body mask. The cost is $499 per night, double occupancy.

Call 800-WYNDHAM (800-996-3426).

If Mom is happy on horseback, Cross Country International has five- and six-night mother-daughter packages in Ireland, France, and Italy. Of the four offerings, two begin on Mother's Day. All include accommodations, riding, some or all meals, and a variety of amenities. The packages are $1,595 per person, not including air fare.

Call 800-828-8768 or visit www.equestrianvacations.com and click on Themed Rides, then Mothers and Daughters Rides.

Maybe you'd like to take Mama to the mountains. Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside, about 95 miles north of Vancouver, calls its package Mums the Word. For about $250 per night, the package includes a deluxe studio suite with a gas fireplace and full kitchen in case you want to turn the tables and cook for your mother, an upgrade to a mountain-view suite if available, choice of flowers or a welcome basket, breakfast for two daily, and a credit of about $85 for either the spa or a restaurant.

Call 888-905-9995 or visit www.panpacific.com.

The Chesterfield, in Palm Beach, Fla., offers its Like Mother, Like Daughter package May 1 through Dec. 17. Included are two days and one night in a suite, continental breakfast, champagne and chocolates delivered to your room, a choice of a nine-step facial or spa manicure, a $50 certificate for the Leopard Lounge and Restaurant or the hotel gift shop, a twilight dinner for two served in your suite or the restaurant, an in-room movie, afternoon tea for two, a Polaroid photo and photo album, an upgrade on your next stay, and early arrival and late checkout. The cost is $545.

Visit www.chesterfieldpb.com or call 877-955-1515.

Write in 250 words or less ''Why Mom Would Love a Hawaii Vacation" and win her a free stay at the Waikiki Beachcomber. The winner will receive a four-night stay in a deluxe oceanview room. Entries can be e-mailed to mom@waikikibeachcomberhotel.com or faxed to 808-931-3089 and must be received by April 30.

For details and specials, visit www.waikikibeachcomber.com.

Metro-Home, which provides apartment stays in Manhattan, has a Mother-Daughter Getaway featuring a choice of a New York apartment and a $100 day pass to the Avon Salon & Spa in Trump Tower. Prices start at $249 per night for studio apartments and $300 per night for one-bedroom apartments. The offer is good through July 31.

Call 800-987-1235, or visit www.metro-home.com.

Proclaiming that knitting is ''the new yoga," The Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach, Calif., is offering a Hip Mother's Day Enrichment package for moms and daughters. The Cliffs will provide knitting instructors and supplies, including knitting needles to take home, wine and hors d'oeuvres, and a copy of ''Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook," a humorous guide. Mothers and daughters also will learn about belly dancing and each will receive a scarf to take home to practice. Sunday brunch is included. Packages, available every weekend in May, start at $299.

Visit www.cliffsresort.com or call 800-826-5838.

For mothers-to-be, Arawak Beach Inn, on the Caribbean island of Anguilla, includes fathers in its four-night Last Hurrah getaway. Included are oceanfront accommodations, daily breakfasts, a candlelight lobster dinner, a private day trip to an uninhabited island, and a 50-minute couple's massage. While Dad gets to participate in all this, there's a little something extra for Mommy-to-be: complimentary and unlimited pickles and ice cream. The package is priced seasonally and begins at $799 a couple.

Call 877-4-ARAWAK or visit www.arawakbeach.com.

Free NY DVD New York State's sights and sounds are on a DVD travel planner. To get one, visit www.nywelcomesyou.com. For an old-fashioned 192-page state travel guide and vacation map, dial 800-CALL-NYS (800-225-5697).

Money isn't everything Site59, a discount website for last-minute travel, recently asked customers what influences their decisions on where to go. The most popular response was that they are ''waiting to be inspired," which even outranked ''waiting for the best deal."

When not included, hotel taxes, airport fees, and port charges can add significantly to the price of a trip. Most prices quoted are for double occupancy; solo travelers will usually pay more. Offers are subject to availability and there may be blackout dates. Richard P. Carpenter can be reached at carpenter@globe.com.