James Bond's spy-gadget-equipped Aston Martin DB5, which first appeared
in the 1964 film "Goldfinger,'' on display at the International Spy Museum.

Orbitz is offering up to 30 percent off hotel rooms in a number of cities around the nation.
What does this mean? Maybe you want to get your Sean Connery on and go check out the International Spy Museum in Our Nation's Capital? You can score 30 percent off for stays of three nights. This translates into rates starting at $129/night (And this is no dive if TripAdvisor's reviews can be believed: They give it a 4 out of 5).
The only catch is that you have to book by Aug. 31, and your carriage turns back into a pumpkin Nov. 24. Worth a look.

Greetings from Barbados where my arrival coincided with Budget Day, when the prime minister reveals to the people what's in store for the new fiscal year. Barbadian PM David Thompson had some news for us too: a 1,000 percent increase in the visitor driving permit, from $10 to $100. Other tax hikes included liquor licenses and alcohol, up 50 percent. "We simply cannot absorb this increase," a car rental agency was quoted in the Barbados Free Press.
The planned increase raised such outcry that the House of Assembly returned to the budget drawing board. No figures were given but the increase for short-term visitors will be more modest, the House said.
While the Caribbean may not be top-of-your-mind in July, it might be worth checking to see how high the fees are before your next winter visit if you plan to rent a car.

Posted by Patricia Borns, Globe Correspondent

The clock is ticking on JetBlue's 10 percent or $10 off sale, which will expire Friday at midnight.
This deal covers flights between Sept. 3 and Dec. 16, with blackouts apparently from Oct. 9-14 and Nov. 25 - Dec. 1.
To avail yourself of the savings you need to follow this link to a special page, where you can select where you want to go, and then use either JET07 to save $10 off a flight ($20 for round-trips) or JET17 for a 10 percent discount in the promo code box.
Think of it. Enjoying the vibrancy of fall in Oakland. Or Long Beach.

This summer, Iceland’s hot. Iceland Experience has a travel package timed to coincide with the July 11 Hollywood premiere of a movie starring Brendan Fraser based on Jules Verne’s novel, ‘‘Journey to the Center of the Earth.’’ Iceland Experience is quick to point out that while its fly-drive tour will not really take you to the center of the earth, it will bring you to the starting point for the adventure that took Verne’s travelers deep into the earth (Snaefellsjokull Glacier ). There are daily departures year-round. Starting at $909 per person, the package includes:

• Three nights’ lodging (with breakfast) in Reykjavik
• Four nights lodging (with breakfast) in the countryside
• Five-day vehicle rental with unlimited mileage

You may not see many celebrities, but you will see lots of geothermal activity. Stops include Sellfoss, in the center of hot springs and waterfalls; Gulfoss, Iceland’s most famous waterfall; and the Geysir, an erupting hot spring.

Besides celebrating a movie premiere, things are really hopping in Reykjavik. The Gay Pride Parade is Aug 7-10 ; Reykjavik Cultural Night is Aug. 23; and the Reykjavik Marathon also is Aug. 23. Tourists in the know will pick up a Reykjavik Tourist Card, which provides admission to all the thermal pools in the capital, city buses, the National Museum, the Reykjavik Zoo, and more. It comes in increments of 24, 48, or 72 hours and costs about $20-$39.

If the mountain won't come to you... go on a three-day rock-climbing getaway in New Hampshire. REI (yes, the outdoor clothing and camping supply company) has put together a great selection of outdoor adventures, many of which are right here in New England. The rock-climbing adventure takes place at Rumney Rocks, about 8 miles outside of Plymouth, N.H., and the introductory course is perfect for those who have never before gripped a crag with a be-chalked hand. For trip dates (including women-only climbs), go to rei.com/adventures or call 800-622-2236. Posted by Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff

With more people vacationing close to home, short road trips are becoming more and more popular, even in the face of rising gas prices. AAA Southern New England offers their members some great "Drive Vacation" packages, which include admission tickets, lodging, driving directions, marked maps (with trip irritations like construction zones and congested areas highlighted), tour books, and discount partner listings. There are 30 destinations from which to choose, some as close as the Berkshires (starting at $170 per person for two nights) and the White Mountains (about $590 for two nights for a family of four), others as far away as Montreal (about $90 per person per night) and Pennsylvania Dutch Country (about $450 for two adults for three nights). For more information, call 888-222-4619 or visit aaa.com/travel.
Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff

Good morning, travelers. One of the cool things about living in the Northeast is that there are great places to visit, a relatively short car ride away.
You want beaches? We got the beaches. You want mountains? Got 'em.
How about major cities? Try Beantown, New Jack, the District, and Philly.
Anyway, if you're planning a trip to one of these metropolises and need parking, check out bestparking.com. It's very simple to use and compares rates on parking lots throughout each city, broken down by neighborhood, time of day, and whether you need it daily or monthly.
You can also access the site from your mobile. And it's all free. Park on.

The “gas-back” deal was bound to happen.

You’d better move fast if you want $2.99 gas for a visit to the Bethel Inn Resort. The Maine resort is giving vacationers who book with the resort for at least two nights between June 15 and Sept. to get 15 a break on gasoline prices. But the catch is that bookings must be made between June 13 and July 4.

Here’s the deal (sort of). When you check in, the staff calculates your round-trip mileage from any point within 300 miles and figures how many mpg your vehicle gets. The spread between $2.99 and the price you paid at last fill-up is credited to your account. That’s a good deal if you’re driving a Suburban, less so if you’re in a Prius. Say you average 25mpg, paid $3.99 for gas, and are coming from 300 miles away. That’s a credit of $24.

Posted by David Lyon, Globe Correspondent

Orbitz is offering a very interesting deal right now. If you book on the site and pay their $7-$12 service fee they promise to reimburse you the difference if the fare for your flight drops before you take off.
This is the way it works: Orbitz will track prices from the time you buy your ticket until the day of the flight and will issue qualifying refunds of $5 to $250, according to details on the site.
There is, however, a good bit of fine print involved. Two big things to keep in mind. First, the reimbursement won't apply if your carrier goes under. And the second involves the way Orbitz keeps track of fare decreases: Specifically, another customer must get a lower priced fare on Orbitz for the exact itinerary you have. So, if a lower fare is available, say, through a carrier's own website it doesn't count. And since Orbitz only sells a fraction of the tickets for any flight (the folks at Online Travel Review put their estimate at about 7.5 percent on average) and since flight prices tend to go up as you get closer to departure the odds that they'll need to pony up a reimbursement seem a little low.
Orbit's plans were first reported by the WSJ.
A little complicated but what a concept, yes?

You could miss a great stay if you believe everything you read on the Web. I was reminded of this when I went to book a single night at a B&B through its booking engine. Although the night I wanted was clearly in “high season,” the availability calendar showed that every room at the inn was open. But when I went to book, I got the “two-night minimum for this check-in date.”
So I called. The innkeeper couldn’t have been nicer, apologizing for the software. “We usually start getting our heavy summer bookings about then,” he said, “so we only take two nights or more on the Web.” Could he make an exception? You bet he could.
I’ve been a “content provider” for about as long as there’s been a Web, but even I know better than to believe everything I read.

Posted by David Lyon, Globe Correspondent

Can you stand the heat the past few days? Well, it is probably comparable to what you would run across in Florida this summer... my point being that a famed PGA Tour course in the Sunshine State is offering a series of deals to play its hallowed ground this summer at greatly reduced rates. Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, the home of a World Golf Championship event won by Geoff Ogilvy and Tiger Woods the past two years, has three events planned that will likely leave most players begging Doral’s famed Blue Monster course for mercy. The first is the Summer Solstice Slam on Wednesday, June 18, the longest day of the year. From dawn to dusk, golfers can play 54 holes on Doral’s Blue Monster and Great White courses with food and beverage provided (think hydration!!) for $175 per person. That is a savings of more than 50 percent over regular greens fees on those courses. OK, so maybe a three-round day on demanding courses isn’t your idea of fun. Doral will also host the Blue/White Aggregate Tournament on Thursday, Aug. 28, where players can take on the Blue Monster and the Great White in one day for $150, including continental breakfast and lunch, a savings of 60 percent over regular rates. Prizes awarded at this event will include a three-day/two-night Doral golf package for two, complimentary tee times for four on the Blue Monster and Great White courses, and gift certificates for closest to the pin, longest drive, and most improved score. Finally, on Blue Monster Day, Monday, Sept. 29, golfers will have the chance to play the tournament course from the pro tees, with a chance to “Beat the Pro” on the 9th hole, a 169-yard par 3 over water, of course (why do you think they call it the Blue Monster?). When you play No. 18, a 467-yard par 4 (shown above), you will be tackling what has ranked statistically as the toughest hole on the PGA Tour two of the past four years. Might be a good idea to bring your “A” game. Room rates start at $149 per night. For more information, go here or call (800) 71-DORAL.

The Today Show had a very cool story about this eatery in Biddeford, Maine, Dan's Restaurant, that lets customers negotiate prices a bit. This is the way it works: Let's say you want a scallop plate; it costs $18, but you only have $10 on you. So you tell the waitress, and she brings you $10 worth.
Apparently Dan's has been doing this for a couple months now. The whole thing started when an elderly woman stopped in a bit ago and after eating said she really enjoyed it and would come more often but couldn't afford it. So, an idea was born.
Obviously, the policy has drawn a good bit of attention. And a waitress there said that she's been told it will go on indefinitely -- particularly given the current tough times.
Bon appetit.

Times are tough. The travel wise guys say with the weak dollar, rising airline fares, and rocketing gas costs more of us will be traveling less. And those who do venture out will be looking to stay closer to home.

Many are rethinking what kind of cars they are driving. Might be time to trade in that old tuna boat SUV. But new is so expensive. Thank goodness the folks at Consumer Reports have come out with their list of the most reliable and fuel-efficient used cars (Trust me; used is the new black).
In the vehicles under $10 grand category:

Auto........................................overall mpg
2000 Honda Insight (manual)..................51
2001-02 Toyota Prius.................................41
2000-05 Toyota Echo.................................38
1998-2002 Chevrolet Prizm........................32
1998 Mazda Protegé LX.............................32
1998-2000 Toyota Corolla CE/LE............32/31
1998-2001 Acura Integra LS (manual)....32
2004-05 Scion xA (manual/automatic)...31/30

If you want the list of the pricier cars, read on.

FULL ENTRY

Vermont’s capital city puts a green spin on this summer’s outdoor art project. “SculptCycle 2008” selected Vermont artists to create 25 original sculptures using discarded bicycles and parts as a way to show off the local talent and Montpelier. Placed on sidewalks, plazas, and storefronts all over downtown through Oct. 4, the sculptures are unveiled officially June 7 with a sculpture tour parade followed by an opening

Lochlin Smith & Ward Joyce's "Squashed Bikes" under construction

reception with music and food on the State House lawn. “SculptCycle” culminates with a live and silent/online auction to benefit the artists and the Montpelier Downtown Community Assn. Challenge yourself on foot or bike to find all 25 works without using a map. Visit www.sculptcycle.org for full calendar of related events, artists’ information, and a map.

By Jan Shepherd, Globe Correspondent

So who would know better than an out-of-town theater critic about how to find hotel bargains in midtown? The Chicago Trib's Chris Jones offers nine tips and they're really pretty useful.
Among them, he suggests not being a snob about seeking our chains because they can often offer a much nicer and more economical stay than "boutique" hotels as the franchises have to adhere to corporate standards so they tend to have bigger rooms, better service, and more amenities.
He also points out that there often is not a whole lot to be gained by booking way in advance at the chains as prices on the Web can drop the nearer you get to your arrival day -- except during peak periods.
And remember, Sunday is your friend. Hotels tend to be cheaper then and most expensive on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Be aware that rates go through the roof during the high-traffic times of March spring break and fall weekends as hotels fill with student groups and Europeans on shopping sprees. Instead, focus on January, February, late April, May, or perhaps the summer.
Finally, when you get to midtown and you are looking for theater tickets don't forget TKTS which specializes in day-of-show surplus seats at discounts that often hit half off. TKTS has booths outside the Marriott Marquis in Times Square and at the South Street Seaport at the corner of Front and John streets, near the rear of the Resnick/ Prudential Building. If you get there about an hour before the booth opens, good things will happen.

Not that you necessarily need a huge incentive to want to lounge on an unspoiled beach on Curaçao, an eclectic little tropical island with Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, and African influences off the north coast of Venezuela, but through November Continental Airlines is offering round trips to the island (just from Newark, sorry) starting at $378 with a $140 credit toward your vacation. Details at curacao.com.

While you're there, be sure to check out the Curaçao Ostrich Farm, one of the biggest such farms outside of Africa; the Curaçao Seaquarium, where you can snorkel or scuba dive in tanks and hand-feed stingrays, sea turtles, and sharks; and Dolphin Academy, where you can meet and swim with dolphins.

The endlessly, shamelessly self-promotional Dennis Hof, owner of the notorious Moonlight Bunny Ranch in Carson City, Nevada, says that the American Traveler has endured enough.
Hof says that the brothel, moved by American Airline's recent announcement that it would begin charging $15 for even a first checked piece of luggage, will give a $15 rebate to its fly-in customers who show a claim stub upon entering the establishment.
"As long as the airlines keep sticking it to the consumer," Hof says "we feel obligated to help. And we won't ask what's in your luggage, although the girls may be curious."
Ouch. What a mensch.

Good morning, travelers. We keep hearing that this summer many will be looking for travel opportunities closer to home. And we are listening.

Six Flags, which has a park in Agawam (a bedroom community of the metropolis of Springfield), says if you buy admission tickets online you can get them at the children's rate of $29.99. Or if you're the type who has trouble planning ahead, they're offering special summer tickets at the gate in Western Mass. for just $39.99.
Besides the rides and the water park, Six Flags is planning summer concerts (including their Kiss 95 kick off with Bow Wow and Simple Plan and one special Thursday night show with Raven Symone) as well as a new Glow in the Park Parade, featuring state-of-the-art floats (I think we're talking glow sticks on steroids here) and Cirque Du Soleil-type music.
Cool. Somebody queue the music and let's bring back the creepy, fake-bald, dancing dude.

Let Rick Steves be your guide as you listen to his walking tours of Italy's popular attractions, including Michelangelo’s David, the Sistine Chapel, or St. Mark’s Square.

Download the tours for free from his website or from iTunes.

More than a million tours have been downloaded since Steves introduced his France series last year.

Combine tickets to the Red Sox and a day of discount shopping and it's a perfect getaway for many. That's just what Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel and Wrentham Village Premium Outlets are offering with their "Short Stop and Shop" Package.

Although they tout this for international visitors, it's available to all. Included are:
- three-night or four-night accommodations for two
- two tickets to Red Sox game
- round-trip transportation for two from the hotel to the outlets, for a day of shopping
- one $25 Chelsea Premium Outlets gift card
- one $5 VIP Chelsea Premium Outlets discount coupon book

Four-night package dates:
- July 5-9, with tickets on July 7 or 8 (Boston vs. Minnesota)
- July 25-29, with tickets on July 28 or 29 (Boston vs. Los Angeles)
- Aug. 31-Sept. 4, with one set of tickets on Sept.1, 2 or 3 (Boston vs. Baltimore)

Three-Night package dates:
- Aug.17-Aug. 20, ith baseball tickets on Aug. 17 (Boston vs. Toronto)

The four-night package price is $919; three-night $739 (including tax; excluding alcohol, parking, and gratuities). Availability is limited. For reservations, call 1-800-228-9290 and ask for promotional code ZJL.

Free food, travelers. Let's plan our day. From 7-10:30 this morning participating Mickey D's gave free Southern Style Chicken Biscuits if you bought a medium or large drink. Then, from 10:30 to 7 this evening they're giving away free Southern Style
Chicken Sandwiches -- again if you buy a drink.
Still thirsty? Our pals at Dunkin' have declared this Free Iced Coffee Day. From 10 to 10 you can walk into any participating store, sidle up to the bar, and score a 16-ouncer.
Free food and coffee is a sweet thing -- and the whole experience is only enhanced if you manage to sneak out of work to get it.

The LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort in Naples, Fla., bills itself as rivaling Miami’s South Beach in ambience, and it has landed on Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice list of golf resorts three years running. It offers a testing golf course along with a private white-sand beach resort, an elegant day spa, and fine seafood dining. And from May 26 through Sept. 30, the resort is offering its “Golf Away the Summer Days” unlimited play package to sweeten the deal. Rates start at $229 a night ($299 on weekend nights) and include accommodations, complimentary valet parking, resort fees, fitness center access, and unlimited golf for two. The Robert Cupp-designed, par-72 course is set up to offer a firm, fast playing surface similar to a true links layout, and 14 of the holes play around or over water. Rates do not include taxes and gratuities, and note that the golf course is closed on Mondays. For more information, call 800-237-6883 or visit laplayaresort.com.

How refreshing to find a hotel "deal" that is actually a bargain! Shell Vacations Hospitality is offering family-friendly summer deals at some of its resorts in the US and Canada. Included are a $15 gas card (OK, that's not even half a tank these days, but at least it's something), room rates ranging from $68-$189 for guests staying four nights or more, and a gift pack of beach games for the kids. Packages are valid from June 2 until Sept. 5 and can only be booked online through Shell's website. Shell's resorts include:
Peacock Suites, Anaheim
Orange Tree Golf Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Legacy Golf Resort, Phoenix
Starr Pass Golf Suites, Tucson
Desert Rose Resort, Las Vegas
Carriage Ridge Resort, Horseshoe Valley, Ontario
Mountainside Lodge, Whistler, British Columbia
Waikiki Marina Resort, Oahu
Kauai Coast Resort, Kauai

You have until midnight to score this. Southwest is offering a sale for travel May 8-31, with prices as low as $48 one way. From Providence, $48 gets you to Baltimore/Washington Int'l, $83 to Columbus, Ohio, $66 to Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and $94 to West Palm Beach. Blackout dates are May 22, 23, and 26 and all reservations must be made on the site. Other fees apply. These are pretty good rates, but it's always wise to shop. In this case quickly.

We like deals. Like 'em a lot. Bank of America has been running its Museums on Us program in May -- which is National Museum Month, for those of you keeping track -- a few years now. Bank customers got free admission to a bunch of museums by showing a check or credit or ATM card. First it was just regional and later it was expanded to the Northeast.
B of A now has decided to take it nationwide and change it from the month of May to the first weekend of every month (like this weekend, say). What does this mean? Well, besides museums like the MFA and DeCordova and others around here, you could hit the Met in New York, or perhaps the DeYoung in San Francisco. Ever been to the Art Institute of Chicago or the Houston Museum of Natural Science? You get the idea. There's a museum locator on the website.
Besides the B of A deal, Baskin Robbins -- they of the 31 flavors back in the day -- are offering a 31-cent scoop night (from 5-10) at all 2,700 locations nationwide as a benefit for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. So we're talking three scoops for less than a buck. And you get to help Jakes. Here's the store locator.

This offer from Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel is pricey, but if a Sox fan is willing to pay $175,000 for a once-buried, torn Ortiz jersey, this might seem like a bargain.

Here's the deal: The Waterfront Luxury Suite Baseball Package costs $1,200.
It includes: two field box seats to a Sox game at Fenway (seats are six rows from the field, on the third base line,section 31, Box 78, Row D); overnight hotel accommodations on the evening of the game, in a new Waterfront Luxury Suite; breakfast for two the next morning at Oceana Restaurant; and complimentary overnight parking for one car.

Check the website for games dates (no Yankees games on the list).

You have to pay in full at time of booking and the fee is nonrefundable. Availability is limited, so if this would make the perfect Mother's or Father's Day gift, act now.

The Eurail Pass is not valid in Great Britain, but if you're between the ages of 16 and 25, ACP Rail and BritRail have a deal for you: Purchase any Eurail Pass and get a 50 percent discount off the regular adult price of a standard class BritRail Consecutive Pass, BritRail FlexiPass, BritRail England Consecutive Pass, or BritRail England FlexiPass.

The offer is valid throughout 2008. Phone 1866 938 RAIL and order your Eurail Youth and your BritRail Pass. If you already have your Eurail Pass, log onto BritRail.com and choose the Eurail Pass Tab on select BritRail passes. The Eurail and BritRail Passes must both be in your possession at the time you travel in Britain and they must both be valid for travel.

BritRail Passes are available for as few as 4 days and up to a month and can be used on 19,000 daily train departures to more than 2,500 destinations.

With the tumbling dollar this could be just the ticket.

The latest Caribbean Travel & Life on newsstands today lists the top 25 affordable hotels chosen from more than 1,000 in the region.

Included are Blachi Koko in Bonaire "situated just 50 feet from some of the Caribbean’s finest diving and snorkeling'' and Mafolie Hotel in St. Thomas (at right), where in "you can be 800 feet above sea level, overlooking the port of Charlotte Amalie.''

Here’s the lineup:

$105 or Less
Hotel Playa Colibri, Dominican Republic
Velero Beach Resort, Dominican Republic
Da House, Puerto Rico
Blachi Koko, Bonaire
Kariwak Holistic Haven and Hotel, Tobago
Jake’s, Jamaica
Frigate Bay Resort, St. Kitts
Admiral’s Inn, Antigua

$105 to $145
Mafolie Hotel, St. Thomas, USVI
Sibonné, Turks and Caicos
La Sagesse Nature Center, Grenada
Mary’s Boon, St. Maarten
Rockhouse, Jamaica
Greenbank Guesthouse, Bermuda
Harmony Studios, St. John, USVI
Cooper Island Beach Club, British Virgin Islands
Sea Foam Haciendas, Barbados

$145 to $200
Coco Palm, St. Lucia
Grand Case Beach Club, St. Martin
Manchebo Beach Resort, Aruba
Shangri-La Caribe, Mexico
Ti Kaye Village, St. Lucia
Plein Soleil, Martinique
Kú, Anguilla
Village St. Jean, St. Barts

Good old-fashioned bubbles, in ginormous quantities: What's not to like? TravelZoo has flagged a last-minute deal good through April 30. It's not exactly huge, but you can get $10 off a regular ticket for the "Gazillion Bubble Show" in New York. I've heard this show appeals especially to kids 9 and under. Visit broadwayoffers.com and enter code ZQQNWS.

In an attempt to help offset (let's all say this together) the rising cost of fuel, US Airways says that it is going to give passengers the "option'' of paying at least $5 a flight for a "choice'' aisle or window seat in the first several rows of coach. The airline's elite frequent-flier members, however, will be able to book these seats for free.
USA Today's Ben Mutzabaugh says that the program will kick off May 7 and initially be offered just to travelers using Web check-in at the carrier's site. Eventually it'll be made available during airport check-in too.
The Choice Seats option will apply to all flights except the Shuttle and Colgan-operated Saab 340 aircraft.
May 7, huh? I know I can't wait.

We have heard great things about San Antonio, but it remains on the list of "places we'd really like to get to someday." The Alamo is a major lure, and the city also boasts a growing reputation for superb wine and cuisine. Plus there's the River Walk, with hotels, restaurants, shopping, and historic landmarks along two miles of paths that border the San Antonio River. The latest incentive -- for us, anyway -- is the local twilight golf program. Several area courses have joined forces to offer reduced greens fees in the afternoon and evening on some outstanding courses. An ambitious player might even squeeze in 36 holes in the p.m., since some of the specials begin at 1 o'clock, and darkness doesn't typically descend until 8:30 or so between May and July. Dozens of award-winning courses are offering specials that include carts, and there are even discounts off the reduced rates for golfers 55 and older. Courses range from historic municipal layouts to championship venues and world-class resorts. Pecan Valley Golf Club hosted the 1968 PGA Championship, won by Julius Boros by one shot over Arnold Palmer and Bob Charles, and the classic J. Press Maxwell design received a $5.5 million renovation 10 years ago (the 152-yard 3rd hole is pictured). Another highlight is the Westin LaCantera Resort, nestled in the Texas Hill Country just north of the city. Its two courses (the Resort and Palmer) offer gorgeous views of the city, waterfalls, and dramatic limestone outcroppings, and the Resort Course is the longtime host course for the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open. Not to worry: there are five sets of tees, so you won't have to play it from the same lengths as Justin Leonard did when he took the title for the third time last fall. To find out more about golf around San Antonio, go here.

Talk about a bad weekend.
My buddy, Bob, was supposed to fly out to Columbus, Ohio, weekend before last for a convention. He had gotten a fabulous deal on Skybus tickets. Strike One.
Once he'd learned the discounter had fallen down and couldn't get up, he also discovered that it would be mondo expensive to get another flight at the last minute (you might be surprised to learn how sparse the service is between Boston and Columbus -- or then again you might not care) and that local friends who also had Skybus tickets opted to make the 12-hour drive but had already left. Strike Two
And then there was the matter of his hotel canceling his reservation. That's right. They tossed him because they had overbooked. Strike Three.
Ouch. Seems Bob got this letter from a Ramada in Columbus saying that they weren't going to have room for him but they'd found him a replacement room across the the street -- at a slightly higher price.

FULL ENTRY

The sign outside Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy (AP Photo/Luigi Costantini)

If the depressing exchange-rate has you staying stateside more than you'd like, there's a bar in Venice that wants to ease your economic travel woes. Harry's Bar, which was frequented by libation-loving scribe Ernest Hemingway, is offering a 20 percent discount to American travelers in the restaurant portion of the eatery. Now the only thing left to do is figure out how to say "Another round please" in Italian…

After splurging last summer on a family trip to San Diego, I thought we’d be staying closer to
home this year. Or will we? TripAdvisor conducted a family travel survey of more than 2,400 respondents and came up with its top 10 family-friendly bargain hotels. Here’s the list — heavily geared toward California and Florida — with each hotel’s average nightly rate.

1. Dunes Village Resort, Myrtle Beach, S.C. ($139)
2. Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Orlando, Fla. ($104)
3. Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, Anaheim, Calif. ($105)
4. Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, Orlando, Fla. ($151)
5. Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Orlando, Fla. ($103)
6. Marriott’s Grande Vista, Orlando, Fla. ($156)
7. Homewood Suites Anaheim-Main Gate Area, Anaheim, Calif. ($121)
8. Staybridge Suites Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, Fla. ($155)
9. Comfort Suites Maingate East, Kissimmee, Fla. ($98)
10. Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, Orlando, Fla. ($102)

AirTran joins US Airways and JetBlue in offering a standby deal for passengers holding tickets for Skybus, which shut down Saturday.
AirTran's offer is much like the ones offered by the other two, which I wrote about Saturday. It's $50 per flight plus taxes and fees; to set it up you need to call the reservation line 800-247-8726. You'll need to show your original Skybus ticket receipt or e-ticket confirmation when you check in, and all travel must be completed by April 15.

Another one bites the dust. Discounter Skybus shut down today and plans to file for bankruptcy protection next week, croaked by the rocketing cost of jet fuel and the crumbling economy.
Dearly departed Skybus launched just last year and made a splash by offering 10 seats, each for $10, on every flight. They saved money by charging for EVERYTHING: water, checked bags, pillows. They also shaved costs by flying into places that don't get used much--or at all (but are sort of close to places where you might want to be). In New England, they offered a "Boston" option, which meant you were flying out of and into Portsmouth, N.H. They also flew from "Hartford" (Chicopee, Mass., really). From either, you could get to Greensboro, N.C., and Columbus, Ohio; from "Boston" you could also go to the Fort Myers and Jacksonville areas in Florida.
OK, but that's ancient history. You're holding tickets. What to do? You have a couple of choices. First you can try to chase your credit card company for a refund. And I wish you good luck with that.
Your other option is to grab the standby lifelines being thrown out by US Airways or JetBlue.

FULL ENTRY

Bargain bus riders don't need to wait until BoltBus launches service April 24 with its Boston-New York $1 fare deal. Lucky Star said that starting today it, too, will offer one seat per bus for just a buck.
The family-owned Chinatown bus company is facing tough new competition from corporate giants Greyhound Lines, which runs BoltBus in several East Coast cities, and Coach USA, which on May 30 will add the Boston-New York route and the $1 fare to its MegaBus subsidiary's 30-city empire.
Lucky Star said it isn't sure how long it will be able to maintain this price war -- especially with rising gas prices -- but it's trying to hang on to customers.
Lucky Star already matches pioneering competitor Fung Wah Bus in pricing each seat on the 57-passenger bus at $15 one-way. Now, weekday one-way tickets purchased online will go for $1 to $15 each, plus a 50-cent transaction fee. The walk-up fare will still be $15.
Posted by Nicole C. Wong, Globe Staff

Now I ain't sayin' he's a gold digger, but hip-hop star Kanye West has started a travel business, which aims to offer lower-cost airfares, hotels, rental cars -- all the usual suspects (according to Advertising Age, the venture is linked up with Travelocity).
Obviously, this thing looks to tap into Kanye's platinum-size fan base. Right now, the travel site is linked to Kanye's main site but there are no trips tied to concert tours or appearances. Apparently, that will come in a later phase.
Other celebrities have tried similar marketing deals but met with less that stellar results.
But Kanye? Get down man, go 'head get down.

A couple days ago my pal Nicole filled us in on the details of BoltBus's April 24 launch of its Boston-New Jack City run.
And Bolt is, as we've mentioned before, just one of the many services vying for our buck (and I do mean buck as both BoltBus and its big rival MegaBus -- which will pull up in Boston May 30 -- both offer seats starting at $1).
I love competition over me.
Anyway, our friends at The Washington Post -- where Bolt just began service -- kicked the tires and wrote about it. So here's what they thought:

FULL ENTRY

BoltBus will launch service between Boston's South Station and New York's Penn Station vicinity on April 24. Tickets go on sale April 7 on the company website. At least one seat on every bus will cost just $1 one way, plus a 50-cent booking fee, and the remainder will be priced according to market demand. Fares will rise the longer passengers wait, with walk-up tickets purchased from the driver before boarding priced at $20. BoltBus, which will have 12 daily departures on this route on weekdays and more on the weekends, will be the first low-cost carrier on this popular route to offer free WiFi. MegaBus, another new entrant to this competitive market, will also offer $1 seats and free WiFi once service starts May 30. BoltBus is celebrating by offering every seat between April 24 and April 27 for $1. MegaBus has done one better by offering every seat for free during its first week of service.
Posted By Nicole C. Wong, Globe Staff

I’m all for vacationing for the sake of a good cause. Even if it’s just for a little overnighter. Boston’s Seaport Hotel, which has teamed with the nonprofit literacy program Reach Out and Read, is offering an overnight stay for four, tickets to the Boston Children’s Museum, and use of the health club and indoor pool. The package starts at $169 per night plus tax. Nice touches for the kiddoes include cookies and milk upon arrival and a small toy from the hotel’s treasure chest. Guests can make a personalized bookplate to give to a child in need, and the hotel will make a donation to Reach Out and Read. The package is available on Friday nights throughout the year.

As if Steve Jobs hadn’t created something for hipsters and technology buffs to lust over with last year’s iPhone, Austrian designer Peter Aloisson has gone and one-upped him.

With his new diamond-encrusted iPhone Princess Plus, Aloisson has lifted the bar for costly cell phones even higher.

Retailing for $176,400, one of the phones has been promised to a Russian businessman who ordered the gizmo back in October. Those not looking to mortgage their home for the device can purchase a more “modest” version of the Princess for the price of $66,150.

Complete with 318 diamonds, (that’s 17.75 carats, for you jewelers out there) and an 18k white gold rim, the phone is the world’s most expensive iPhone -- obliterating last year’s record, $41,225, set by British designers, Amosu.

Aloisson, infamous for creating diamond-encrusted Nokias and Motorolas in the late ‘90s, is no stranger to the extravagant. In 2005, Aloisson unveiled a platinum-covered phone with eight rare blue diamonds. That phone -- available for $1,300,000 still holds the record for the world’s most expensive.

Not exactly something you’d want to drop on the sidewalk.

Posted by Chris Brook, Boston.com

One of the nation’s leading maritime museums, with more than over 300,000 annual visitors, will serve up drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and stories surrounding Bill McCoy, the infamous Florida boat builder turned Prohibition hero.

This Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m., Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea Mystic Seaport and its co-sponsor, Flat Hammock Press, invites lecturer and editor, Robert McKenna to discuss, ‘‘Rum Runners, the Prohibition Battle and a Sip of the Real McCoy.’’ Behind the infamous phrase, ‘‘It’s the real McCoy,’’ lies a legend of a man who built a bootlegging empire worth millions of dollars during Prohibition by promising quality liquor and fair business practices.

The lecture will look at the profound effect on American culture and business of those rum-running days. Prohibition started the same year women were given the right to vote and helped bolster the US Coast Guard, which was a leader in the in fight against rum runners. The period from 1920-33 also brought technological advances to marine engines and improvements to hull design.

Enjoy a drink from the cash bar with liquor made famous by McCoy, including Gordon’s gin and White Horse scotch. Arrive early and peruse the bookshop’s offerings on rum running, offering 6 published books on rum running and dine at the Seamen’s Inne with a 20 percent discount. Admission is $15 for museum members and $18 for nonmembers.
Posted by Kimberly Sherman, Globe Correspondent

And then there were four. Discounter Megabus plans to start offering trips between Boston and New York starting in late May. They will be going head to head with Boltbus, which is launching its service in April.
Both services have a similar pricing deal: It begins at a $1 for a seat if you reserve in advance and gets more expensive the closer you get to departure. BoltBus will offer WiFi and power outlets; Megabus plans to have WiFi but no power outlets. BoltBus will be shoving off from South Station; Megabus from 700 Atlantic Ave.
And both companies are locked in a Texas Death Cage showdown with the Chinatown bus services, Lucky Star and the sometimes-mechanically-challenged Fung Wah, which offer potentially lower cost service without amenities or the guaranteed seating.
The BoltBus-Megabus Battle in Boston is part of a larger war between the Scottish owner of BoltBus, FirstGroup PLC, and Scottish rival, Stagecoach Group, which runs Megabus. A kind of Scottish Battle Royale for the hearts and minds of the Backpack Brigade.
Still all this fighting over us. I'm thinking it's a good thing.

We just went to the forecast and found that the temperature is expected to range between 59 degrees and 72 degrees over the next week in Bermuda. Combine those conditions with the “Ultimate Tee Time Package” and you have a nice re-entry into golf after a dormant winter. Perhaps we’ll see 70 degrees once or twice around here next month, if we’re lucky!
The tee awaits at two Fairmont properties on the island, the Fairmont Southampton and the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, and there are two comfortable ocean-view courses on which to ease into the swing of things. The Southampton course is a challenging par-3 layout, with 18 holes ranging from 110 yards to 216 yards. The Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club, the oldest private course on the island and a short ride away, is open to hotel guests and plays 5,800 yards to a par 70. If the muscles ache, the adjacent Willow Stream Spa is right on site with options that include a golf facial, the “up to par" body experience, and the golf performance treatment massage. This treatment, which is designed to improve balance and swing rotation, is endorsed by instructor to the stars David Leadbetter and PGA Tour star Charles Howell III, though I don’t suspect anyone is guaranteeing you’ll hit the ball like Howell after your massage. The package starts at $476 per day, double occupancy, and includes unlimited play on the par-3 course or one round daily at Riddell’s Bay, one night’s stay, plus taxes, tip, and resort fee. A two-night stay is required, and guests must be over 18. The package is available through December 31, 2008. For reservations or more information, call 800-441-1414 or visit fairmont.com.

Dude. Not really, but sort of, so keep reading. This is the story. A little bird (actually TheAirDB) told me that Skybus is going to start offering service from "Boston" (Portsmouth, N.H., really) to "New York" (Newburgh, N.Y., which is really about 80 miles north of Manhattan for all of you geographically-challenged types).
What? You've never heard of Skybus? (You're so ignorant sometimes you're like embarrassing to hang with.) They're the guys who started up last year and they set aside 10 seats for $10 on every flight. And the real fares are pretty low, too. How do they do it? Well, first of all they fly into places that don't get used much or at all (but are sort of close to places where you might want to be). And they charge for EVERYTHING: Water costs $2 a bottle; checked luggage $5 a bag per flight; and pillows $12 each. My pal Nicole Wong wrote a cool story last month about what it's like to fly with these guys.
OK, so you don't care about the "Boston" to "New York" deal. Well, they're also planning to start flying from Springfield (you know, like Western Mass.? Like Basketball Hall of Fame?)
to Punta Gorda and St. Augustine, Fla.
Ultra-cheap flights to Florida. Hmm. Sound better? OK, now, you CAN'T get these deals just yet because, well, they're not soup yet. But I'm predicting in the next few days....(so shake yourself and start paying attention to Current Events, OK? Sha.)

All right, I'm warning you: This is going to hurt. With crude prices sashaying toward $110 a barrel, US gas prices hit a record $3.227 per gallon today, up 27 cents in a month and topping the old high of $3.2265 set in May.
Around here, the average was only (only?) $3.103, off the record $3.214 set in September of 2005 (yes, all pain is relative). Want a little salt for that open fleshy wound? Last year, we were paying $2.506.
All these figures are courtesy of our pals at AAA.
The auto club says that folks in some parts of the country could be ponying up $4 by this summer (although our good friend Art Kinsman of the New England branch says we'll likely be paying closer to $3.50-$3.60). Let's hope most of those $4 folks are Yankee fans -- or Californians or Floridians (or anywhere else where people are wearing shorts when we can't).
Getting ready to swear off car travel? Airlines are no better.
United, American, Delta, and Continental have just raised round-trip ticket prices by as much as $10 amid surging jet-fuel costs, which hit a record $3.17 a gallon last week. The airlines have already tried pushing up fares about a half dozen times this year. So what's the total damage? As much as $50 in total fuel surcharges on certain US round-trip flights.
It could be a tough travel year, my friends. Seems like a good time to go fashionably green and maybe take up bicycling.

Need to catch the Brewers home opener April 4? Or sample some of the beers that made Milwaukee famous? Then Midwest Airlines may have a deal for you.

Through Friday, the airline is offering some discount fares for future travel, including some flights between Boston and Milwaukee. So for travelers who want to get a good look at Brewers slugger Prince Fielder (right), this may be an opportunity to check out.

The special fares cover some Midwest Airlines flights from April 1 through June 11, and one-way fares based on round trip purchase include such starting sample prices as Milwaukee to Boston for $79, Midwest said.
For locals interested in cricket and a different kind of royalty than Prince Fielder, British Airways is offering a summer sale that includes round trip fares from Boston starting at $769. Ticket purchases must be made by the end of Thursday, and the summertime rate is available for travel from May 26 through Sept. 3, the airline said.

As always, conditions apply to both Midwest Airlines and British Airways offers.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)

OK, I won't say I told you so. Last week, I peered into the bottom of my cup, read the coffee grounds and predicted that BoltBus would begin offering low-cost bus service between Boston and New York soon.
Today, the company said that the service would begin in April and that buses would run out of South Station.
BoltBus, a division of Greyhound, specializes in lower-cost fares (they start at $1 one way and go up as seats fill until they hit regular rates) and guaranteed seats, and it offers WiFi and power outlets. It's the same kind of service Vamoose started to launch last year until it ran afoul of ordinances in Boston and Cambridge.
Both companies are looking to compete with Lucky Star and the sometimes-mechanically-challenged Fung Wah, which offer service for a couple bucks less but without the amenities -- or the guaranteed seating (a not insignificant perk).
Dustin Clark of BoltBus says the company hasn't yet determined exactly when the service will begin or how many trips a day it will make.
The Daily Telegraph of London reported this morning that the move by BoltBus was part of a larger battle between the Scottish owner of Greyhound, FirstGroup PLC, and another Scottish rival, Stagecoach Group, which runs the lower-cost Megabus service in the Midwest and West Coast.
So now it appears you will soon have a choice. Competition. Markets. Cheaper ways to get to New York by bus. Isn't that what makes life here in the US of A so wonderful?

OK, listen up. Like many deals, this is a good one for the right person.
If you sign on the dotted line for a Jet Blue American Express card by Monday and pony up the $40 annual fee, you get a one-way flight certificate to anywhere JetBlue flies after you make your first purchase. You also pick up 10,000 bonus award dollars with that first purchase -- about half way to a earning a round-trip ticket.
Now, the fine print: You have to make your flight plans between April 1-April 30, and travel must be completed by June 18. And you can't use it on Memorial Day weekend.
Still, dude, let's say you need to get to Seattle for your sister's wedding. This deal could be totally cool (providing her nuptials aren't after June 18 or on Memorial Day and her dork pal Michael doesn't get blotto again and start doing his 50 Cent on karaoke night (dude is like 45, chrome-domed, and Filipino. Sha.). I mean the $40 fee is short money compared to what you'd pay otherwise, yes?
So check it out, but do the right thing.

And then there were four? Fung Wah used to be The Way for low-cost bus service to New York (never mind the mechanical problems, loose wheels, crashes, and that unpleasantness with the visually-impaired passenger). And then there was Lucky Star. Yes, these buses were sometimes funky but you could usually get on. And cheap. Yes, my brutha, dirt cheap.
Then last year Vamoose arrived. It promised guaranteed seats (the Chinatown lines sold tickets, regardless of whether they could provide a seat for everybody) and WiFi (yes!). All this for only $22, a mere $7 more than the Bus Kings.
But the devil, they say, resides in the details. And it turned out Vamoose ran afoul of regulations in Cambridge and Boston. Cue the sound of screeching brakes.
Turns out there could be a fourth option in the offing.

FULL ENTRY

Arthur Frommer knows a travel deal when he sees one. So in this period of the ever shrinking dollar, this Great Travel God has wended his way down from the Mount with a Top Ten list of bargain destinations for 2008.
Maestro, a drumroll please:

1. China
2. Vietnam
3. Panama
4. Nicaragua and Honduras
5. Costa Rica
6. Dominican Republic
7. Buenos Aires and Santiago, Chile
8. The U.S. National Parks
9. Bali in the South Pacific
10. Sicily
The ever-watchful and intrepid traveler will no doubt note that of all these places only Sicily would require the ability to perform dollar-to-euro calculations.
Actually, after having said that I'm wondering about the National Parks. I mean there are reports that merchants in New York are accepting -- some even prefer -- euros. Perhaps Uncle Samuel will not be far behind. And what next? Lompoc? Iowa City? Brockton?
Anyway, thanks for this list Arthur (Can I call you Arthur? No? Sorry, Mr. Frommer. Sir.)

Untours, based in Media, Pa., has been creating independent travel plans for visitors to Europe for more than 30 years. As they put it, they let you discover Europe on your own terms. They have helped tens of thousands of “Untourists” discover what it's like to live in a country instead of just traveling through it, through the rental of private apartments, cottages, or farmhouses combined with pre-trip planning services.
They are also acutely aware of how the low dollar and the high Euro will affect travel to Europe this year. The days of Europe being a cheap vacation for Americans are long gone. Here are some cost-saving tips that Untours offers in its newsletter, called the Eurozine:

FULL ENTRY

Why settle for a mug of green beer and shouted conversation over “The Wild Rover” on St. Patrick’s Day, when you can experience the patron saint of Ireland’s birthday on the Olde Sod itself? Better yet, take advantage of this Fairways to Heaven offer and you’ll enjoy a round at the acclaimed Doonbeg Golf Club, in the shadow of the Cliffs of Moher, no less. Get yourself to Shannon International Airport, and the rest of the three-day, two-night package is taken care of (OK, truth in advertising -- you’re going to have to swing your own clubs). From Shannon, you are whisked to the Lodge at Doonbeg, where you have the choice of an afternoon spa treatment or a golf biomechanics session. Hmmm, that’s a tough call. You’ll also meet with Doonbeg’s pro Brian Shaw, where you’ll receive tips on playing the cliffside, Greg Norman-designed course in what is billed as a “B.S. session” -- those are the host pro's initials, OK??? Dinner and a whiskey-tasting follow, along with the obligatory craic. Make sure to plan the next morning’s wake-up call in time to have your Irish breakfast; you’ll need to be well-fortified to tackle Doonbeg, which features 100-foot dunes and ocean views from 16 holes. The next day, you'll be whisked home... er, to Shannon, actually. Whether you head straight home from there is your call. The package is $365 per person, double-occupancy. Go here for more information.

It's the 50th anniversary of The Freedom Trail Foundation and the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common
is celebrating with its Freedom Trail 50th Anniversary Package.

The package includes a deluxe guest room or suite, a private Walk Into History Walking Tour, A copy of "The Freedom Trail, An Artist's View,'' and an American breakfast for two in the Jer-Ne Restaurant.

The offer starts March 14 and continues through the year. Cost starts at $515 per couple and a three-day nonrefundable advance booking is required.