"The Best of" Travel Itineraries For Mostly European Cities

With the exception of New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Toronto in North America you can get suggestions for trip planning in Europe by logging onto this free recommended website.

First, you'll be asked the date you plan to be there and for how many days.

Then you can base your vacation around your kids, outdoors, culture, or "the best of" for a first-time visitor.

Maybe you want to rest. There are suggestions for you as well as for the ones who want to see everything.

Depending on how much you want to spend, the site provides hotel choices (then you make the reservations on your own.)

After calculating, your days' itineraries are shown. Often you will be traveling "by walking" and the approximate time is included.

A fun site. I suggest you try it.

Highly recommended.

How to Pack It In: Travel Essentials

It's that time of year again--when many of us take our vacations. I just returned from San Antonio for a wedding.

This is my list of travel essentials:

Swim suit

Umbrella

Book --read a couple of chapters prior to your trip

Medication--always in your carryon

Jacket/sweater

Sandals (summer)

Boots (winter)

Shoes (preferably waterproof)

Jeans

Light sweatpants

Sunscreen

Money

Cosmetics

Credit cards

AAA card

Tickets

Discount coupons

Itinerary

ID inside luggage pieces

Phone numbers

Extra flat carryon--for trip purchases

Clear plastic bags

Pen and paper

Camera and charger

Alarm clock (or alarm on cell phone)

Cell phone recharger

To this list, I add Vibrant Nation's 13 travel essentials:

1. A large scarf to serve as a shawl, blanket or pillow.

2. Duct tape for simple, easy repairs.

3. Travel yoga mat for exercise or luggage padding.

4. Cozy socks for relaxing on the airplane.

5. A small headlamp to use as a lamp or flashlight.

6. Multi-plug electrical adaptor.

7. Comfy running shoes.

8. Your own face soap and moisturizer.

9. Saline nasal spray for dry airline cabins.

10. Tums for stomach upsets.

For more on traveling, visit 50somethinginfo.com.

Have a great time!!

Garage Sale Heaven: Enjoy Traveling and Hunting at the Same Time

I am a great believer in garage and yard sales. In fact, my oldest thought "garages" were "garage sales" because I'd call out, "There's a garage sale!" It wasn't until he was quite a bit older when he realized they were two separate things.

Buying at these kinds of events happens to be my personal favorite for recycling (and getting slashed prices). Some of our best toys and books came from local yard sales.

Have you ever thought of combining travel and the most humongous, glorious, amazing yard sales? I didn't until I read JenniferHaupt and Brooke Howell's article in an old AARP magazine.

August 5-8 is this year's The 127 ( Corridor) Sale , "The World's Longest Yard Sale," stretching from Gadsden, Alabama, to Hudson, Michigan.

The brochure reads: "Yard sales can be found along the route at homes located on the designated route, in business parking lots, along side streets adjacent to the route, in wide open fields and pastures...and basically anywhere people can find to set up."

Along the way, check out the 100 year old jail in Jamestown, TN (headquarters of 127 Sale). Visit the nation's newest national park at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Honor World War I's most decorated hero at Sergeant Alvin C. York Grist Mill and Homeplace. Find natural rock formations, bridges and arches unique to the area.

Continue on to Highway 64 from Fort Smith to Beebe, Arkansas, from August 10-12. You'll find 160 miles of yard sales, antiques and collectibles and flea markets.

But don't forget to take a narrated tour on the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad.

If you can wait until October 20-22 you can enjoy hundreds of vendors along 354 miles of U.S. 80 from Mesquite Texas, to Vicksburg, Mississippi, via Louisiana. An extra plus for this event: it shares its highway with classic and not-so-vintage vehicles.

If you can't get away and want to find garage sales in your area, go to Yard Sale Treasure Map.

You'll be notified about sales within a certain radius of your starting point.

Finally, for more discount shopping ideas, visit 50somethinginfo.com

Motion Sickness Can Impact Your Cruise

Some people think that the most grueling part of a cruise is making the reservations. Others know that motion sickness onboard is the biggest hurdle.

Over-the-counter antihistamines taken 1/2 to 1 hour before travel can help prevent or treat mild cases.

The prescriptive transdermal patch placed behind the ear 6 - 8 hours before travel often provides more comfort.

P6 acupuncture point wrist bands are often being replaced by the more effective P6 Relief Band utilizing electrostimulation.

Here's what you can do:

1. Avoid heavy meals and alcohol before and during travel.

2. Distance yourself from strong odors such as cigarettes and perfume.

3. Choose cabins higher up and mid-ship.

4. Look at the horizon or some other fixed distant point.

5. Get fresh air.

6. Try slow, regular breathing.

7. Lie down

Hotel Rooms For Less Money: Find a Great Hotel Room Without Breaking Your Budget

Andrea Bennett at Travel and Leisure says that hotels are looking to fill beds by turning to value-added promotions such as free nights and reduced rates for advanced bookings. However, some of the best deals are offered as part of the guest recognition programs of the big hotel chains. There are bargains a-plenty if you pay with points and some hotels are reducing the number of points redeemed for a similar quality room or are even upgrading. Look for promotions and deals available to members only (even on former blackout dates). Pointmaven.com instructs you on how to maximize hotel points and to search by plan or destination. Flyertalk.com posts up-to-the-minute loyalty program news. AND THERE'S MORE AND EVEN BETTER NEWS... Cheapostay.com lets you know about up to 50% hotel discounts world-over. Search by name, city, airport or landmark. Every Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. through Wednesday at 12:00 a.m. hotels.com lists approximately 400 new discount packages when booked through them. If you wonder about a hotel, check out travelpost.com and see how other visitors have reviewed the hotel. Finally, visit kayak.com to view the lowest room rates each day for the next 2 months. For the ultimate guide to travel, see this 50somethinginfo.com and select Air Travel, Buses, Cruises, International Travel, Train Travel, Travel America or Traveling With Disabilities.