Trip Tips

Tips and souvenirs

"I've found coins - especially unusual ones such as Kennedy halves or the new dollar coins - to be a popular treat as tips for kind service," writes Pat Brady Kempf of Pinellas Park, Fla.

"Also, special souvenirs I collect in my passport are rubber stamps from the [overseas] cities I visit. Post offices, city halls, and currency exchanges have these stamps, as a rule."

Size-wise carry-ons

With planes taking off at near-capacity, storage space on board is becoming increasingly scarce. So airlines are cracking down on the number and size of carry-on bags, writes Sandra Gershenfeld. Some airports now have sizing boxes at gates or templates designed to prevent bags over the size of 9 by14 inches from passing through the X-ray machine. If a bag doesn't pass, it must be checked.

"Since each airline's policy can differ, call your airline or check its Web site," she suggests, "to see what the limits are. And keep in mind that if your trip is to Europe, the airlines there have stricter carry-on rules."

Places to paws

If you like to take Rover and Miss Kitty with you on vacation, several Web sites and books will help you find pet-friendly accommodations. Petswelcome.com (www.pets welcome.com) lists 25,000 pet-friendly hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, resorts, and campgrounds. It also gives the pet policies of major hotel chains. Petsonthego.com (www.petsonthego.com) offers more varied advice on traveling with pets, including airline regulations and restrictions.

The Mobil Travel Guide "On the Road With Your Pet" (Fodor's, $12) offers general advice and more than 4,000 rated lodgings that accept traveling pets. "On the Road Again With Man's Best Friend," by Dawn and Robert Habgood, comes in four versions (West Coast, New England, Southwest, and the entire US, priced from $15.95 to $24.95). They're good guides to B&B's, inns, hotels, and resorts that will welcome you and your dog.

- Judy Lowe

*Share your trip tips on making travel easier, or recommend a delightful destination, restaurant, or experience. E-mail Lowej@csps.com, or write Travel Editor, The Christian Science Monitor, One Norway St., Boston, MA 02115.

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