Cookies for the Traveler in All of Us

Item: Biscoff cookies

Price: $26.95 (200 cookies)

Where to Buy: Biscoff.com

Review: My favorite airline is Delta not because of low fares or on-time departures. Nope. It's because of those delectable in-flight snacks called Biscoff cookies.

Stronger that a graham cracker, yet sweeter than a ginger snap, the Biscoff cookie is the highlight of the flight. And unlike a lot of in-flight treats nowadays, they're still free (or at least they were the last time I flew Delta more than a year ago).

Luckily, I don't have to wait for a flight to get my Biscoff fix. Over supper one night, my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and I learned of our shared regard for the cookie-biscuit. Lo and behold, I received a whole tin of the treats from them for Christmas one year.

Biscoff cookies not only make a great mid-morning treat at work, but also inspire me to plan my next trip -- via Delta, of course.

Image from: Biscoff.com

Priceline: Not Always the Best Deal

I've long been a fan of Priceline. I've lost count of the number of hotel rooms I've reserved for a fraction of the listed price both in the US and in Canada.

I've turned to Priceline several times now for rental cars, with mixed results. Last year I got a rental car in Columbus, Ohio, saved a few bucks, no problem. A more recent Priceline experience, however, proves that it's always wise to do some research before submitting your Priceline bid.

The goal: A 3-day rental to and from Detroit. Before I submitted my bid, Priceline's site showed that I could get a car from Alamo for $12 a day. So I submitted a bid of $8. No luck. $9. Nada.

What surprised me was that Priceline came back with a counteroffer -- of $13 a day. Huh?

Obviously I ignored the offer, made my way to Alamo's website and rented a car for the weekend for $49 and some change.

The lesson: Priceline has some great deals, but it doesn't have a monopoly on them.

At the Airport: Skip the Taxi, Take the Bus

I love to fly.

But I hate to make my way into the city -- any city -- from an airport that is generally several miles away.

Cabs are expensive. Independent bus services that promise hotel drop-off are convenient but still make a dent on the pocketbook.

The best option? Public transportation.

I've had good experiences taking public transit to and from airports in several U.S. cities as well as Berlin and Munich, Germany. The buses have been on-time and not as crowded as you might think. Best of all, they're cheap. For a couple of bucks you're downtown in nearly the same amount of time as if you had taken a taxi. And with the extra cash you saved, you can buy yourself a good meal.

When I first began opting for public transit at airports, I was nervous about finding the right bus. No need to worry. Just look for all of the other people with luggage, and that, most likely, is your bus stop.

Admittedly, public transportation isn't always the best option. At Port Columbus International Airport, in Ohio, I would hesitate taking the bus unless your hotel is very near to a stop. But in a mid-size city like this, you're probably going to rent a car anyway.

But for major cities with reliable bus or subway systems, you won't find anything much easier -- and certainly nothing cheaper -- than good ol' public transit.

Wall Art That Starts Conversations

The last thing the world needs is another reprint of "Starry Night."

Instead, turn to your digital photos to decorate your walls.

For a fraction of the cost of the framed pictures you can get in any old store, I ordered 8 x 12 prints of a few of my favorite photos taken by either my husband or me, like the one above of the Brandenburg Gate at dusk. Then I bought simple glass frames at Ikea for just a couple of bucks apiece.

Now my hallway is lined with seven prints that not only are pretty, but also bring up good memories whenever I stroll to the living room. I visit Austria, France, Mexico and even Disney World in a few steps, if only for a few moments.

This is a great way to decorate your own home, or a thoughtful gift for a friend or family member with whom you've shared a vacation. They're also perfect conversation starters-- visitors always want to learn where the pictures were taken once they learn we snapped them ourselves.

Leave Your Newspapers at the Airport, I Plea!

Bad airport surprise: Flight delayed two hours.

Good airport surprise: That day's New York Times stashed under your seat at the gate by some kind soul who passed through this purgatory before you.

I'm a big fan of the paying forward of newspapers, especially on various forms of transportation.

I'll leave random sections of the weekend paper on the subway. And, as that unknown person did for me at LaGuardia in June, I'll often stash my newspaper or magazine on a nearby seat at an airport gate for another lucky traveler. A man even asked for our leftover sections once as my husband and I waited for a plane in Detroit.

We were happy to oblige. Not only is a free newspaper much thriftier than buying an overpriced paperback, but you'll also feel smarter when you're done.

I get a little sad when I see airport employees throw out newspapers, but I know they're just doing their jobs to tidy the gate. In Columbus, I once saw someone confront an employee, saying she purposely left the newspaper for someone else to enjoy. It still went in the trash.

But to all of my fellow gate-litterers, I give you my sincere thanks. You have saved me from many hours of mind-numbing, gate-changing boredom.

All-You-Can-Fly for One Kind-of-Low Price

JetBlue moved one step closer to becoming like a pizza buffet this week. And I'm not talking about the airline's in-flight snacks.

Instead of pepperoni pizza, gorge yourself on travel with JetBlue's all-you-can-fly pass for $599 for travel between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8 to and from any of 56 destinations.

Passes must be purchased by Aug. 21.

But before you sign up, remember to look at the fine print.

• Flights to Puerto Rico and international destinations are NOT included.

• Change or cancellation = $100 fee

• No-show = $100 fee (and no more flights until the fee is paid)

But if you live near a JetBlue destination and feel like exploring the country, here's your chance for some cheap(ish) weekend trips.

Eating Safely ... In Any Language

Item: Food Allergy Cards

Price: $8.50

Where to Buy: SelectWisely

Review: When you have food allergies, the scariest place in a foreign country can be its restaurants.

It's hard enough to get some servers in the US to understand that my husband is deathly allergic to nuts. Now imagine trying to express it in another language.

That's where these food allergy cards come in. Available for dozens of allergies, the cards describe the allergy in any of 15 languages. And they're laminated for easy conveyance in your wallet or purse.

Relying on pantomimes isn't a good idea when it comes to food allergies. A food allergy card can make the difference between a relaxing vacation and one spent in the hospital.

Image from: SelectWisely

A New Way to Save on Gas?

We've all heard of those crazy drivers who will tack on an extra 20 miles to their commute in order to save a penny per gallon of gas. Do you think they even realize that they're guzzling their savings away with the extra mileage?

But I recently came across a way to save a few pennies on gas the requires no extra driving. How? By putting away the plastic and pulling out the cold, hard cash.

My husband had already inserted our credit card and started pumping the gas at a Shell station on the outskirts of Detroit when I noticed an offer I'd never before seen. Pay by credit card and gas was $2.91 a gallon. Use cash and it was six cents cheaper.

It was too late for us that time, but I'll be keeping my eye out for this in the future. Has anyone else noticed this offer before?

Passport Photos from the Comfort of Your Home

Several weeks ago I wrote about shooting, cropping and submitting my own passport photos instead of opting for the overpriced pictures taken at drugstores.

The results? A-OK.

My husband and I each received our renewed passports in the mail last week, no questions asked. The best part: We actually like these passport photos.

Whether you're applying for your first passport or a renewal, I highly recommend using ePassportPhoto to help make sure the photos you take meet federal regulations. Free and easy to use-- it doesn't get much better than that.

Laundry on the Road

Item: Laundry Soap Sheets

Price: $4.95

Where to Buy: Irv's Luggage

Review: Long vacations are great except for one thing: laundry. I hate doing the laundry with a passion even when I'm home, so why would I want to waste precious seconds -- let alone hours -- doing it on vacation?

At least you don't have to carry a heavy bottle of detergent with you, or buy an expensive bottle that you will promptly leave behind.

These laundry soap sheets dissolve in water and come in packs of 50. The dryer sheets are up to you.

Buying a gift for a backpacker? Consider the sheets of shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

Image from: Irv's Luggage

Maybe Coupons Do Grow on Trees

Coupons on the sidewalk are like manna from heaven.

I'm not speaking of offers unwillingly stuffed in your hand by people on the street. I'm referring to coupons actually on the ground. About a half-block from my apartment, to be exact.

I was about to step over some leaflets carelessly strewn about the sidewalk when I saw the familiar Six Flags logo. The amusement park has a location not far away in New Jersey, and my husband and I have been considering a visit.

I picked up one of the papers for a closer look. Among the many deals was a buy one, get one free ticket offer for any regular operating day between Sept. 6 and Oct. 5.

That's a savings of $49.99! So guess where I'll be heading in September?

The lesson: Sometimes the best coupons are literally under your very feet.

Cheap Passport Photos ... That Actually Look Good

I love to plan trips.

Reading the guide books, creating an itinerary, even packing-- they're almost as exciting as the trip itself.

Not really, but you get the point.

But I don't like just everything about vacation preparation. Case in point: renewing my passport.

Passport photos are a huge waste of money. They're only about $7, but that seems ridiculous when you can buy other photos for just pennies apiece.

And besides, if I have to live with a photo of myself for 10 years, I want it to look good. I don't trust a drug store, AAA or any other common source of passport photos to tell me if I look like an idiot as I'm waiting for the bulb to go off, and I doubt they're going to give me a free do-over.

So I was determined to find a better way. And I did: ePassportPhoto.

Have your photo taken with a digital camera against a white or off-white background, following a few simple rules (details are on the site). My husband and I spent about 15 minutes taking several photos of each other, instantly deleting the pictures that made us look like a doofus.

Upload the picture of your choice to ePassportPhoto, crop to specifications, and save. I had photos of myself and my husband printed at a local drugstore for a grand total of 58 cents.

I have yet to send in the photos to actually renew my passport, so I'm still crossing my fingers that they won't be rejected.

Want to see the photo? That's going to require an in-person visit to me. Even the best of passport photos doesn't make you, me or anyone actually look good ... only better.

Real Postcards for the Digital Age

Item: Photo Postcards

Price: $1.50

Where to Buy: Hazel Mail

Review: The vacation season traditionally starts with the long Memorial Day weekend. I love to receive postcards detailing others' travels, but sending them? Not so much. The pictures look so cheesy, and who wants to spend precious vacation time browsing postcard racks?

That's why I love the idea of Hazel Mail. Upload one of your photos (the picture of my husband snow tubing, above, would have been perfect), craft a short note, and pay by credit card to send your custom-made postcard anywhere in the world.

Just another reason why Budget Travel is my favorite magazine -- Hazel Mail was profiled in the March issue.

Love this idea too? Send me a thank you postcard!

Museums, Absolutely Free

I'd hardly call myself a culture vulture, but I do look forward to visiting museums in new cities. What I don't like is paying a $20 admission fee.

If you work for a large corporation, check if your employer offers discounts to tourist attractions. Thanks to my husband's place of work, we get into some of New York City's top museums (including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art) absolutely free simply by showing his work identification and a business card.

We first learned about these types of programs not from my husband's employer, but instead from a friend and his wife. When they stayed with us for a weekend last year, she got us all free tickets to the American Museum of Natural History. Score!

The lesson: Look for deals your company offers beyond your hometown. Discounts and free tickets may shave a few bucks off of your next vacation.

And another lesson: Periodically check if any offers have been added or eliminated. We recently tried visiting the Guggenheim only to be rebuffed at the ticket counter. It's relationship with my husband's employer had disappeared.

Best Hotel Deals: Looking Beyond Priceline

I've long extolled the virtues of Priceline. I mean, how else would I ever have stayed at the Chicago Hilton across from Millennium Park for a mere $60 a night?

But while Priceline certainly is a wallet-saver, to get the best hotel deals you need to visit yet another website before you ever name your own price. You need to visit Bidding for Travel.

Click on the state you want to visit and you'll get a list of successful Priceline bids submitted by the users themselves.

Staying in Cincinnati? A room in a a 3-star hotel is going for $35 in June. Flying into Phoenix? Based on the listings, I'd start my bidding around $40.

By visiting Bidding for Travel before Priceline, I've reserved cheap rooms in cities such as Chicago; Pittsburgh; Seattle; Montreal; Portland, Maine and yep, even Cincinnati.

Thanks to my thrifty ways, our February visit to Burlington was only $51 a night. At that rate, a month in Vermont would be nearly as cheap as a month in our Brooklyn rental-- and the Burlington hotel came with breakfast!

Exploring NYC Like a Local

Item: City Walks: New York

Price: $14.95

Where to Buy: Chronicle Books

Review: When my husband and I moved to New York a year and a half ago, City Walks: New York was one of the first things on my wish list. Lo and behold it was under the Christmas tree that December.

OK, the size of our new Brooklyn apartment didn't permit a Christmas tree, but you know what I mean.

The 50 walks have you hoofing it mostly in Manhattan, but there's a few adventures in the boroughs as well. The box is sturdy and the cards are easy to read. My only complaint? The cards are just a little too big to be inconspicuous. I don't want to look like a tourist-- especially when I'm not one, exploring my adopted city.

In any case, the City Walks cards are just as fun to look at as they are to use, and they do provide some good ideas for escapes within the city.

City Walks are available for metropolitan areas throughout the country and around the world, making them an ideal going away present or gift for the travel-hungry friends and relatives in your life.

Image from: Chronicle Books

Plan Your Dream Vacation from Your Armchair

Item: Budget Travel magazine

Price: $12/year (10 issues)

Where to Buy: BudgetTravel

Review: I subscribe to one magazine, and Budget Travel is it. And why not? It combines two of my passions: traveling and saving money.

I love the tips, like packing a deflated beach ball to blow up on a plane, balance on your lap and use as a pillow.

I love the articles, which even teach me new things about Brooklyn, my new abode.

I love the pictures, taking me to places I'll never visit and maybe even a few I might.

Budget Travel really is for the everyday person who has a few weeks of vacation and wants to make the most of them. They don't ignore the major tourist attractions of the US and Europe, but they also visit places you may never have considered. A recent spread on Kuala Lumpur comes to mind.

For a gift the keeps giving all year long, I highly recommend Budget Travel for travel pros and armchair travelers alike.

Image from: Budget Travel

The Sound of Music: 1965 Best Picture

Item: The Sound of Music

Price: $14.99

Where to Buy: Amazon

Review: One of the most thrilling moments of my life? Boarding the van for a "Sound of Music" tour in Salzburg, Austria. Rare was the trivia that our tour guide imparted that I didn't already know.

"The Sound of Music" has been one of my favorite movies since around junior high. I even went through a phase when I watched the three-hour flick nearly every Wednesday night for several months while my parents and sister went to town and I had the house to myself.

While I don't watch it nearly every week nowadays, I do manage to squeeze in a viewing every year or two. I'll be the first to admit that some of the songs are more than a bit cheesy (The hills are alive? C'mon.), but I still can't resist the romance, the optimism and Maria's good nature. The movie was one of the major reasons I studied German in high school and eventually majored in it in college.

"The Sound of Music" not only makes a great gift for any woman who like movie musicals, but also it is a perfect introduction to classic movies for the young and uninitiated.

Oh, and the least magical moment of that "Sound of Music" tour? Walking into *the* church where Maria and Captain von Trapp married in the film and seeing a real wedding in progress-- while some Shania Twain song in German was being piped through the speakers. I never imagined that you solved a problem like Maria with Shania Twain.

Image from: Amazon