Tips for Tuesdays: Shoulder Season - April

Today's Tip: Looking for great deals, fewer crowds, and near-perfect weather? Here's where you should go in the month of April:

• North American Rockies and European Alps: Late-season skiing is still excellent in high-altitude destinations like Whistler, British Columbia; Vail, Steamboat, and the Arapahoe Basin, all in Colorado; and Tignes, France. 
• The Australian outback: With average temperatures now cooling to between 80 and 86 degrees, you can visit Ayers Rock without risking heatstroke. Go through May to take advantage of the shoulder season.
• European cities: Outdoor cafe culture is picking up, but the summer crowds won't arrive until early June. Get here before they do!
• The Caribbean and Mexico's Riviera Maya: Room prices fall as much as 30 percent after Easter, and hurricane season is still weeks away. Go through early June to take advantage of the shoulder season. 

Tips for Tuesdays: Shoulder Season - March

Today's Tip: Looking for great deals, fewer crowds, and near-perfect weather? Here's where you should go in the month of March:

• Hawaii: The big waves have subsided, along with the winter beachgoers; resorts are also bringing down rates. Go through May to take advantage of the shoulder season.
• Rio de Janeiro: Carnival has come and gone, which means hotel rooms are easier to find and less expensive (by as much as 60 percent!)
• Ireland: It's warming up and wildflowers are beginning to bloom; a perfect time for exploring the countryside. Go through April to take advantage of the shoulder season.

Tips for Tuesdays: Keep Track of Your Miles

Today's Tip: If you're like most travelers, you sometimes use various airlines. This means you might be a part of many mileage programs. It can be such a headache managing your various accounts and knowing when your miles expire. Luckily, online mileage trackers have stepped in to help, letting travelers input their various member IDs and passwords to conveniently consolidate all of their programs in one place. Besides displaying your latest balances, these services also notify you of all upcoming expiration dates, which is essential for keeping (and amassing more!) points. Each site has it's own edge: Mileblaster is particularly good at tracking your miles and alerting you whenever your miles are about to expire, while AwardWallet smartly provides users with a convenient wallet-sized card listing all of their loyalty numbers.

Keep track of your miles with Mileblaster!

Tips for Tuesdays: Stolen Passport or Wallet

Today's Tip: It's your worst nightmare: you passport or wallet is stolen while you're on the road. What should you do? First, before your trip, scan copies of all your IDs and email them to yourself so you'll have easy access to the information (be sure to keep your phone, laptop, or tablet password-protected). Keep your credit card numbers, bank contact information, and passport details on an encrypted storage app such as Wallet ($19.99, available for iPads and iPhones). Call your bank immediately to cancel any missing or stolen cards; you likely won't be held liable for fraudulent purchases, and most bank with international branches can issue a new card within 24 hours. To replace your passport, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate (see www.usembassy.gov for a directory). Mention your departure date to expedite the process and bring copies of any documentation to prove your identity.

Tips for Tuesdays: Scent Travel

Today's Tip: Take a trip without ever leaving home! The noses behind respected perfumer Histories de Parfums have embarked on a global endeavor this year: Their new collection, The Scent of Departure, was inspired by destinations from Doha to Paris - and the perfume bottles' designs allude to airports' baggage tags. While imagining the smell of JFK might bring to mind stale coffee and the odors of Panda Express wafting in the food court, the line's NYC scent highlights the city's more aromatic elements: it's a breezy blend of lilac and rose with some crisp green notes of - what else? - apple! Check it out: www.thescentofdeparture.com.