PUBLIC MARKS from adfunk with tags travel & 2006

Avoid making germs your travel partner From the airport check-in to the plane to your hotel room, ‘Today’ consumer correspondent Getting ready to book your holiday travel? The thought of getting away for some R&R sounds enticing. So why is it that oftentimes you come home from your well-deserved vacation sicker and more tired than you when you left? It could be those late night or it could be that your journey is making you ill.

Travel Expert: There Are Still Deals To Take Advantage Of CHICAGO It already feels like the holiday season outside, and it turns out airfares are already on the rise, but one travel expert says not to give up just yet. As CBS 2’s Kristyn Hartman reports, it seems that it does not pay to procrastinate, at least when it comes to booking holiday travel. Some experts have concluded that if you have not already booked a flight for Thanksgiving, you are likely going to fork over big bucks.

Research group: Violent crime grew by 20 percent; Detroit at No. 2 ST. LOUIS - Just days after the St. Louis Cardinals won the top honor in Major League Baseball, their hometown jumped to first place on a list no one wants to lead: the most dangerous cities in the United States. This Midwestern city has long been in the upper tiers of the annual ranking of the nation’s safest and most dangerous cities, compiled by Morgan Quitno Press. Violent crime surged nearly 20 percent there this year, when the rate of such crimes rose much faster in the Midwest than in the rest of nation, according to FBI figures released in June.

The latest travel advisory for US citizens states that from 8 Jan., 2007, travellers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada must have a valid US passport. This has Caribbean tourist officials predicting major economic fallout for the region next year.

A Turkish citizen who hijacked a Turkish Airlines Boeing 737 surrendered to police and released the 113 passengers on board, Brindisi Airport Police Chief Salvatore De Paolis said. Police initially reported there were two hijackers. The plane was hijacked after taking off from Albania’s capital, Tirana, on a flight to Istanbul. The hijacker, Hasan Ekinci, was to be arrested upon his arrival in Turkey for evading the military draft, Muammer Guler, the governor of the province of Istanbul, said on CNN Turk. Ekinci had written to the pope in August asking for his help to avoid service “in a Muslim army,'’ declaring that he was a Christian convert, SKYTG24 in Italy said.

Can’t believe it’s nearly time to turn back the clocks? Then you’d better grab the last few rays while you can. Ian McCurrach snaps up the best bargains to send you on your way. 1. Sail the Ionian sea. Beginners join a tuition yacht with a qualified instructor. Experienced sailors travelling solo, or in a couple, are matched together so that each boat in the flotilla has a suitable mix of skippers and competent crew. Yachts meet up at a different port every evening for dinner ashore.

Taking a break may be just the thing to spark your spirits. But keep in mind these seven points to ensure that your mini-retirement doesn’t produce maxi-regret. It’s time for a break. It’s something everyone thinks about on occasion, but now an increasing number of people are taking mid-career sabbaticals as a way to refresh their creativity, or to do things they’ve always wanted to do.

Hidden Charges, Minibars, Exorbitant Phone Charges — Be Aware of the Games Hotels Play to Drain Your Wallet Hotels woo travelers with one hand and slap them down with the other, partnering seemingly wonderful Internet Only Rates! and Special Deals! with wallet-draining hidden fees and surcharges. Factor in the dreamy descriptions of rooms that don’t quite dovetail with reality — along with the occasional bit of outright misrepresentation — and a much-anticipated vacation can quickly become an exercise in aggravation. But fret not, you can beat hotels at their own game. Here’s how to detect and thwart the most popular scams that some hotels attempt to foist on guests.