Vacation Guide

Easy GoingThe Great Escape The Stress-Free, Money- Saving Vacation Guide. It’s Time for an Escape PlanEasy to Go. The workforce today proves to be a fairly stressful environment for most people. Meetings, trainings, and projects can be intimidating, and soon enough we lose all hope to take some time for ourselves. It's not long before the amount of untouched vacation days reaches the ridiculous number of 577429 million each year. That's the ridiculous number of vacation days Americans leave untouched every year. But choosing to skip out on our vacation days, And we're missingus miss out on more than just margaritas and sunbathinsuntanstan lines.

Vacations help us feel less sremove stresstensepressioned, and fatiguetired. – a they can help be more satisfied with our relationships. So whether your goal is to some reason, our dreams of hanging looselie motionless in Costa Rica, chasinge lions in Namibia, or tacking on a few playdaysplay days toonto a your business trip into Paris hardly seem to turn into reality. Instead of being the master ofbeing a master of, it's high time you got out ofescaped the office and became a adventure. Dodge.

(Sidebar) Excuse Busters Think you can't swing a vacation? Think again.

The excuse: I can't afford it.

Oh, please: Put your plasma-TV dreams on hold and start savingand open a travel e-savings account with Citibank, says Tim Leffel, author of Make Your Travel Dollars Worth a Fortune! D. Depositing $25 a week for 6 months will save you $6500. If that doesn't cover your flight and hotel, consider a budget-friendly road or camping trip.

Furkot.comRoadtrippers.com and Road Trip USA offer cool routes andcustom or planned routes with fun places to stop along the way options, and National Park Reservations has a list of parks with cabins and hotels.

The excuse: I have too much work!

Oh, please: Clear your desk — and your mind —Make your escape with this simpleeasy plan.

Two months ahead: E-mail your boss two vacation dates that would work for you and ask which she'd preferone is preferable with your office schedule. Include a summary of the projects you're working on and explain why these dates won't interfere.

Week before: Alert clients and coworkers that you'll be leaving town.

Week of: Ask your boss who should cover for you in your absence.

Break the news to your colleague, then hand over your most urgent projects with detailed instructions.

Day before: Touch base with your boss and coworker. Tell them you will not check e-mail or voice mail.

The excuse: My friends want to go to St. Lucia, but I want to go to Prague.

Oh, please: It's not just beach or bustDon't miss your chance to escape just because your friend's ideal getaway is different than yours.

Travel solo and vVisit Trip Upricksteves.com for tips from like-minded solo travelers on how to get started. Download the free TourPal and Rick Steve's Audio Europe walking tour appss for major European touring cities at iJourneys for $15 a pop. Also, look into vacations with a purpose;. Volunteer international.orgglobeaware.org and Earthwatch Worldwide will send you to exotic locales to teach English, build homes, or help with scientific research.

The excuse: I’ll Get oOut oOf Shape Oh, please: If this is the only thing stopping you, then just book your flight. Most hotels have at least a small gym or swimming pool you can use each morning to help bBurn off those greasy vacation meals. with a kickboxing class in your hotel room. Step, kickboxing, strength conditioning, abs, and boot

camp — all of these can be done in a hotel setting. Just download them to your laptop or iPodIf you prefer something a little more intense, download one of the many workout apps to your smartphone or laptop and create your own boot camp in your hotel room to keep your body working — even when you're not.

The cost… of not taking a vacation Why you need to get awaymake an escape Lack of funds should not be an excuse to pass up your precious vacation days. In fact, if you don't cash in on your hard-earned time off, you'll lose money. You could buy a romantic 7-day, all-inclusive trip to Fiji for what it'll cost you to be a slave to your daily routine for a yearThe effects of not taking a vacation leave you and your wallet eeding to compensate in big ways for the relief that would come if you only stepped out of the office for a few days. So go ahead, get out of town — because, frankly, you can't afford to stay put.

You'll need: To give up 3 days' worth of your salary Research Shows: That's the number of vacation days the average woman leaves unclaimed every year, according to a recent Expedia survey.

You Pay: $360 You'll need: A Palm Treo 700p Research Shows: Vacations increase work productivity by 25 percent.

To keep up with your traveling coworkers, that tech edge is indispensable.

You Pay: $300 Pull Quote: A survey by The Creative Group found that 40% of executives think employees would be more productive if they took more vacations. Only 9% think productivity would “decrease significantly.”

End pull You'll need: Larabars for a year and visits to your cardiologist

Research Shows: Work stress has you munching bad office food to feel better, which increases your risk of heart disease. Eat these omega-3 bars to protect your ticker.

You Pay: $723 624 You'll need: A personal trainer twice a week Research Shows: Less downtime means less sleep, which leads to weight gain, according to a study from Northwestern University.

You Pay: $7,800 You'll need: A year's worth of Prozac Research Shows: EmployeesWomen who take opportunities to take a breatherescape the office rut only once in 2 years are lessmore likely to suffer depression and tension than women those who don't. go away twice or more a year.

You Pay: $2,7841,920 You'll need: A triple-shot grande lattesteaming cup of coffee every day before work Research Shows: Time away from your tiresome routine helps recharge your energy and mood, according to Austrian researchersGroggy mornings lead to lower productivity. Having a cup of coffee in the mornings can help get you up and moving, along with a small breakfast and some light exercise. .

You Pay: $1,024984 You'll need: A year of daily vitamin Dd supplements Research Shows: Spending more time under artificial light than in sunlight can deprive you of vitamin D, which protects your bones and lowers your risk of cancer. risk.

You Pay: $284 Total: $12,359012

Sources: fortune.com

Books That Move You Your GPS to finding the right travel guide

Best for Adventure Addicts 101 Best Outdoor Towns ($20, The Countryman Press) You'll get: A region-by-region look at unspoiled destinations that offer incrediblekick-ass activities from mountain biking to kiteboarding.

Coolest feature: At-a-glance boxes for each town that pinpoint where the action's at.

Best for National Park Virgins National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United StatesYour Guide to the National Parks ($205, amazon.com) nationalgeographic.com/books) You'll get: Gorgeous, natural National Geo-style photography of America's most scenic and wild areas. Provided itineraries, maps, and packing essentials that will make you hungry for a visit to these welltrodden yet still wild playgrounds.

Coolest feature: Detailed, easy-to-read maps and hiking tables for each regionall 58 parks.

Best for Budget Travelers Pauline Frommer's Spend Less See More ($106 to $250, Frommer's) You'll get: Cash-saving advice from a woman who's been traveling on a budget since the day she was born. Current volumes includecover Hawaii, Italy, London, Cancun, San Francisco, Costa Rica,and New York City, Paris, and many more. Coming soon: Costa Rica, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Paris.

Coolest feature: "Don't leave without‌" sectionsboxes that list the must-know details and must-see places.

Best for Urban Tourists DK Real CityInsight Guides ($135, Insight Guides Amazon.com) You'll get: Insider tips from local authors in each of the eight slim city guidebooks, including Barcelona and Rome. Color coding makes for easy reading, with categories like choice eats, shops, events, and attractionsPocket guides to major cities and countries across the globe, including London, Barcelona, Bangkok, and Copenhagen. Get the inside scoop on historical and cultural sites, world-class dining, and city attractions.

Coolest feature: A pull-out map with easy-to-follow routes throughout the city to get the most out of your visit.

A VIP pass to its info-packed Web site (dk.com), updated daily with the latest exhibits and events in each city.

Best for Frequent Visitors Not For Tourists ($120 to $252, Not For Tourists) You'll get: Intimate neighborhood-by-neighborhood maps that help you discover surprises in a city you thought you knew. Ten A dozen guidebooks, each covering a major U.S. metropolis, plus London.

IPhone apps make it easy to carry NFT guides in your pocket.

Coolest feature: A list of running trails, tennis courts, and bike paths — plus advice on scoring tickets to a Netsa local sports game.

Best for Imaginative Drifters Rough Guides 25 Series ($3 to $20, Rough Guides6, Amazon.com, starting in May) You'll get: An overviewOver 200 destination guides that provide the of "ultimate experiences" with itineraries, lists of local festivals and events, and outdoor activities in out-of-the-way destinations from Africa to South America.

Twenty-five guidebooks in all.

Coolest feature: "Things Not to Miss" lists provide the top places you'll want to see before leaving. Snarkiness and flair for detail. No other guide will advise you to drink "butter tea — revolting when thought of as tea, but satisfying when thought of as soup."

Best for Design Junkies

Wallpaper City Guides ($9 to $12, Amazon.com) You'll get: A graphic mini guide overflowing with sleek photos of design and architecture highlights in each city. Unearth the most enticing restaurants, museums, galleries, and nightlife activities for over 100 cities. Sixty guides in the series.

Coolest feature: The 24-hour itineraries:, great for weekenders looking for maximum stimulation.

Best for Stressaholics Frommer's Day by Day ($13, Frommer's) You'll get: Hassle-free, preplanned 1-, 2-, and 3-day itineraries in popularsmokin' cities like Amsterdam, Paris, and Rome. The 2115-book series includes options for all budgets and insider secrets for each destination.

Coolest feature: A removable map — stored in a plastic sleeve — with all sights, hotels, and restaurants clearly marked.

Pack It Packing secrets to make you unstoppable at any airportyour escape hassle-free.

Rising fuel prices have made airlines stricter than Hollywood agents about extra bulk. Carry-on bags are limitedPart of the airport routine has become checking and weighing the luggage of all airline passengers. It's become standard to limit carry-ons to 40 pounds,, and any checked bagsones over 50 pounds could cost you $25 to $50anywhere between $50 and $200. Each airline and country has its own weight limits, so scan your carrier's wWeb site before heading out.

Even if you can check 50 pounds leaving the U.S. for the Caribbean, the small jet taking you to that deserted island may limit you to 20.

Q: How can I avoid losing my bags?

A: Last summer's ban on liquids and gelsg TSA regulations has increased the amount of items we pack in our checked

baggage.checked luggage by as much as 30 percent. But don't worry; yDon't worry: Your bag is probably going to be just fine (on average, only six bags are lost, damaged, delayed, or stolen per 1,000 passengers). But if you're willing to pony up foryour trip requires greater peace of mind — say, you're going to climb Everest and can't run the risk of lost gear — consider signing up for any of these door-todoor delivery services: Luggage Forward, The Luggage Club, or Virtual Bellhop. Costs start around $79585 to ship one 40-pound bag between domestic cities; transporting multiple bags internationally will run you a few more Benjamins.

Q: What's the best way to get around with oversized equipment?

A: Here's how to transport the big stuff.

Bike Have your local bike shop teach you how to disassemble and reassemble your bicycle (it's easier than it sounds). Then pack it up in in a sturdy container like the Performance Cargo Case ($199, Performance Bicycle). Or, if you don't want to spend the money or risk passing the weight limit, pack up your bike in a cardboard box, available through some airlines or your bike shop. Domestic airline fee one-way: $75 to $100. International: free to $100-plus.Fees range anywhere from free to $200, depending on your airline Snowboard Slide it into a well-padded travel bag with wheels, ranging anywhere between $30 and $200+such as the Burton Wheelie Locker ($210 , (amazon.com)Burton.com). Wrap thick clothing, such as like fleece or insulated snow pants, around the bindings. Airline fee oneway: free if you stick to baggage and weight limitations.

Surfboard Invest in a good travel bag fromlike the Dakine Regulator Double 8'or Creatures of Leisure ($50‒$300, amazon.com$190, Dakine)), which includes two padded dividers. Remove the fin, and wrap the vulnerable tip and rear with your wetsuit, towels, and clothes.

Airline fee one-way: about free to $150, depending on your destination and airline85.

Liquid Limits The hot new bag this season isn't Marc Jacobs — it's Ziploc The single most annoying new security regulation limits your carry-on liquids — lip gloss, moisturizer, eyedrops — to whatever you can squeeze into a quart-size plastic bag. The rest has to go in your checked luggage. (Not checking anything? Expect to go shopping when you arrive.) The rules could always change, so log on to the (Transportation Security Administration Web site for domestic updates and to British Airways for international.