5 best suitcases for kids and teens for $100 or less

by Amy Chen on

It’s hard to say whether these suitcases are meant for the kids or the parents. Adorable enough to entertain kids and stylish enough to appeal preteens, and teens, these five affordable carry-ons may be just the thing to encourage children to roll their own gear through the airport.

Isabella Fiore
Italian designer Isabella Fiore launched a hard-shell suitcase this fall that proves that suitcases don’t have to come in boring black. The floral pattern is sophisticated enough for preteens, teens, and adults alike. Bonus: The 20-inch polycarbonate wheelie bag weighs a mere 6.5 pounds — and with a stylish bag like this, your precocious child may even start looking forward to packing.
Cost: $100 for a 20-inch suitcase; available in white, pink, and blue floral prints
Where to Buy: Dillard’s stores

Beatrix New York
With whimsical designs such as a robot, an owl, a monkey, a ladybug, and a dinosaur, I only wish that these 16-inch wheelie bags also came in grown-up sizes. Bonus: The handle is perfectly sized for kids, but the height cleverly extends a bit longer for adults who may need to take over wheeling the bag through the airport.
Cost: $94
Where to Buy: www.dantebeatrix.com

Ecozoo Rolling Series by Ecogear
Ecogear’s Rolling Monkey is the latest animal to join the Ecozoo menagerie, which already includes a panda, puppy, pig, and frog. Padded shoulder straps transform the rolling bag into an easy-to-carry backpack.
Cost: $50
Where to Buy: www.ecogear-products.com

Trunki
I recently spotted a pair of the tiger-shaped Trunki suitcases at San Francisco International Airport. The pint-size wheelie suitcases can be filled with toys, games, and other distractions — and best of all, kids can hitch a free ride by sitting on the hard-case suitcases. And when your flight is delayed, the suitcase is certainly a cleaner place to sit than the airport floor.
Cost: $39.99
Where to Buy: www.melissaanddoug.com

Hello Kitty by FAB NY
The beloved Sanrio character is still going strong after 35 years. And even if your little one eventually outgrows her Hello Kitty obsession or decides that pink isn’t for her, the 16-inch wheelie bag is one of the most affordable suitcases of the bunch.
Cost: $39.99
Where to Buy: www.toysrus.com

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How to find affordable ski deals this winter

by Amy Chen on

Skiing isn’t the most budget-friendly winter activity, but you can find affordable ski deals if you know when and where to book lift tickets.

Evan Reece, co-founder of Liftopia.com, reveals how to save on lift tickets at popular ski resorts around the U.S.

Buy lift tickets in advance and pick your days carefully.
If you buy a lift ticket through Liftopia at least the day before you plan to ski, you can typically save an average of 35 percent when compared to booking a one-day pass in person at the ticket window. Mid-week lift tickets are generally cheaper, and skiing on Sundays typically costs less than Saturdays. “Many customers will go up for the weekend and intend to ski both days, Reece says. “But they’ll end up being tired on Sunday. And faced with a four-hour drive, they’ll just say, ‘Let’s go.'”

Ski on Christmas Day.
When everyone else is preoccupied with opening gifts on Christmas morning, hit the ski slopes and save. Based on last year’s data, the average price of all lift tickets booked in advance through Liftopia for Christmas Day skiing was 39.7 percent less than what you’d pay at the window, Reece says. Other bargain days include New Year’s Day, Jan. 2, and Super Bowl Sunday.Seek out smaller ski resorts.
Rather than following the crowds to Breckenridge or Vail, venture to smaller ski resorts for a more intimate experience. Though you may sacrifice the big-name glitz and apres-ski scene, let’s face it: most of us aren’t skilled enough to take advantage of all the ski runs to justify an $80 lift ticket.

Look into combo passes with added value.
Some resorts, such as Keystone in Colorado, add in meal credits with the purchase of a lift ticket. For example, a one-day lift ticket plus a $15 lunch credit bought through Liftopia will save you about 11 percent when compared to buying the same package on-mountain. Even the resort food will taste better than “eating a smushed peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” Reece adds.

Consider packages that bundle ski rentals and lift tickets.
Other than saving on checked baggage fees, many resorts now carry top-of-the-line rentals that are most likely newer and better than anything you have stashed in the garage.

How Liftopia Works: Tickets purchased through Liftopia are nontransferable, nonrefundable, and date specific. Or as Reece explains it: “You can’t buy a Friday concert ticket and expect to show up the next day.”

[Photo by Amy Chen]

Ten brilliant ideas for your travel collection by Gadling readers

by Annie Scott on

Do you have a travel collection? I do. I collect thimbles everywhere I go. I like to put them in an antique wooden drawer which has been repainted and hung on the wall, and I hope one day my grandchildren will play with them and ask me what the different destinations were like back when I … could see/could walk/had teeth.

Collecting something small on your travels is budget friendly (unless you collect something extravagant, but that’s up to you) and makes finding your souvenir a lot of fun. It’s less like looking for a needle in a stack of needles, which is what looking for “something special” can feel like, and more like a quick, satisfying errand you can check of your list in no time. If you only stay in destinations for a short time, a travel collection is gratifyingly doable, and you’ll be able to relive your amazing journeys (and remember the ones you totally forgot about) for years and years.

We wanted to know what you collect, so we asked our readers on Facebook what they collect. We received some brilliant responses and wanted to tell you what some of the best were, in case you haven’t started your travel collection yet!Ten brilliant ideas for your travel collection by Gadling readers

1. “Cookbooks.” — Bunny
2. “Christmas ornaments.” — Nicole
3. “Shot glasses.” — Kekama
4. “Magnets.” — Joseph
5. “Postcards.” — Dionne
6. “Labels from Pepsi bottles.” — Rachael
7. “Bells.” — Angela
8. “Coffee cups.” — Elizabeth
9. “Beer bottle openers.” — Joe
10. “Maps.” — Evan

We loved that people have fun with it. Some of the stories associated with collections include: “Every time someone from my shared office travels out of town (for work or pleasure), he has to send back the most blatantly PhotoShopped postcard he can find. We have most of one wall covered so far,” from Meg, and: “The Christmas ornaments are a wonderful way of reliving my travels each holiday season as I set up my tree and t…he cookbooks are useful and fun all year long. The rocks go on my windowsill where my grand-daughter plays with them and sands go into the pot for my 12′ Norfolk Island pine,” from Bunny.

What do you collect? Want to join in the conversation and possibly be quoted in our next Facebook article? Visit Gadling on Facebook.

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[Photo by Annie Scott.]

Five steps to free Mexico and Caribbean travel from Marriott and Renaissance

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Need a little sunshine in your life this holiday season but can’t get out on the road? Hey, I get it: we all shell out enough cash this time of year. There are gifts for the kids, unavoidable family travel and those Christmas dinners that get expensive pretty quickly. These costs can sneak up on you, depriving you of a little mental health time out on a beach somewhere.

Well, a travel contest hit my inbox today that can make the whole situation much easier for you to deal with.

How does the Marriott and Renaissance brand sound, especially down in the Caribbean or in Mexico? Yeah, I figured that would get your attention! Marriott and Renaissance Caribbean & Mexico Resorts and online travel agency CheapOair are kicking off a “12 Days of Travel” holiday sweepstakes that could leave you sprawled out on the sand under the warm sun this winter, while the neighbors and family are breaking their backs with shovels full of snow.

Okay, this is a social media contest, so it helps to have Twitter and Facebook open frequently during the contest, which kicks off Wednesday, December 1, 2010 and ends Monday, December 13, 2010 (12 days … get it?). There are five steps you’ll need to follow:1. Start by following @CheapOair and @MarriottResorts on Twitter. If you aren’t among the 175 million people on Twitter, now’s the time to get on board!

2. On each of the 12 days of the contest, check out the CheapOair contest page for the day’s tweet (a designated phrase): you’ll need to use this.

3. Head over to Twitter and unleash the tweet of the day. Remember that this is your entry in the contest, and you can only do so once a day.

4. Be (a little) patient … there will be a winner announced every day, with the grand prize coming on the last day.

5. Get more chances to win by visiting the Marriott and Renaissance Caribbean & Mexico Resorts Facebook page and following the bouncing ball: “like” Paradise by Marriott and CheapOair on Facebook, post a comment during the “12 days” period on the CheapOair blog saying which of the nine resorts you want to visit and why and then cross your fingers for the win!

What’s up for grabs? Take a look at the day-by-day prizes below!

Day 1: Three-night stay at the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino*
Day 2: Three-night stay at the Curacao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino*
Day 3: Three-night stay at the CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort*
Day 4: CheapOair $75 gift certificate
Day 5: CheapOair $75 gift certificate
Day 6: Three-night stay at the Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort*
Day 7: Three-night stay at the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa*
Day 8: Three-night stay at the St Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino*
Day 9: Three-night stay at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino*
Day 10: Three-night stay at the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa*
Day 11: CheapOair $75 gift certificate
Day 12/Grand Prize: Three-night stay at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort and roundtrip airfare for two

*Each hotel giveaway will also include a $25 gift certificate from CheapOair

[photo by gerriet via Flickr]

Hyatt introduces Facebook travel experts; ready to answer holiday travel questions

by Melanie Nayer on

As the craziness that is the holiday season approaches, Hyatt has teamed up with Gadling to help guests answer their travel questions. On their Facebook page, guests can ask anything they want – from tips on how to score great last minute deals, to helping them with their packing list.

Taking this to Facebook is just another way the hotel chain is expanding its regular customer outreach. In the past, the hotel chain used Facebook to promote its resorts.

Questions can be submitted between now and Wednesday November 24 at 6PM, and all questions will be answered on a first-come, first serve basis. So – got some burning holiday travel questions you’d like get answers to?

Head on over to the Hyatt Gold Passport Facebook page and submit your question.