FamilyTravel

This holiday season, Marriott International, Inc. is offering a little enchantment with its Pure Magic and Together Time holiday specials. Families and couples can enjoy extraordinary weekend getaways to locations worldwide with offers designed to delight the senses and stir the spirit.

Guests can book Pure Magic packages right now at Marriott, Renaissance and Courtyard hotels worldwide for stays through Jan. 15, 2007. Packages at participating hotels range from luxurious spa getaways to fun family excursions to weekend escapes featuring cultural events and museum tours.

Take advantage of shopping packages, such as the Escape Holiday Shopping Package at the Boston Marriott Copley. With access to more than 100 premier stores, holiday shopping is a breeze. Complete with breakfast for two and a "Pruferred Card" with discounts for more than 45 stores in the Prudential Center, as well as coupons and discounts in the shops of Copley Place Mall, this package equips even those who can resist dropping to keep on shopping. Read more

For families, summer vacation means a much deserved break from school, work and the routines of daily life. Located on the shores of Lake Champlain in Vergennes, Vermont, the Basin Harbor Club offers a family vacation designed to make the most of those days away with the Ultimate Family Getaway package, starting the minute you step into your car.

"From swimming in the lake, to sandcastle contests and ice cream socials, the challenge for families is in choosing what to do each day," said Pennie Beach, owner of Basin Harbor, "This package takes everything we have to offer families and bundles it together for a truly hassle free vacation. We even help to alleviate the 'are we there yet' questions coming from the back seat with our Travel Time Kit mailed in advance to each child." Read more

With Americans beginning to plan their Fall trips, the National Park Foundation (NPF) just released its 2006 “Top Ten Public Lands Photo Tips” – a list of 10 unique Fall photography experiences that you can only find in America’s parks and public recreation lands. This list was developed by experts from NPF and CASIO to serve as a travel and how-to guide for shutterbugs to share the experience of visiting national public lands.

The “Top Ten Public Lands Photo Tips” range from capturing the historical magic of Boston’s Freedom Trail to watching whales migrate down the shore in Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. These tips invite amateur photographers to examine some of the hidden gems that get overlooked within the nation’s diverse public lands system. Read more

Expedia is offering a 10-week 10th Anniversary sale that features special discounts on air travel, hotels, packages and other activities to a different destination every week. Next week's featured destination is Orlando so starting September 11th through September 18th, travelers can save on all travel to Orlando with special package savings, $25 resort credit at select hotels and get the first night FREE with a package of 3 nights or more. Below are four examples of package deals available from select cities to Orlando (prices quoted are per person based on double occupancy). Read more

Looking for a pre-winter vacation in a gorgeous tropical climate? Take an autumn break and enjoy deep discounts from Villas by Linda Smith in a luxurious staffed villa in Jamaica. With more than 50 villas to choose from, Villas by Linda Smith can tailor an affordable vacation just for you … whether you’re a twosome or a group. Linda’s collection includes many golf and tennis villas. And in September and October, there’s no waiting for tee times or tennis courts.

From beachfront to hillside – the views are breathtaking, the staffs are wonderful and the water’s fine. The selection is varied and offers something for everyone. Children welcome! Some of the villas still available from September thru November 15, 2006 at reduced rates are: Read more

The Club at Hammock Beach and Marineland have partnered to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience inspired by the sea.

At Marineland, the world's first oceanarium, the Dolphin Conservation Center, a new 1.3 million-gallon series of dolphin habitats, awaits. After the general public has gone for the day, only guests of The Club at Hammock Beach can glide into the dolphins' aquatic world from a sloping beach, swimming and interacting one-on-one with the graceful creatures in the new dolphin swim program, The Quest. Read more

Iberostar Hotels & Resorts make planning and taking a family vacation a breeze. Being all-inclusive and offering activities for all ages, these resorts are the natural choice for parents and children. Whether family members want to spend the lazy days of summer lounging by the pool or exploring the wonders of the ocean, they can do it all at Iberostar’s Mexican and Dominican Republic vacation paradises.

The children’s activities at Iberostar are based on the concept of “edu-entertaiment,” activities that actually teach the children while the kids believe they are simply having a great time. Children are not just confined to a room all day watching movies and playing video games – they are outside, exploring and learning about the natural habitat that surrounds them on land and at sea. Iberostar’s popular program for young children, ages 4-8, known as Lucy’s Mini Club, offers activities such as painting, drawing, swimming, Olympic-style games, clay modeling and treasure hunting. During busy holiday periods, Iberostar resorts host The Maxi Club, geared towards children ages 9-12 years old. The Maxi Club offers various sport activities such as ping-pong, volleyball, soccer, basketball and water polo. Read more

It might just be the ideal family escape: a 228-acre resort offering every imaginable activity, from fishing and sailing to an acclaimed kids’ camp and luxurious spa massages. This summer families can take a much needed break in pure luxury with activities and services that offers something for everyone – Old Bahama Bay’s Family Escape, available now thru September 2, 2006.

The four-night/five-day package features two spacious adjoining beachfront rooms with ample room comfortably accommodate a family of four. Daily meals are also included as are babysitting services, massages and private Dolphin swim and water activities. The package is priced at an all-inclusive rate of $5,726.00 per family. Read more

BabyBriefcase is a travel organizer designed for parents traveling with babies. Stylish and charming, the mom-invented BabyBriefcase stores all the documents and information relating to a new baby in a way that makes everything easily accessible during travel. No longer do parents have to resort to throwing everything in a legal file or suitcase.

Birth certificate, medical insurance, Social Security forms, baby equipment warranties and anything else that deals with the new baby all has a special place for it in the BabyBriefcase so that if an emergency arises on vacation, parents don't have to sort through to find what they need. BabyBriefcase is compact and easily packed in a suitcase or travel bag. Read more

Radisson Hotels & Resorts just announced its launch of two new summer travel packages designed for adults and families seeking fun, convenience and relaxation. Known for making vacation planning seamless, Radisson has created The Getaway Package for adults and The Family Getaway Package for families. Both packages are available at all Radisson properties throughout the United States, Caribbean and Canada, and are effective May 15 through Oct. 1, 2006. Read more