TRIP TIP

Coming right up: summer Gas prices are rising, the dollar is weak, a recession is setting in. Here's an educated hunch: Many people won't be jetting to Europe or driving far for their summer vacations this year. That could mean stiffer competition for rentals at regional hot spots, from the Brainerd Lakes area to the North Shore. Bookings are beginning to pour in at the Inn on Madeline Island, which rents vacation homes and hotel rooms on the island, according to Katie Nelson, the inn's hotel manager. The same is true at Cascade Vacation Rentals, which rents vacation homes on the North Shore. "We're getting very booked up for summer," said Tala Marxen, assistant manager there. "We're seeing a lot of activity, and it's happening earlier this year." Note to travelers: Best plan your summer getaway now.

KERRI WESTENBERG

WEB WATCH

All hail hell-hole hotels TripAdvisor's roundup of the Dirtiest Hotels of 2008 proves the theory that good rips make great reading. The website, where travelers review restaurants and hotels, links viewers to 10 U.S. hotels with horrible reviews and a separate list for awful digs in the United Kingdom. The Hotel Carter in New York received especially memorable reprobations. Excerpts: "Interior looks like it's from a '70s murder mystery film," "I felt very insecure there, I even slept in my clothes it was that bad," and, best: "Police in the lobby, blood-stained sheets, filth, horrid staff. ... If we had not had somewhere else to stay, I would have stayed in a homeless shelter instead of Hotel Carter, at least they change the sheets there." Go to www.tripadvisor.com and search Dirtiest Hotels 2008.

CHRIS WELSCH

GEAR TO GO

You can take it with you For many people, the idea of traveling internationally with a single carry-on is unthinkable. But after trying it on a recent trip to Brazil, we were amazed at the ingenuity with which modern-day carry-ons are constructed. And after our traveling companion lost her checked luggage for nearly the entire trip (the airline returned it the day before we left for home), we realized that this was an idea worth repeating. One of the cleverest bags we've found is the Buck Head Suiter Duffel Bag, which sells for $90 at www.ebags.com. It's typical of the genre: lots of pockets and zippers, and when the latter are unfastened, the whole thing becomes a great garment bag. Sure, it was stuffed to the gills and we had to reiron everything, but the security of knowing we wouldn't arrive in a foreign country with nothing (the airline gave us $50 -- $50! -- as a clothing allowance) more than made up for the inconvenience of lugging our bag everywhere.

WASHINGTON POST

STUDENT OF TRAVEL

In residence at Oxford The Oxford Experience gives you a one-week course at the oldest university in the English-speaking world. With 50 subjects to choose from, the courses run June 29 to Aug. 2, with each program starting on a Sunday. Students study, live and dine at Christ Church College, with three meals daily included in the cost of $1,946. There are additional charges for excursions and rooms with private baths. Registration deadline is April 1. A brochure is available at international.conted.ox.ac.uk/oxfordexperience.php or write the Oxford Experience, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA, U.K.

BOSTON GLOBE

OPENING: NEW YORK

Champagne at the Plaza New York's Plaza Hotel, home of Eloise of children's book fame, reopened Saturday after a $400 million renovation. If spending $860 or more a night isn't in the cards, but you want to check the place out, try the new champagne bar in the lobby or the Rose Club. Details: www.theplaza.com.

WASHINGTON POST

REAL DEAL

If you can afford Europe ... The new Europe Travel Pass, which costs $10, gives discounts on everything from a London city tour to a day excursion from Paris to Giverny and Versailles to a biking trip from Florence to the Chianti district. In all, there are 150 discounts in 24 countries. Visit europetravelpass.com or call the company at 1-781-863-0125.

BOSTON GLOBE

FAST FACT

Roman Forum has its price Rome's archaeological officials said they are ending a decade-long policy of free visits to the Roman Forum and will start charging entry to the city's ancient power center. Access to the Forum will be included in a single $16 ticket that visitors already pay to enter the nearby Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. Officials say the proceeds will go to increased security and restoration works at the Forum and other sites in Rome.

ASSOCIATED PRESS