TRAVEL TIPS

Inn-to-inn canoe trips. BattenKill Canoe Ltd. of Vermont sponsors weekend and five-day canoe vacation trips through early October for beginner, intermediate, and advanced paddlers. Groups consist of eight to 10 guests, and the packages include overnight stays at country inns along the way. The pace of the trips is relaxed, with ample time to picnic, swim, sun, hike, and photograph. The company provides canoes and all equipment. Guided tours range from $71 to $178 a day, depending on accommodations. Day trips start at $33 a canoe. Contact BattenKill Canoe Ltd., Arlington, VT 05250 for more details, or call (802) 375-9559. Bargain trips to Japan. Japan Travel Bureau International offers Japan Quick Trips, which include airfare on Japan Air Lines from Los Angeles or San Francisco plus five nights' hotel accommodations. Choose from quick trips (seven days, five nights) to Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka, or a combination of all three. Prices range from $899 to $999, depending upon type of package and time of year. Contact your local travel agent, or for more information call 800-223-0266; (212) 489-1919 (in New York).

Montana by bike. Backroads Bicycle Touring of San Leandro, Calif., offers a six-day bike tour through Montana's Glacier National Park, with departures Aug. 31 and Sept. 7. Home of the grizzly bear, moose, beaver, golden eagle, otter, and bighorn sheep, the park features breathtaking views of glaciers, lakes, and waterfalls. Cost of the tour is $654, which includes three meals a day, support van, park entrance fees, helmet rental, services of two tour leaders, and lakeside lodging. For more information and brochure, write Backroads Bicycle Touring, PO Box 1626-H, San Leandro, CA 94577, or call (415) 895-1783.

Civil War battle reenactment. Over 400 troops from all over the US will participate in a two-day restaging of the Battle of Gettysburg in Mumford, N.Y., on July 18 and 19. Sponsored by the Genesee Country Village and Museum, the third annual reenactment also features campground activities, camp cooking, discussions of survival methods used by Northern and Southern troops, classes in the Red Schoolhouse, and 19th-century games. A concert of Civil War period music concludes each day. All activities are included in the museum admission fee of $7.50 for adults, $3.50 for children aged 6-14. Younger children are free. Group rates are available with advance reservations. Genesee Country Village and Museum is a collection of over 55 shops, homes, and farm buildings from the mid to late 19th century. For more information, write the museum at PO Box 1819, Rochester, NY 14603, or call (716) 538-6822.

Traveling the Y's way. For students traveling on a budget in the US, Canada, or Western Europe, the YMCA of Greater New York offers an innovative program called the ``Y's Way,'' featuring overnight accommodations for only $20. The Y's Way also provides vacation and conference centers around the US, as well as package tours. For those going abroad, there are educational seminars on various subjects and land arrangements in 11 foreign countries. For a free 24-page catalog write: The Y's Way International, 356 West 34th St., New York, NY 10001, or call (212) 760-5856.

Celebrate Berlin's 750th. What better excuse to visit Germany than to celebrate Berlin's anniversary? DER Tours offers a special seven-day tour of four of Germany's oldest cities: Berlin, Dresden, Meissen, and Leipzig, scheduled through October. Cost for one person is $976.50 and includes six nights deluxe or first class accommodations, gala Berlin birthday dinner, many meals, sightseeing by motorcoach, tours, and gratuities and taxes. Call DER Tours and ask about the ``Brandenburg Gate and Berlin's Birthday'' package: 800-421-4343; 800-252-0606 (in California).

Beware of travel scams. ``Unsuspecting consumers have already lost thousands of dollars when they tried to take advantage of fraudulent vacation bargains,'' says Daniel Oliver, Federal Trade Commission chairman. To avoid such scams, the commission suggests you ask these questions:

What does the price include? Air fare, hotel, meals? For one person or two?

Can you leave from the airport of your choice?

Is this the final cost, or will there be additional charges later?

What is the name of the hotel where you'll stay? Some sellers may say ``a hotel comparable to the Hilton or Sheraton.'' That's not enough. Get the name so you can check it in a travel guidebook.

When can you go? At any time or just at specified times? Does the company select your departure date, or do you?

Will the sales company put the offer in writing? If not, why not? And will you be allowed to wait a day or two to make up your mind?

Pets on the go. If you want to take your cat or dog along when you travel, send for ``Touring with Towser,'' an 80-age listing of thousands of hotels and motels that have accommodations for pets. It also includes tips on caring for your pet while traveling. To receive the 1987-88 edition, send a check or money order for $1.50 to Gaines Booklets, ``Touring with Towser,'' PO Box 8172, Kankakee, IL 60902.

British bed-and-breakfast. Butterfly Tours offers self-drive tour packages featuring prebooked bed-and-breakfast lodgings in farmhouses, guesthouses, and inns throughout England, Scotland, and Wales. Packages include a rental car and Open To View ticket, good for entry to more than 600 palaces, castles, stately homes, gardens, and other historical buildings. You can choose from six areas - Heart of England, including the Cotswolds; Bath and the West Country; Cambridge and East Anglia; England's North Country, including North Yorkshire; Wales; and Scotland. Prices from $280 a person, double occupancy for a six-night package. Write to Butterfly Tours, Feeding Grounds Cottage, Churchstoke, Montgomery Powys SY15 6TR, Wales, or call 800-BB-RES-UK.

Paris on a budget. The French Government Tourist Office offers a free booklet, ``Paris on a Budget,'' highlighting the city's less expensive hotels and restaurants, days on which museums offer free admission, hours and cost of travel, as well as a special section of discounts offered to young people under 25 years old. The booklet is available at any French Government Tourist Office; or write to: Paris on a budget, French Government Tourist Office, PO Box 2658, Lake Ronkonkoma, NY 11779.

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