Travel: Spa can make holiday stress disappear

As heartwarming as the holidays are, the rounds of parties and preparations can make this the most hectic time of year. A pampering visit to a spa can be a great way to ring in the New Year.

Spas can be found from busy urban areas to some of the most remote locations on Earth. Many offer a variety of treatments to promote health and well-being, including massage and other forms of healing touch, body wraps, facials, exercise classes and healthy food.

A travel professional can help you sort through the thousands of available spa vacations to find the one that is right for you. Some attractive options include:

new Regent Spa in the Regent Wall Street, New York, N.Y. The spa is located in the Regent Wall Street hotel which opened in December 1999 in the heart of lower Manhattan.

The Mist Spa at the Radisson Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, Ariz., offers an array of skin care and massage therapies, including body wraps and scalp treatments.

The Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort & Spa in Hawaii offers a four-night vacation package that includes six treatments from its ANARA spa: two lomi lomi massages, two royal Hawaiian facials and two kapu kai alae'a body treatments.

ATMs can convert cash

While traveling in Europe or other locations outside the U.S., your bank ATM card may be the best way to obtain foreign currency at favorable exchange rates. When you use an ATM card, your money can be converted to a foreign currency at the wholesale exchange rates available to banks, which are better than the rates offered by most change bureaus, hotels or businesses. Before you leave for your overseas vacation, check with your bank to find out if there are ATM machines that will accept your card in or around your destination. Also, be sure to ask if your PIN will work outside the United States

Be alert to possible scams

A trip to Europe can be one of the most exciting vacations you'll ever take. However, wherever tourists go, there may be people looking for opportunities to take advantage of them. While you should not be afraid to travel in Europe, it's important to be alert to the following techniques that are sometimes used by con artists.

Beware of people who ask to check for counterfeit money. In a new scam seen in parts of Europe, a person approaches tourists to ask if they would like to exchange some money. Moments later, an official-looking man appears, flashing an identification card and explaining that criminals have been exchanging counterfeit money in the area. He demands to check everyone's wallets, and palms away the tourists' money before they realize it.

Beware of groups of children that approach you. Even young children can be expert criminals who work together. While some of the children distract tourists by asking questions or showing them objects for sale, others pick their pockets.

Beware of people who jostle you or spill something on your clothing. Sometimes, such accidents are meant to distract tourists while their wallets, purses or briefcases are stolen.

(Marvin McDaniel, CTC, is president of Carlson Wagonlit Travel/Carlson Travel Network.)