Your key to hotel deals

Remember to use your AAA card and your membership can pay for itself. When you travel, get up to 20 percent off the lowest rates at 4,000 Best Westerns around the world and a minimum 5 percent discount at more than 2,800 Marriott hotels. Save money at Hyatt, Hampton Inn, and Starwood properties and at boutique lodgings such as San Francisco's funky new Good Hotel, where the decor—lamps made from water bottles, a table constructed of old skateboards—features reclaimed materials. Show your AAA card and reclaim something for your wallet, too.

To see more lodging deals for members, look in the TourBook guide covering your destination or visit AAA.com/viasave.

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AAA pilots Teen Safe Driver Package

Through August 15, AAA is offering the Teen Safe Driver Package to members in Northern California. Young drivers save up to 15 percent on auto insurance and receive a free AAA membership and $50 off TeenSmart driving course materials. For more information, call (888) 686-2490, visit AAA.com/offer, or stop in at your local branch office.

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Long waits: a history

By Erin Biba

1909
Danish telephone engineer Agner Erlang introduces queuing theory. In his honor, units of telecommunications traffic are called erlangs.

1943
Over 2 million New York City residents line up during World War II to register for food ration books issued by the Office of Price Administration.

1973
After OPEC imposes an oil embargo, drivers wait in lines up to half a mile long to fill their gas tanks. Some pay as much as 99 cents a gallon, equal to $4.71 in today's dollars.

1979
Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's Homemade serves up its first Free Cone Day. The annual event still draws lines of loyal fans in cities across
the country.

1999
Disney institutes the Fastpass sys-tem to reduce wait times at popular rides. Thrill seekers use it to skip long lines by making appointments to ride at designated times.

2007
Muggles, wizards, and tweens sleep in front of London stores to await the final Harry Potter book. Some sit for three days to learn the fate of the series' beloved characters.

Skip the wait for a range of DMV services when you visit most AAA branches. To learn more, go to AAA.com/viadrive.

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Postcard: Vatican City

By Kristina Malsberger

Since 1972, UNESCO's World Heritage Centre has identi?ed 878 sites around the globe "considered to be of outstanding value to humanity." AAA Travel is a World Heritage Alliance member, and Postcard will feature a different one of these sites in each issue.

Here's a divine paradox: The world's tiniest nation is just 80 years old, yet its artworks were created by the masters of the Renaissance. It claims only 450-odd citizens but has its own train station, post office, phone service, and bank. It is completely surrounded by Italy but is guarded by Swiss soldiers in striped knee pants.

Still, the real awesomeness of Vatican City lies in its attractions: Saint Peter's Basilica accommodates some 20,000 worshipers above the ground and nearly 150 departed pontiffs below. Make the climb to its dome for heavenly views of Saint Peter's Square, where Pope Benedict XVI regularly addresses the faithful. Next door, the Vatican Museums wind for nine labyrinthine miles past Egyptian sarcophagi, Greek statues, and works by Giotto and Bernini, culminating in the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo's great frescoed ceiling. Say a prayer to the patron saint of aching feet as you admire the world's most beautiful polling place: The College of Cardinals gathers here to elect the pope, leader of 1.1 billion Catholics worldwide and ruler of a fascinating 109 acres.

The 12-day AAA Sojourns Relaxing Italian Highlights by Rail tour departs year-round. For details, call (888) 586-4222 or visit AAA.com/sojourns.

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Travel Planner: May and June

May

Save Through June 30, get the third day of a weekend car rental free from Hertz along with the 20 percent AAA discount. For details, visit hertz.com/aaavia.

Plan ahead Make cruise reservations early to savor the colors of New England's fall foliage.

Don't forget Before you travel abroad, check whether your medical insurance policy applies overseas and what it actually covers.

June

Save A refillable water bottle is a must while hiking, but it will also help you avoid spending money to quench your thirst at urban attractions and theme parks.

Plan ahead Starting June 1, U.S. citizens re-entering the country from Canada or Mexico will need a valid passport or passport card. To learn more, visit travel.state.gov.

Don't forget June is National Drive Safe Month. Before making that summer road trip, be sure your child's safety seat is properly installed.

Let AAA help you get where you're going safely and on budget. Call
(888) 586-4222 or visit AAA.com/viago.

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Guard your trip with travel insurance

Whether you're planning a tour of Europe or a cruise to Alaska, travel insurance protects your investment in case of unforeseen setbacks such as job loss or illness. AAA has partnered with Access America to offer coverage for tours, cruises, flights, and rental cars. You'll enjoy access to a 24-hour hotline staffed with multilingual representatives who can help replace travel documents and provide assistance during medical or legal emergencies. To learn more, call (888) 937-5523 or visit AAA.com/viago.

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Travel talk with author Patricia Schultz

By Miyoko Ohtake

In 2003, writer and television host Patricia Schultz delighted travel enthusiasts with the breadth of her frankly titled book, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Since then it has topped 3 million copies in print in over 25 languages. Schultz is now circling the globe a second time to research an updated edition due out in early 2011. Between trips to the Baltics and Anguilla, Schultz spoke with us about travel from her favorite city of all—New York.

Q Does your book's title scare people?
A At first people thought it was too alarming. What's alarming? Life is no dress rehearsal and there's so much to see.

Q Where do you most want to go next?
A I've never been to a good deal of South America—it's really underrated. I have a trip to Argentina and Antarctica planned for the beginning of
next year.

Q What makes you want to stay home?
A The time right before I leave. I have to make sure everything is in place and that someone is going to feed my cat. I always get on the plane and just pass out.

Q What places should travelers visit before they disappear altogether?
A Glacier National Park. The glaciers may be gone in our lifetime. And I don't know how long New Orleans will last.

Q Where can we travel on a budget?
A Do your homework and you can go wherever you want. There are always ways to save, from staying in family-run hotels to using public transit instead of a car.

Q What's the first thing you do when you get home from a trip?
A Go through the mountain of junk mail for no other reason than to ?nd the occasional bill buried in the middle.

AAA can take you to the destinations on your life list. Call (888) 586-4222 or visit AAA.com/viago.