If you're going to take a trip outside North America, you're going to need a passport. While most Caribbean islands, Canada and Mexico do not require a passport for U.S. citizens, you may find showing Customs agents a passport easier than making sure you have one of the acceptable forms of identification - typically a U.S. birth certificate or a voter's ID card.

Here are a few tips compiled from various sources that will help you make getting a passport easier.

There are 13 offices across the U.S. You may apply at a passport office or simply mail in the appropriate form, which is available at your clerk of court's office. You also may find them at some post offices.

• After filling out the form, you may mail it, along with the required photos and payment, to the nearest passport office, or you may give it to the clerk of court. Most clerks' offices are used to working with passport offices, but they typically submit applications once a week. If you're in a hurry, send it directly yourself. If you've got time, let the clerk do it for you.
• The fee for a first-time passport is $65. Passports are good for 10 years. The best way to pay is by check or money order. If you get your passport through the clerk of court, the clerk may add a small fee, too.
• If this is your first passport, you will have to appear before a deputy clerk of court or a passport agent to answer a few questions and take an oath certifying the information you give to be true. If you are renewing or under 13 years old, you can do everything through the mail.
• One of the primary reasons passport applications are rejected by the passport office is that the proper form was not used. There are several different forms - one for first-timers, one for renewals, one for lost passports and one for mutilated passports. Make sure you have the correct one. If your passport application requires you to appear before an official (the clerk or a passport agent), do not sign the form until you are told to do so. If you bring the form in signed, you'll have to fill out another.
• For the first passport, you'll need a certified copy of your birth certificate. A certified copy will have a raised, embossed or multi-colored seal and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office of the city or county where you were born.

• Along with your passport application and a check for the fees, you will need two, two-by-two-inch color photos taken within the last six months. The photos must be in a front view in plain lighting. You can take them yourself or have a professional do them. The size must be strictly adhered to.

• As soon as you get your passport, make several photocopies of it. Keep one at home, one at the office and carry one with you in a place separate from your passport while traveling. If your passport gets lost, the first thing you'll need to know is the number. If your passport is lost or damaged while traveling, the photocopy will help you get a temporary passport faster. If you have lost your passport while traveling, contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate.
• If you're traveling to countries in the European Community, you will have to show your passport only once - at the first country you enter. Crossing borders in Europe is much easier than it was a few years ago.

For additional information about obtaining passports, send 50 cents to the Federal Consumer Information Center, Pueblo, CO 81009. Ask for "Passports: Applying for Them the Easy Way." You can also visit http://travel.state.gov/download_applications.html, where you can download passport application over the Internet.

Breathtaking mountain scenery, intriguing itineraries and expert guides highlight the 1999 Canadian Rockies land tour program offered by Princess Tours. These popular tours are perennial favorites because they offer the added luxury of overnight stays at some of Canada's most exclusive properties.

Princess will offer five escorted land-only itineraries this summer, ranging from six to 11 days and featuring many of the same attractions as Princess' Canadian Rockies cruisetours. Each of these Canadian Rockies tours visit some of the top attractions in the area with itineraries that run roundtrip from Seattle, or one-way between Calgary and Vancouver. Some of the featured stops include Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff and Kamloops.

 The Canadian Rockies offer some of the most dramatic scenery in the west. Excursions include everything from a glacier walk to boat trips on Lake Louise.

 All tours include overnight stays at the Banff Springs Hotel, a legendary hotel considered a destination in itself with a spa, golf course, boutiques and many elegant restaurants - all set in a panoramic mountain location. Each itinerary also features Chateau Lake Louise, a French chateau perched on the banks of sparkling Lake Louise.

 In addition, all tours include deluxe motorcoach travel that takes in the dramatic scenery of the Canadian Rockies. Three tours, "Royal Heart of the Rockies Plus Rail," "Royal VIA Rail Discoverer," and "Royal Canadian Rail Adventure," also feature train travel through remarkable terrain, much of which is accessible only by rail.

 Each Princess Canadian Rockies tour includes the service of a professional tour director who travels with the group and attends to all details including accommodations, excursions and meals in most locations. The dining plan offers guests the freedom of choice to dine when they wish and select anything on the menu.

 Princess Canadian Rockies tours are offered from May 6 to September 18, 1999. For more information or a brochure contact our office today.

This Mother's Day and Father's Day, the Mobil Five-Star Trump International Hotel & Tower offers packages that give parents what they most often desire: recognition for a job well done, and the opportunity to relax and unwind.

The hotel has designed special Mother's and Father's Day packages in which the customary hallmarks of appreciation - flowers for mom and a tie for dad, are included in the price of each package - but with the added benefit of a luxurious weekend getaway.

Amenities tailored for Mom to share with her daughter or son, and plenty of pampering for both parents in spacious suites overlooking Central Park, provide just the right setting for demonstrating the importance of a parent's special day.

The Mother's Day Package includes an overnight stay in a plush two-bedroom suite with sweeping vistas of Central Park, two 30-minute massages, either in-suite or at the hotel's health and fitness spa, a festive Mother's Day bouquet, a gourmet welcome amenity, and an in-suite Mother's Day brunch for two prepared by a chef from Jean Georges, the hotel's Mobil five-star restaurant. The package cost is $1,300, excluding service charge and tax.

The Father's Day Package includes an overnight stay for two in a luxury one-bedroom suite with floor-to-ceiling-window views of Central Park, and a designer tie. The package's $700 cost excludes service charge and tax.

A luxurious weekend in New York at Trump International Hotel and Tower is a great gift for any occasion. The hotel's prestigious location on Central Park West at Columbus Circle offers the perfect vantage point for visitors to explore the city - especially on foot. The hotel is within walking distance of trendy Upper West Side boutiques and cafes, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the glamour and excitement of Madison and Fifth avenues.

Designed by world-renowned architect Philip Johnson, Trump International Hotel & Tower features 167 intimate, elegant rooms. The hotel also features a state-of-the-art urban fitness center with pool and spa; personal assistance from a Trump Attache; and an array of complimentary services and amenities.

Both the hotel and its renowned fine dining restaurant, Jean Georges, were recently awarded Five-Star awards by the 1999 Mobil Travel Guide, making the hotel one of only four prestigious establishments in North America to hold the double honor.

 Full flights, tighter carry-on regulations and heightened security means that you should allow more time wherever you are flying this spring.

 The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered heightened security at many airports. Additionally, the Department of Transportation has told a congressional subcommittee that FAA must make improvements in its deployment of new security equipment to airports and in its implementation of new bag screening requirements, as well as in its oversight of access to secured areas of airports.

 Increased security measures could mean longer lines. Also be aware that some airlines are stepping up efforts to improve their scheduled departures by now requiring all passengers to be on the plane at least ten minutes before departures. So make sure you minimize your stress by arriving early.