Planning a trip to Europe, but finances are tight? Learn how to plan an amazing trip, including travel information, money saving tips, and insider advice. Presented by Travel CUTS.

Tuesday, Jan 18
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
4th floor North - Meeting Room

You can register online, by phone at 403-260-2620 or in person at any branch of Calgary Public Library. You do need a Calgary Public Library card to register, but at $12 per year for Calgary residents, it is the best deal in town.

You can also check out these great books on budget travel in Europe:

E-dreaming on a snowy day

Preparing for a trip with your kids? Or daydreaming about one? There are now over 150 Frommer’s electronic guidebooks available for download from the Calgary Public Library website. We also have some DK Eyewitness Travel series and “for Dummies” travel series, plus books by travel writers like Peter Mayle, Frances Mayes, and Bill Bryson. If you have a laptop, Kobo or Sony e-Reader, iPhone or iPad to read them with, you are in luck. You can load up some electronic books before you leave, and grab more while you’re away, all using your CPL library card. That’s meant a lot less weight in your suitcase!

You need a reading device, a USB cable, a CPL library card, and a little time to download some software. The collection of e-books is called Overdrive, and you find a link on our home page. You are directed to download software called Adobe Editions to manage the e-books, which is required by the publishers to protect copyright. The e-book is downloaded to your computer using an online checkout system, and then transferred to your device. iPhone users get a streamlined process with an app.

I like to use “Advanced search” to find books, which allows me to limit to the subject “Travel”. The radio button option “Only show copies with copies available” is great when I want something right now. Otherwise, I can put e-books on hold, just like the popular books in the regular collection.

I’ve downloaded Storybook travels: From Eloise's New York to Harry Potter's London, Visits to 30 of the Best-Loved Landmarks in Children's Literature by Colleen Dunn Bates. This slight book attracted me because I always like to find a kids’ novel about the place we’re going next.

Somebody else in the city is filling up their e-reader at the same time as me. The 2^nd edition of Frommer's 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Upby Holly Hughes is checked out, so I placed a hold.

Overdrive also has electronic audio books to download and listen to on MP3 players or an iPod. I loaded up Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and The B.F.G. by Roald Dahl to help Simon through the boring time waiting for planes.

Looking for things to do with the family during the Christmas holidays? Over the last couple of weeks, we have talked about winter activities in Banff and Jasper. Why not try some of the old, always popular standbys in the city?

Of course, there is always something to see at the Calgary Zoo. The zoo is open every day from 9:00 - 5:00, except for Christmas Day. Zoo Lights is on again this year in the evenings from 6:00 - 9:00 (the gates stay open and start charging Zoo Lights pricing at 4:30). The Kids Winter Fun-derland includes Snow Bowling, Reindeer Stables, Snowball Alley and SnIgloo where you can build your own igloo.The zoo also has a family celebration, Zoo Year's Eve , from 6:00 - 9:00 on December 31st.

The Telus World of Science has a great display, Einstein and Darwin, on over the Christmas vacation.Among other great activities, Einstein's Workshop is an interactive display in which children can produce sound with lasers, create their own constellations or consider time travel! Daily Darwin Critters allows children to experience Darwins' discoveries while viewing live reptiles and amphibians.

When my children were younger, I was always on the lookout for fun free activities for them. What could be better than skating outdoors on the beautiful Bowness Lagoon or on the skating ring at the Olympic Plaza? Calgaryarea.com features a number of places for outdoor skating at locations all over the city.

Don't forget to visit the library to stock up on great books, music and DVDs. We will be closed December 25th, 26th and January 1st.

Looking for something to do during the holiday season? Banff is always a great place to spend some time. Whether you are going just for a day or have longer to spend, there is always lots to see and do. My kids used to love stopping to see the hoodoos, riding up the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain and, of course, spending time on Banff Avenue visiting the candy store.

We all think of Banff for downhill skiing, but do we also think of dog-sledding and horse-drawn sleigh rides? The Hot Springs are open year round as is the Sulphur Mountain Gondola. Just imagine the snowy vistas you can see from the top of the mountain!!

If you prefer indoor activities, you can visit some of the museums such as the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum or the Banff Park Museum National Historic Site of Canada.

There are lots of activities both indoor and outdoor that are free of charge. Think of ice skating outdoors in the middle of the mountains, tobogganing and sledding or cross-country skiing. One of my favorite activities is a stroll through the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

You can make the most of your visit by checking out some of these great books at Calgary Public Libray before you go. Find some hidden corners that you haven't discovered before.

My Favourite Restaurants: Calgary, Banff and Beyond (2009) by John Gilchrist. Calgary’s very own John Gilchrist has again shared his opinions on the best places to dine.

The Town of Banff has a comprehensive website with information on things to see and do.

As well, Banff National Park has a website with information on activities, natural wonders and public safety.

There is also a Banff Lake Louise website with more information on things to see and do.

Happy Holidays!!

Looking for some locally made Christmas gifts, something a little different? Perhaps you would like to get out of the city for the day and miss the craziness at the malls. Calgary has several great places located north of the city which feature lovely woolen products. Travel north towards Carstairs and follow the signs.

The Rockies from Carstairs

PaSu Farm ia a working sheep farm and has a great boutique and restaurant. Shop in their boutique which sells a range of moccasins, fine wool fashions, sheepskin coats, hides, blankets and other products, made locally and from around the world. You can then enjoy a meal in their restaurant, with a view of the Rockies on a sunny day. The farm is located north of Calgary a short distance west of Queen Elizabeth Highway, off Secondary Highway 580, with lots of signs to lead you there.

As Joyce Donaldson-Yarmey suggests in her book, Back Roads of Southern Alberta, think about alternatives to Highway #2 and take Highway 2A or some of the other back routes. This is a great way to see more interesting countryside. Check out titles such as these at Calgary Public Library to find out about the roads less travelled in southern Alberta:

Day Trips From Calgary by Bill Corbett

Country Roads of Alberta by Liz Bryan

Of course, you can also borrow maps from the library as well, such as the Calgary and Southern Alberta Street Guide (2009).

Custom Woolen Mills is another great place to visit and shop. They produce woolen and exotic fiber products, such as carded wools, rovings, spinning balls, batts, wool yarns, knitting kits, socks, comforters, mattress pads and hand-woven blankets. Not only are the products produced on-site, but this is a working museum, using industrial revolution machinery. Take time to do the self-guided tour. According to their web site, they are only open 9:00 - 3:00, Monday to Friday. Go north on Highway 2, turn east at Highway 582 and follow the signs.