Specialty Travel Resources

* PlanetOut Inc. is a multimedia company that publishes magazines and Web sites with travel-specific info, such as the Advocate (">http://www.advocate.com/travel), Gay.com (">http://www.gay.com/travel), OutTraveler.com (">http://www.outtraveler.com) and Planetout.com (">http://www.planetout.com/travel). The annual PlanetOut Travel Awards, listed on the site, go to winners in 10 categories, including gay resort towns, tour operators and cruise lines.

Health/Disability

The nonprofit International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (919-349-6661, http://www.icdri.org) scours the Web for helpful sites. Mike Burks and Mark Urban, ICDRI chairman and vice chairman, respectively, offer the following suggestions for sussing out travel options for those with disabilities.

* Accessible Europe (011-39-011-30-1888, http://www.accessibleurope.com) is a group of travel agents headquartered in Italy and specializing in accessible tourism.

* Accessible Journeys (800-846-4537, http://www.disabilitytravel.com) focuses on wheelchair travel, offering group tours and independent trips, and is the self-proclaimed "largest group cruise operator in the world for slow walkers, travelers with wheels, their families and their friends."

* The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (800-900-8086, http://www.ncpad.org), hosted by the University of Illinois, has recreation resources on outdoor/travel activities, such as canoeing and horseback riding, and info on what you need to know before you go.

Among other resources we found:

* The Web site of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (877-394-8747, http://www.cdc.gov/travel) is essential for information on travel health.

* The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (716-754-4883, http://www.iamat.org) maintains a worldwide membership of English-speaking doctors with medical training in the United States, Canada or Great Britain.

* The Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (212-447-7284,http://www.sath.org/), a nonprofit membership organization, provides Web links to the disability access information of 25 major airlines, as well as info on the Air Carriers Access Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Military/Government

William Bradner, spokesman for the U.S. Army's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command, offered the following travel resources for military personnel:

* Armed Forces Vacation Club (800-724-9988, http://www.afvclub.com) partners with the MWR to offer vacations at timeshare resorts for $299 per unit per week on a space-available basis.

* Government and Armed Forces Travel Cooperative (http://www.govarm.com) is a MWR-sponsored group that offers travel and leisure services to federal employees, military service members, and civil service and military retirees.