DISCOVERING LOCAL DISCOUNTS

Everyone likes to get a discount, and budget-conscious travelers are no exception. A savings of 20, 30, 40, even 50 percent off the published price sweetens almost any purchase. Such discounts abound; the problem is, how to find them when you're far from home.  Many people are already familiar with the thick books published by Entertainment International. These coupon compendiums, which cost between $35 and $40 each, provide a huge range of percent room discounts, two for one meals, and a huge variety of other money-saving specials in a particular metropolitan area. At recent count, Entertainment International books are available for more than 150 cities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe. While any particular books offer far more discounts than anyone could use in a short visit, they make budget-stretching travel companions even if you only use them a few times, especially if it's for half price on a hotel.

Entertainment also publishes an International Hotel & Travel Savings Directory that lists 5,500 hotels that provide members with nightly discounts of up to 50 percent. For information, call 800-926-0565.  Another company, Metropolis International, publishes a series of more informative city guidebooks, which combine detailed information, maps, sight-seeing suggestions, and restaurant reviews with discount cards that provide 20 to 50 percent savings on a wide variety of attractions, restaurants and hotels. The cards, which are valid for up to four people, can be used without restrictions for up to eight consecutive days. For-Less Guides are published for New York, London and Paris, as well as compact guides for 12 other European cities, from Amsterdam to Vienna.  For example, the 288-page London For Less book costs $20 and provides a week's worth of savings on entrance fees at 45 major attractions, from the Tower of London to Hampton Court, 42 hotels and 90 restaurants, along with tours, car rentals, theaters and shops. For Less Publishing can be reached at 800-244-2361 or www.for-less.com  Recognizing that discounts attract travelers, many national, regional, state and city visitor and convention bureaus have put together their own programs. Some of these discount programs are available for free just by asking, while others must be purchased.  New York City's Convention and Visitors Bureau has a Funpass that offers savings on a day of public transportation in the Big Apple. The $4 passes can be purchased both through the new NYCVC&VB office (810 Seventh Ave. between 52nd and 53rd) and at selected subway stations. The pass provides for 24 hours of unlimited travel on any city bus or subway, normally $1.50 per trip. For information, call 800-692-8474 or www.nycvisit.com.  At $46 for a three-day adult pass, the Copenhagen Card may seem costly, but it's good for free, unlimited use of public transportation, as well as admission to more than 60 sights, including Tivoli Gardens, the Zoo and Fredericksborg castle. Call 011-45-33-25-74-00 for details.  So, before heading for someplace distant, be sure to contact the local tourist bureau by mail, phone or online. You may find you can land some hefty savings simply by asking.  And in many U.S. cities, Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, London, England, and Glasgow, Scotland, you can enjoy an evening of great entertainment at about half the normal price.  In these cities, local arts organizations obtain unsold tickets for music and theatrical performances. Tickets are usually sold on a same-day basis for half their face value, plus a small service charge. Some organizations maintain Web sites and telephone hotlines listing available shows. Others simply have bulletin boards. All are listed with the local visitors bureau.  If your destination happens to be New York City, here's how you can get seats on Broadway for $3 each. For two decades, an organization called Audience Extras has provided its members with tickets to a wide range of theatrical productions.  Participants are asked to be am ateur critics, rating the shows they see on a simple ABC system. Audience Extras is supported by the theaters as a way of building a show's reputation.  The first year's membership costs $85. There's a special hotline number listing the available shows. Members can make reservations by phone and pick up the tickets at the box office an hour before the performance. The total cost: $3.50 each for up to four tickets per performance, with no limit on the number of shows you can attend each year. You may not find seats to the hottest shows, but there are more than 1,000 different productions offered throughout the year, so there's always plenty of choices, and at $3.50 a ticket, anyone can afford to be a critic. Call Audience Extras at 212-647-0685.

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