Grabbing Gifts That Float Out in Cyperspace

If travel books, gear or gadgets are on your holiday gift list this year, playing Santa in cyberspace can save you time and, in some cases, money.

Granted, flipping through a glossy catalog and ordering via a 24-hour, toll-free telephone number beats coping with slow servers, narrow bandwidths and exasperating error messages. But shopping for travel merchandise online provides at-home access to hundreds of companies, and sometimes lets you research your purchases before you buy. And while several cyberspace branches of established travel retailers are little more than advertisements to call for a printed catalog, others offer Internet-only discounts or such incentives as free shipping. As NetGuide’s savvy “How to Shop Online” report (https://www.netguide.com/special/primers/shopping/start.html) points out, giving out a credit card number over the Internet is no riskier than disclosing it over the phone. The best safeguards: Choose merchants with secure servers that use encryption technology, and be wary of any Web site that doesn’t provide a telephone number and physical address. A sampling of sites that can help add cheer to any traveler’s next journey:

* America Online’s Independent Traveler (keyword: TRAVELER) tackles the holidays with an informative section that gives tips on everything from how to land a last-minute ticket to Grandma’s to gift ideas for laptop-toting business travelers. But the Independent Traveler is particularly valuable for the 15%, across-the-board discount it offers AOL members at Magellan’s, a long-established purveyor of travel supplies. You can browse through Magellan’s catalog at the Great Outdoor Recreation Pages (GORP) site (https://www.gorp.com), but to land the AOL discount you’ll need to call Magellan’s directly at (800) 962-4943.

* GORP, one of the oldest and largest Web sites devoted to outdoor recreation, sells products from more than two dozen suppliers, book publishers and video producers--including the Adventurous Traveler Bookstore, an online catalog of more than 4,000 outdoor-oriented books, maps, CD-ROMS and screen savers.

* Another site devoted to fresh-air pursuits, the just-launched Mountain Zone (https://www.mountainzone.com), sells books, videos, maps and gear organized by price range and sport, most at 20% below the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Your average cyber-schusser may not need an avalanche transceiver (regularly $275.40, on sale for $224.95), but there’s always a Ski Area screen saver for $17.95. The Mountain Zone’s gear reviews let you check out the pros and cons of about two dozen items, several of which are sold in its virtual store.

* The recently revamped Internet Travel Network (https://www.itn.net), a major airline, hotel and car rental reservation service, offers hundreds of travel books through virtual bookseller Amazon.com. ITN organizes travel titles by interest and geographic location, and Amazon.com promises discounts of up to 20%. Gift wrap (including a snazzy world map) is just $2 extra per order.

* Another online booking site, Travelocity (https://www.travelocity.com), peddles merchandise from such retailers as El Portal, Rand McNally and Orvis. Through Dec. 22, Travelocity offers 30% discounts on selected luggage locks and travel binoculars from Magellan’s, up to 50% off Lanier Travel Guides, and two-for-one travel videos from IVN Entertainment.

* Christine Columbus, a catalog company aimed squarely at women travelers, sells about 175 clothing and gear items via its new Web site (https://www.christinecolumbus.com). A recent check of the “closet sale” uncovered such deals as a wrinkle-resistant, broomstick-pleated travel skirt for $29.95, a $30 savings. An Internet-only bonus: Web orders of $35 or more placed by Dec. 18 receive free shipping.

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Bly welcomes reader comments; her e-mail address is Laura.Bly@latimes.com. Electronic Explorer appears monthly.