Few, if any, true ski deals in New England, despite recession

London was the only world capital with an iconic bus, the royal red Routemaster, a double-decker, hop-on hop-off, totally British bus that for more than four decades transported riders on routes all over town. The bus wasn't glamorous, but it was as memorable as Big Ben. Yet in 2005, authorities replaced the classic Routemasters with bendy buses that could carry more people and were "safer" because they no longer allowed a hop-on, hop-off system (which required a conductor to check tickets, an additional cost). But the replacement bus has been a bust. And the city's recently elected mayor has been trying to fulfill his campaign pledge to bring the Routemasters back. A new bus design has been cooked up by Aston Martin (maker of James Bond's favorite time of sports car). This design brings back the hop-on, hop-off model, while adding wheelchair-accessibility (which is something the old buses sadly lacked). The new bus is also is "greener." It has solar panels built into a glass roof and an energy efficient engine and interior-heating system. Frankly, I'm not sure how much sun the solar panels will see in London, but co-designer Aston Martin insists that the buses will prove their environmental friendliness. The cost of producing the new buses isn't certain. But the mayor insists they'll be installed on city streets by 2011. EARLIER The Paris-London train line will get faster in 2010 A large new rail system is coming to London

The Brooklyn Flea Market is an outdoor favorite for New Yorkers in the summer. But in the winter? Fuhgetaboutit. Lucky for you shivering deal-seekers out there, the Brooklyn Flea is moving indoors. The Dumbo Winter Pop-Up market opens this Saturday. You can expect crowds of people looking for vintage and antique items. The list of 25 vendors will rotate each week (see the full list here), but you can expect items like antique doorknobs and mirrors from Olde Good Things, funky dresses from Jellyroll Vintage, and precious jewelry from Blue Canary Vintage. Dumbo (or "down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass") is a former industrial area and port town that's now a hip hotspot (think condos and cute restaurants). The Pop-Up market's storefront space is close to a gorgeous park under the Brooklyn Bridge. The area's Saturday forecast? Rain/snow showers and 37 degrees Fahrenheit. But it'll be dry and toasty indoors. Free (unless, of course, you buy something). 76 Front St., Brooklyn. Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., through Mar. 29. MORE Read more about the market on nymag.com And Gothamist PREVIOUSLY The Telectroscope lets Brooklyn see London New York City: Hertz starts "pay as you go" car rentals Exclusive: New York's holiday windows Go to alltop.com for more travel blogs.

American shoppers in France will be able to breathe more easily this month, when governmentally mandated biannual sales come to help them forget that their currency is in the toilet. Discounts of 30% (and often more) will descend when les soldes open officially in Paris on January 7. These will deepen as the weeks progress, reaching 50% after a few weeks and finishing with 70% off just before the sales close on February 10. There is, of course, a downside. Paris shops will be cramped and crazy during the first few days of the sale—a nightmare to all but the most battle-hardened shoppers. Those who take spending seriously have scouted their items in advance. Indeed, nights just before the sales are among the busiest of the year. Shoppers try on items, make notes, and hide their hopes at the back of the rack. They arrive on opening day promptly at 8 am, grab their stuff, and race to the register. By noon most shops have been thoroughly picked over, and experienced veterans all long gone. I've done my share of shopping recon over the years. I've tried on dresses in three sizes so that I could make a quick decision if some other hussy snagged my ideal. I've hidden shirts beneath shirts at the back of the rack. I've placed purses on the high shelf, out of reach for the average parisienne. It's sordid and exhausting and all part of the fun. Or at least it was. I recently learned that the discounts also apply at shops that sell products online. So I may be doing les soldes this year at home in my pajamas, leaving more elbow room for you. If you're planning to be in Paris during the sales, there's a new city-sponsored gimmick to help empty out your wallet. To hype the sales, the Office of Tourism has prepared The Shopping Book—a slick promotional guide with hundreds of good addresses. Stores are sifted into sections like classique and bobo-chic, and the shopping info is complemented with practical info and restaurant recommendations. One of the most valuable sections is hidden away: In the back is a list of designer discount stores and outlets. You can download a copy of the free bilingual guide here, or pick it up in glossy form at one of the city's welcome centers. The guide is also handy outside of sale season, simply because it maps those areas with a concentration of interesting shops.

Readers pack in nominees for overrated destinations A follow-up from the LAT's own list of places, which included Paris. [Los Angeles Times] Cruise towel creatures USA Today's slide show of those towel animals that cruise-line staff are always making. Dollar goes a long way on winter trip to Iceland Fun fact: "sales of horse meat—cheaper than beef—have been rising with the bad economy. [Yahoo] Intelligent Traveler's Guide to Inaugural Washington National Geographic Traveler's blog gives some tips on its own backyard. Airlines we lost in 2008 ATA, Skybus, Eos, Silverjet… Glastonbury hippies claim local Wi-Fi network is damaging their "ley lines" Is it the Wi-Fi, or just an excess of Facebook? [Gadling] One town that won't let you down Finding a good time in Chicago. [Chicago Tribune]