Affordable Family Vacation Ideas: Vacation Packages

Have you ever received one of those cards in the mail that depict suntanned girls lying on white sand beaches and holding exotic drinks or couples embarking on a catamaran? They usually come from some travel agency you have never heard of and and claim to offer a fabulous vacation package with all kinds of extras at a great price. You may have received similar offers in your e-mail inbox or over the phone if you are not on the "no call" list. You may have looked into them more carefully only to discover that there are all kinds of contingencies or the final price you pay is a lot more than you were led to believe. They don't really save you any money, and you could do better just booking your airline, hotel, and rental car separately. Some of them even offer you a free vacation but expect you to attend a high-pressure sales seminar for a time-share. Vacation packages are never what they are cracked up to be, so should you just avoid them altogether? Not necessarily.

Among with the scams and over-priced, over-pitched, all-inclusive vacation offers are some pretty good deals that really can save you quite a bit of money. They usually don't spend a lot on advertising through mailers or phone calls. These packages are ones that you will have to find on your own. Fortunately, there are ton of great research tools that sort, compare, evaluate, price, and sell a wide range of vacation packages to almost any destination in the world. Practically all of the websites I have mentioned in previous posts allow you to easily put together a package containing all of the elements you want. Here are some of the most user-friendly sites for vacation packages: Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, Travelocity, Kayak, Hotwire. Simply find the link for vacation packages, choose whatever amenities you would like to include, and put in your information. You will receive lists of packages that you can browse through and sort by price. Each package listed displays the price per person along with the total price for your trip. Eliminate the packages that are way out of your price range and then compare the ones you think you can afford. Make sure to try different websites for comparison. The websites of various airlines also list vacation packages. It is worth checking these, especially Southwest because it offers some of the best prices available and its flights are not listed on the other websites. It sounds like a lot of work, but once you narrow down a few packages it is fairly simple.

The travel websites are so easy to use that they have really eliminated the need for a personal travel agent. The travel agent would use the same tools anyway, and this way you can view your options in the comfort of your own home and without playing phone tag. However, if you still prefer a service to help you book your trip, there are some reputable ones that offer competitive prices. If you are a member of AAA this is probably the best place to start. The Auto Club offers very extensive trip planning services, a wide variety of all-inclusive packages, and very detailed itineraries. They are especially useful if you are the kind of person who likes everything planned well in advance. Simply call or stop into your local AAA office, and they will handle all of the leg work. AAA does not always have the cheapest prices you can find, but they may be one of the better values in terms of offering the most bang for your buck. I have used AAA travel services all over the United States and was pleased by how easy it was to find an office and how many discounts were offered.

Some things to remember when you buy a vacation package

*Always compare the price of the package with the cost of booking hotel, airfare, rental car etc. separately. The package deals will often save you a few hundred dollars but not always.

*Make sure you look carefully at the details of the package before you do your final booking. There may be hidden costs, especially when booking airfare or rental cars.

*Compare a different packages. The cheapest package may not actually be the cheapest. For instance, you might find that a package with a condominium and full kitchen costs more than a hotel room. However, since one of the major costs of any vacation is your food, you may find that you save a lot more by renting the condominium and cooking most of your meals.

*In fact, food is such a huge expense, try to save on it wherever you can. Look for packages that include some free buffets or drink allowances in the price. Some packages sell meal plans that may be worth your while as long as you are good at sticking to whatever the plan allows.

*Sometimes if you book a certain number of nights in a hotel, you can get one night free. Look out for these offers.

*If you have flexibility in your schedule, look for off-season packages for your destination.

*Ignore the "packages starting from" offers that appear on the homepage of a website. These are teasers, and you will have to put in your information anyway to find the packages that are really available.

Some destinations that typically offer cheap/good value package deals

*San Diego, CA

*Las Vegas, NV

*Grand Canyon, AZ (book early)

*Disneyland, Anaheim, CA or Disneyworld, Orlando, CA

*Mexico ( especially Cancun and Puerto Villarta)

*Puerto Rico

*San Francisco, CA

*Bahamas

*New Orleans, LA (not during Mardi Gras)

*New York City (but be aware that NYC itself is not cheap)