by Laurie Cirivello

Created on: March 01, 2009   Last Updated: March 02, 2009

Everyone likes a "deal". Especially when traveling, discounts and specials can make a big impact on affordability. I admit to being a compulsive shopper when planning travel. Here are a few of the tactics and resources that I have found to lower the price tag and increase the value of our vacations.

Traveling in shoulder season: Vacationing in "prime time" or high season might offer the best chance for ideal weather, but it is also the most expensive. Often aligned with festivals and school vacations, it is also the most crowded. I find shoulder season travel is the best value. Usually the weather is not much different than the beginning or end of high season, yet there are fewer crowds, and most of all, it's often a great bargain. Along with significant discounts on lodging, attractions and even transportation, I find shoulder season travel to be more relaxing and offer more opportunity to meet locals and explore a new culture. High seasons vary depending on location and are usually outlined in guidebooks and destination websites. Pick from the weeks right before and after and you can land a great deal. A cautionary note about low season: while deeply discounted, off-season rates can be tempting, there are usually good reasons these times are less desirable. Even a cheap vacation can be ruined if the weather is horrible or attractions closed.

Package deals - International: Preferring more independent travel, the all-in-one escorted tour is not our style. But there are a number of agencies and companies that can give travelers the savings of a package while maintaining independence. When looking at package options, I look for ones with the greatest number of options to book flights, hotels and ground transportation together. Some packagers only give two or three hotel options in a destination city, but others, such as europeandestinations.com, allow travelers to choose from hundreds of hotels and ground transportation services, allowing significant customization of your itinerary. Once I identify potential hotels, I use TripAdvisor to read reviews and compare hotel options. A good packager can also offer substantial benefits for booking flights. If you plan to spend a few days each in a number of cities, the "open jaw" flight option available with flexible packages can save both time and money. Open jaw refers to flying into one city and flying home from another. Buying open jaw tickets on your own can be extremely expensive, and the alternative may mean the

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