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California, Air, Car, 8 Nights, From $839

Explore the Golden State, from its dramatic coastline to the unique character of its three major cities.
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  • BT Exclusive Deal! BT Exclusive Deal! Bangkok, Air, 5 Nights, From $1,779

    This Thailand travel deal gets you five nights in bustling Bangkok, with flights on über-luxe Singapore Airlines and a stay in a four-star hotel. » Book by: Saturday, Mar 31, 2012, 12:00 AM

    BT Exclusive! This deal is offered exclusively to Budget Travel readers.

  • Bali, Air, 12 Nights, From $1,965

    A trip to explore the rich culture and wild beauty of Indonesia's island paradise is within reach thanks to this travel deal. » Book by: Friday, Nov 30, 2012, 11:00 PM

  • California, Air, 8 Nights, Car, from $839

    Get a deal on the quintessential American road trip, driving from San Francisco to San Diego on California’s Pacific Coast. » Book by: Friday, Apr 20, 2012, 11:00 PM

  • China, Air, 7 Nights, From $983

    Take in China’s biggest cities and most historic cultural sites on this week-long itinerary. » Book by: Monday, Mar 26, 2012, 11:00 PM

  • Costa Rica, Air, Resort, 7 Nights, From $1,289

    Spend a week relaxing on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast at a brand-new five-star resort. » Book by: Thursday, Apr 19, 2012, 11:00 PM

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Travel Tips

Tagged
Planning
422281

Sending a flat-rate Priority Mail box costs $8.10, no matter how much it weighs or which state it's going to. After accumulating too much stuff to fit in my suitcase during a trip to Atlanta, I filled a box with laundry, souvenirs, and gifts for my grandchildren, and mailed it to my home address.

— Eleanor Waterhouse
Tagged
Packing
453252

Grab-rails and nonskid surfaces aren't common in European bathtubs and showers. I pack a few decorative rubber pads that have non-adhesive suction cups, so I can use them when needed to prevent a slip or fall, and then I take them with me to the next hotel.

— Fran Plewak
Tagged
Technology
461300

I used a well-known travel site to price tickets for a trip to Las Vegas. The flight I wanted was available, but I decided to wait to see if prices would come down. That flight stopped being listed after a week, and the next best flight kept getting more expensive. About five weeks later, I checked prices from a different PC. Whaddya know? The original flight was available, for $50 less than that next-best flight. That same evening I checked again from my PC. The flight I wanted was not available,so I deleted the cookies for the site and tried again. Voilà! The flight I wanted at the price I wanted. Moral of the story: Clean up your cookies—it could save you money!

— Kelly Malasics
Tagged
Packing
440274

Put a few plastic trash bags in the outer pockets of your suitcases and carry-ons. If you arrive at your destination and it's raining, you can cover your luggage with the bags while you make your way to your hotel. Just cut a slit for handles or straps.

— Barbara Gesse
Tagged
Packing
418277

For overnight flights, pack a few Oral B Brush-Ups in your carry-on. Before the plane lands, you can "brush" your teeth, leaving you refreshed and ready for the day!

— Janice Pruitt Winfrey
Tagged
Planning
394288

If you wait to buy a discount-granting Entertainment Book until around six months before it expires (expiration is usually scheduled for November), you can often buy a $20 to $47 book for as little as $10, plus $5 shipping. Online access to the coupons is sold for $7 a month. These are great for vacations out of town.

— Kitty Bennett
Tagged
Family Travel
413297

When traveling with your kids, give each child his or her own small carry-on bag. Fill it with new, surprise treats to occupy the downtime--layovers, long flights, time in hotels--as well as a few familiar items from home. Include a notebook and encourage your child to keep a travel diary.

— Joan White
Tagged
Technology
466281

Before traveling to any city, do a search on the Internet of the city name and the word "coupon" ("New Orleans coupon"). You will find many sites offering two-for-one, percentage-off, and dollar-off discounts. On a recent trip to St.Louis, we saved $100 at restaurants and attractions.

— Carolyn J. Kubacki
Tagged
Planning
429290

When we visit places we think we might return to, we collect copies of free tourist magazines. At home, we write the address of each magazine on a postcard. Six to eight weeks before our return visit, we send out the cards asking for a current copy. The magazines are full of useful information.

— F. Richard Leininger
Tagged
Planning
450283

When on vacation, I split my cash into envelopes, one per day, so I can keep track of how much I'm spending. If I need to dig into the next day's cash, I'll know that I've overdone it, and if I want to stay on budget, I'll have to cut back the next day. Any money left at the end of the day goes into a separate envelope. I've actually come home with money this way!

— Wendy L. Phiel
Tagged
Packing
394256

Recycle the long plastic bags in which you receive your home-delivered newspapers. Slip your shoes into the bags before packing them in your suitcase.

— Robert E. Jones
Tagged
Safety
489335

Whenever I'm in a country where drinking or brushing my teeth with the tap water is a risk, I cover the faucet handles in my hotel bathroom with a towel. As a result, I never accidentally turn on the faucet when I'm half asleep.

— Denise Crocker
Tagged
Family Travel
586673

At a theme park, tie a brightly colored scarf to the handle of your stroller before you enter a ride. When you return, you'll be able to quickly pick out your stroller from a sea of look-alikes.

— Katrina Shelton
Tagged
Hotels
474349

I was heading to the hotel ice machine when I noticed that our ice bucket was looking very tired and missing its disposable plastic liner. My solution: the shower cap that we never use anyway. In fact, it actually worked better than the liner bag because the elastic band held it in place around the top of the bucket.

— Susan Swickard
Tagged
Planning
386272

Certified scuba divers who take prescription medications should keep a doctor's permission-to-dive statement with their certification cards. On a recent trip to Jamaica, I truthfully completed a lengthy questionnaire about my health, revealing that I have medically controlled high blood pressure and cholesterol. I was told I could not dive without a doctor's OK, even though I exercise regularly, am very fit, and have no other health issues. I now carry a letter from my doctor attesting to my fitness for scuba diving.

— Ginny Ganthner
Tagged
Packing
383298

To ensure the studs of pierced and delicate earrings don't get damaged, I put them in a film canister. An added benefit is that they're less likely to be stolen when left in a suitcase or hotel room, because thieves presume there's nothing inside but film.

— Alison Taylor Fastov
Tagged
Cruises
521679

Don't assume you can save a spot at the pool with your towel. Cruise lines give you one pool towel at the start of the cruise. If you don't have it (or a cleaned trade-in) at the end, you'll get charged. If you let it out of your sight, you run the risk of losing it or having it stolen by a fellow cruiser.

— Martha and Ken Wiseman
Tagged
Loyalty Programs
417269

Sign up for guest programs at every hotel chain that offers one, even if you haven't stayed at that hotel before or think you may not travel enough to reap benefits from multiple stays. Some programs send coupons for discounted rooms or complimentary room upgrades just for being a member. After signing up for the Omni Hotels Select Guest program, I received a coupon that I was able to redeem for a room in Chicago for $80 per night.

— Allison Meyer
Tagged
Safety
484323

Our bags have been stolen twice from inside locked rental cars. Now we travel with a bicycle cable and lock. If we absolutely have to leave our suitcases in the car, I hook them together by the handles and attach the whole thing to the frame of a seat or a secure item in the trunk. Even if thieves manage to get into our car, the cable will make it very difficult for them to make off with the luggage.

— Karen McCarty
Tagged
Air Travel
444326

Though they're often the best deals around, don't assume that packaged vacations always offer the biggest bang for your buck. My wife and I were ready to book an air/hotel package to Maui when we noticed a sale on Aloha Airlines ($280 round trip from Oakland). I added up the total cost of the trip if purchased separately and saved $400 over comparable packages from various tour operators. We used the extra money to stay in a nicer hotel and to rent a convertible!

— Kleem Chaudhary
Tagged
Car Rentals
409279

When parking in a crowded garage, don't settle for the first space available on a lower level. It's probably a half-day hike from the elevator. Instead, drive to the upper levels, where you can usually park right next to the elevator. This tip was very useful in Las Vegas, especially when checking in and out of hotels with our luggage.

— Shane Kays
Tagged
Packing
530659

When traveling in the developing world, I always bring several packets of stickers to give to children. They're wonderful icebreakers.

— Linda Vogel
Tagged
Packing
416280

A beach ball can replace many expensive in-flight gadgets. Depending on how much you inflate it, the ball can function as a very comfortable footrest, a back support, or a lap pillow to support your book.

— Dorothy Vincent
Tagged
Packing
432297

Baby wipes aren't just for babies. Slip a travel-size pack into your carry-on bag and use the wipes to kill germs on public toilet seats and in phone booths. In a pinch, they can also remove stubborn stains from clothing.

— Farrah Farhang
Tagged
Packing
430273

I always pack several tea lights, a small vial of essential oils, and matches. Tea lights, when placed in a water glass for extra safety, banish stale or unpleasant smells in hotel rooms. The essential oils work wonders when a drop is placed on a warm lightbulb.

— Stephanie Hartselle
Tagged
Air Travel
406277

The middle seat isn't always awful. On a recent trip overseas, I called too late to confirm an aisle or window seat. After explaining the plane's AB-CDEFG-HI configuration, the customer service agent urged me to take the very middle seat, E, because D and F have less foot room. (In some rows, there are metal boxes underneath the seats in front of you that house wiring for onboard electronics.) I went along with her advice somewhat skeptically, but I ended up with plenty of room. The people on either side of me weren't so lucky.

— Audrey Ting
Tagged
Cultural Etiquette
469685

My husband and I befriended some locals in Provence by joining them in a game of petanque. It was such a memorable experience that now we brush up on local games each time we plan to travel abroad. We've played dominoes in Spain and bocce in Italy.

— Lesa Porché
Tagged
Planning
565666

While traveling, I love to send postcards to friends--and also to myself. I get the best photo postcard of the place I visited and write down what I did there as a reminder. When I get home, I tape them in my travel journals so I can flip back and forth between the photo and the reverie.

— Kimberly Morgan
Tagged
Packing
436298

Ziploc now makes extra-large bags with handles. They're nearly two feet by two feet, and although Ziploc advertises them as being good for storage, they're also useful for traveling. Bring one on long shopping excursions and then use it as an extra carry-on for souvenirs on the way home.

— Meredith McCulloch
Tagged
Packing
430258

During a visit to Mexico City, I was sitting in a plaza near a fountain, watching the locals stroll around in their Sunday best. Nearby, an older gentleman was playing a concertina; his music perfectly framed the scene. I took lots of pictures, but I didn't have a way to capture that music. Now I pack a small tape recorder along with my camera.

— Kieran Sala

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