The internet is an incredibly powerful tool for gathering info and planning vacations. Before the internet, we were forced to rely on travel agencies and brochures. Now we shop, compare, gather info, and gather coupons in just minutes.

Here are some tips:

Disneyland or Disney World:
If you go to eBay, you will find a number of ebooks on how to save on a Disney Vacation. These ebooks are typically around $5. That is well worth the great info inside. For Disneyland, we recommend an ebook by waltzzworld. The book explains how to buy and sell park tickets at discounts, how to get free parking, free drink refills, discounted merchandise, and much more.
www.ebay.com- Click on the link and search for "disneyland guide"

When searching for hotels, use an online service such as hotels.com, travelocity, or priceline. You can save a lot of money, and it is easy to shop and compare a large number of hotels in a short period of time.


CheapTickets Home Page


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Hotels.com


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Priceline.com - no one deals like we do!


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Orbitz Family Sale: SAVE 10% on 2+ night hotel stays! Expires July 31.


Top Destination for hotels!
www.travelocity.com

When shopping on Travelocity or other sites, you can get substantial discounts for purchasing your airfare, room, and rental car at the same time. On rare occasions, the price for air plus a room can be less than the price for air only. Be sure to check it out.

If you have a tricky itinerary, or just want someone else to do the leg work for you to find the best deals, try Tripology.


Connect with Travel Agents

If you are looking for a vacation package, or you want to get some ideas of places to go. We found that SouthWest Vacations is a great site. Southwest has combined their low cost airfare with some great travel packages. Check out their destinations, and great low prices. www.SouthwestVacations.com

If you just need to rent-a-car for a short trip, do the math to see if renting a car, including filling it up with gas at the end of the trip, is worth the expense of taking your own vehicle. Most (if not all) rent-a-car companies will tell you the gas mileage of their rentals, and depending on what kind of vehicle you own, it might just make more sense to rent a car than use your own when going on a short trip.


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We also have used the train as gas prices have gone up, up, up!
Your children will have "wiggle-room" and you can have a little breathing room as you take just about the same time to get to a destination using the train than driving.
Try www.amtrak.com to get prices for train trips.
Just be aware that at the end of most of the destinations, you will have to get from the train station to your final stop, by either renting a car, taking a taxi, or taking the bus.
Don't forget the child seat!

TIP -- If you know that you will be traveling to a particular city or area, check out their website ahead of time. Contact the visitors bureau ahead of time. You can often times get coupon books and offers sent to you in the mail. These discount offers can include restaurant discounts, show discounts, souvenir discounts, and much more. Their travel info can give you the chance to plan out your trip before you get there, and make the most of your vacation. This especially works well for big travel destinations such as Las Vegas, Orlando, and Southern California.