Family vacations: Top 10 budget travel tips

If you’ve resolved to save money this year but still long for a fun family vacation, don’t despair. This list of budget-friendly travel tips will have you packing your bags in no time.

1. Take a road trip. Skip the airfare and explore a city in your own backyard. Or, try a long weekend at an indoor water park resort as a splashy substitute a beach vacation.

2. Vacation rentals are a great cost-saving alternative if you need multiple rooms and want all the comforts of home. You could get a 4-bedroom, 3-bath townhome in Kissimmee, Florida, starting at $61/night in February.

3. Disney vacations: Theme parks in Orlando and Anaheim are offering free admission on your birthday in 2009. Disney cruises also is running a “kids sail free” promotion applicable to the spring break season.

4. Book your flight + hotel together to get access to discounted rates you wouldn’t find booking separately. Plus, many hotels have special offers, like free breakfast, “kids stay free” programs, and discounts.

5. Family cruises. The per-night cost, which includes meals and on-board activities, is often cheaper than traditional resorts. Plus the variety of age-appropriate activities means you’ll never hear “I’m bored.”

6. Explore all-inclusive resorts: One payment covers lodging, meals, activities, taxes, tips, entertainment & more.

7. GoCards/CityPasses: Purchase a pass to multiple attractions in one city. Not only is it a bargain and guaranteed admission, but you usually get to skip the line too. (You can find GoCards and CityPasses under the Activities tab on Orbitz.)

8. If you have amembership to a children’s museum or art museum near home, see if there are exchange privileges at a museum in your destination.

9. Try an off-season destination, where there are fewer crowds and lower travel costs. Try a spring ski vacation, for example, to enjoy the peaks without peak prices.

10. Choose a destination where the dollar dominates — or at least stretches a bit further.

Related Orbitz resources: