My husband grew up in central Pennsylvania, and his family still lives there. As such, we spend part of each holiday season in the Keystone State. The fact that my husband went to school in Pittsburgh and still has family there, however, doesn’t change the fact that I’ve still never been to Pittsburgh.

Whenever we fly back east for the holidays, we almost always end up flying into the Baltimore or DC area as opposed to Pennsylvania, because it’s not as far to drive. That’s one of the things that’s hard for people not used to the small size of eastern states to wrap their heads around, but it’s so easy to drive across several state borders in a day that the nearest airport to your house is just as likely to be in another state as it is to be in your own.

But I digress.

Most of the time when you hear about tourism in Pennsylvania, it’s centered around Philadelphia and all the U.S. history there. I’ve not been to Philly, either, but though I’d like to visit I’m slightly more intrigued by Pittsburgh. Sure, that’s partly because of my husband’s connection with the city, but from what I’ve heard (from him and others) it bears some striking resemblances to a city I know and love – Portland.

Mainly, it’s the rivers running right through downtown that make it look like a city I could spend time in. I know it’s not the ocean, but I like being close to water. So Pittsburgh’s got that going for it. Plus, like Portland, it’s not exactly a tourist hotspot. Yes, there are plenty of great reasons to visit and lots of things to do and see there, but it doesn’t have the same level of famous sights that Philadelphia does and so doesn’t attract the same number of visitors.

Although I still won’t be looking for flights to Pittsburgh for our annual holiday trek, since the DC-area airports are still much closer to my in-laws’ home, perhaps one of these days I’ll make it a point to plan a trip to PA for something other than the holidays so I can visit all the places I keep hearing about but that we never have time to squeeze in.

Of course, if my in-laws get word that I’m anywhere near them – even if it is much further to drive and nowhere near their home – I have no doubt that I’ll get there only to find that they’ve pulled the minivan into Pittsburgh airport parking and are waiting for me. Then I’ll just have to convince them I’m staying in Pittsburgh and not heading back home with them.

Right. Because that’s an easy thing to do… So, anyone got a plan B?

After having traveled so much in “The West” it sometimes feels like I’m starting to run out of places to visit, which is one reason why I’m starting to find “The East” more appealing. When I say the east in this case I’m speaking from the Western European perspective, meaning on the other side of what was once the Iron Curtain.

The two largest and most notorious cities that were communist are Moscow and Berlin, although of course I know that Berlin was slightly more than half controlled by the Allied forces, so only half the city was truly communist.

These cities have grown even farther apart since the Iron Curtain disappeared around 1990, and now Berlin is one of the most exciting and vibrant European cities of all, while Moscow is still struggling to get any kind of tourism boom started. Let’s look at each of them, shall we?

Berlin

The very fact that half the city was controlled by communists has actually turned into a great thing for tourists. These days the former East Berlin is filled with affordable hotels, partly due to there being so many under used and abandoned buildings left over from the heyday. Generally speaking cheap hotels in Berlin are easy to find, but the ones in the East tend to be lower priced than ones in the West. Most backpacker types and independent travelers much prefer the East anyway, so this is a good thing.

Getting there can be a bit expensive at times though. You are certainly aware that Germany’s busiest airport, by far, is the one in Frankfurt, so air tickets to Berlin are usually more expensive than those to Frankfurt. If the difference is significant when you check you can consider taking a train to Berlin from Frankfurt, but generally the price is close enough that you won’t have to bother. If you pay close attention and you have time to play with then finding cheap tickets to any of these cities shouldn’t be too tough.

Moscow

As mentioned up top, Moscow is still struggling in a lot of areas in the tourism realm. It often tops the list of the most expensive cities on earth, which is shocking since incomes there are still very low compared to every other city on the list, and facilities are usually said to be poor in the moderate price ranges. Hotels in Russia are generally very expensive new places or more affordable places from the Soviet era that really show their age. If you are a backpacker then this might be okay for you, but if you are used to 2-star hotels in the US then you’ll have to pay quite a bit to get that quality level in most bigger cities in Russia.

Getting there is actually cheaper than most people realize. Airfare to Moscow is often cheaper than airfare to Western Europe if you can find a promotion running when you are ready to book. For example, I just found a round trip from Portland to Moscow for around US$650 total, with only one stop in Washington DC in each direction. It’s a bit more expensive to fly to London from here now, and definitely more expensive to reach Paris or Amsterdam.

The majority of Caribbean vacation packages include the round trip flight from Miami into the Caribbean destination and even those planning their vacations independently choose one of the large airports in Florida to fly from, and Miami is definitely the preferred one.

But you should know that there are several other airports which can be used to fly into the Caribbean, whether you want to visit Mexico or a more exotic island. Depending on where you live, it might be cheaper to travel to either Phoenix or Houston and then catch the flight to your dream vacation.

PHX flights are available from all major US cities so you won’t have a problem catching a flight into Phoenix. The city is served by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the main gateway into the state of Arizona. It is the primary hub for US Airways and a major hub for Southwest Airlines and Great Lakes Airlines. Two more airports serve the city, so there are plenty of choices when you need to find a flight into Phoenix.

Should you decide to drive to Phoenix, it’s important to know that Phoenix airport parking is affordable and can be booked online. So you can leave your car here until you come from your vacation.

Another option is to find flights to Houston and then travel from here to the Caribbean. The city is served by two airports. The biggest of them is George Bush Intercontinental Airport, located 23 miles north of downtown. It is a hub for Continental Airlines, so make sure to look at their flights before you check other offers.

Just like in the case of PHX airport, you can book Houston airport parking online if you choose to drive to the airport and need a safe place for your vehicle until you come from your vacation.

In either case, make sure to plan to arrive in the city at least a day earlier than the day of your flight to the Caribbean. And that means you need to book a hotel. For example, you can easily find cheap Houston hotels right by the airport, especially if you don’t plan to do much sightseeing in the city. Likewise, in Phoenix you can choose to stay close to the airport and save money on accommodation.

No matter how much fun you’re planning to have on your vacation, no amount of guidebook-reading can prepare you if something terrible happens while you’re away from home. It’s something most of us don’t (or don’t want to) think about, but the truth is that people do get into accidents, get hurt, and even die while on vacation. And because it only takes a few minutes of research to feel prepared to handle unfortunate travel incidents, it’s something we should all do.

Whereas booking international air tickets has become something most of us are familiar with, buying travel health insurance is still a mystery to many people. Certainly, there are lots of things to consider when you’re researching travel insurance, but there are also tools that will help you find the right policy for you depending on the trip you’re taking.

Here are some comparison charts for travel medical insurance and trip protection insurance that will help you understand the differences between insurance policies and providers. It’s easy to rule some of them out immediately, as some are only applicable to residents of the U.S. or specifically applicable to non-U.S. residents. Some policies focus more on adventure trips that include what the insurance industry calls “extreme” sports or activities (say, for instance, if you’re going to climb Kilimanjaro) while others are more geared toward package tourists who just want to make sure they don’t lose their non-refundable deposits on things like cruises.

Perhaps the thing we want to think about the least is someone dying while on vacation – and although it’s not likely to happen, that doesn’t mean it’s not something worth preparing for. There’s accidental death insurance available for just this purpose.

One of the things most people don’t realize when they hear about travel insurance is just how inexpensive it is – and I’m not even talking about the “relative” expense of the cost of your trip vs. the cost of insurance, or the cost of paying for an ER visit vs. the cost of insurance. I’m talking about the cost of insurance on its own, which is really cheap. Of course, you can choose a lower deductible, which will cost a little more, but it’s still unbelievably inexpensive to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re taken care of if something bad happens while you’re away from home.

If you listen to enough old-time backpacker types you’ll certainly hear many of them say something about how “Prague is beautiful, but it’s really crowded and expensive now.” Well, compared to how things were maybe 15 or 20 years ago that’s certainly true, but don’t let these relative comparisons keep you from actually checking the place out for yourself.

Getting there is the only expensive part

We’ll discuss food, drinks and hotels below, but this is really the part that you have to be concerned about. The truth is that flights to Prague do tend to be a bit expensive compared to other popular European cities. This is partly due to the fact that there are no major airlines that use Prague as a hub in the way that London, Paris, Rome, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam all have them.

Still, the prices tend to be only $100 or $200 more than flying into Frankfurt, so for the convenience of getting all the way there at once it’s not bad, and things after this are cheap anyway. The other option you might consider is flying into either Frankfurt or Berlin and then taking the train the rest of the way. Berlin is a bit closer to Prague, but flights to Frankfurt tend to be cheaper, so you’ll have to see what fares are like on the dates you plan on going.

Hotels are still fairly cheap

For the longest time everyone has been saying that everything in Prague is cheap except for a place to sleep, but even that isn’t completely true. I’ve just checked a cheap hotel in Prague is easy to find, as long as you are willing to stay a bit outside the city center. I just checked for mid January, which is certainly the low season, but still I’m finding many decent looking choices for around US$20 per night for the whole room, not just for a bed in a dorm.

It’s true that most of these hotels are on the outskirts of town, but it’s also true that Prague has a very cheap and efficient tram system, so within maybe 20 minutes you’ll be in the main city square. You could also pay US$60 per night for a room overlooking the main square, and if you have that much money it might be worth it. But if your budget is tight you can still enjoy Prague.

Food is damn cheap in Prague

I consider myself an expert on budget travel, and part of that is not getting caught up in the flight and hotel prices alone. One thing you may have heard about Prague is that you can get some of the world’s finest beer for under US$1 per pint, and that’s still true today. You can eat hearty local dishes for around US$10 per day total if you are careful where you go and what you order.

The city is loaded with free things to do and see, so once you pay for your flight and room you can actually eat and drink and have a great time for maybe US$20 per day or even a bit less. So if your flight costs an extra US$100 you can still enjoy a cheap trip overall if you watch everything else.

When I’m in the mood to annoy people it usually doesn’t take much prompting to get me to admit that I’ve been to about 45 different countries and even 47 of the US states, but as you might expect, those numbers can be more than a little misleading. It’s true that I’ve criss-crossed the USA by car about 6 or 7 times, and actually stopped off in every state except North Dakota, Alaska, and Hawaii, but there are still loads of places I’ve missed, and soon my trip to Houston will take care of one of those major holes.

I’ve had a cousin and her husband living in Houston for about 20 years now, and they’ve always said I’m welcome to stay with them, but I for one am never too comfortable staying with relatives that I don’t see too often. And besides, staying with relatives usually means staying out in some suburban area that doesn’t help you get to know the actual city much anyway.

So I’m actually going

Since actually flying to Asia or Europe is so expensive with all the baggage fees and whatnot, I decided to figure out which American cities I’ve neglected for far too long, and Houston was at the top of that list. From my home in Portland, Oregon I noticed that flights to Houston are cheaper than I would have guessed, and the better news is that nonstop flights between these cities leave several times per day, thanks to Continental Airlines.

I’m going to stay with my relatives for a few days, but even they understand that it wouldn’t be a good idea for the whole stay. I’m also thrilled to discover that hotels in Houston, Texas are great bargains as well. Checking for the second week in January, 2010, I see that there are dozens of choices for under $50 per night. These are 2 and 3-star chain hotels too, not some dump where they rent rooms by the hour on weekends.

And a side trip

I know it’ll be off-season in January, but I’m also going to check out Galveston. There’s something about islands that I find strangely appealing, and thanks to it being the cold season it means that cheap hotels in Galveston are easy to find. Again, there are dozens of choices starting under $50 per night, and I’d guess that most of them will be so empty that I’ll be able to get an upgraded or deluxe room for the same price once I check in.

Galveston is only about 50 miles from the center of Houston, so I could easily stay in Houston and just drive down there a couple times, but it’s precisely because it’ll be empty and kind of eery feeling that I’ll want to actually stay on the island. I don’t think the weather there is terrible, even in January, so hopefully I’ll be able to walk around and see the place even if it’s a bit chilly.

Needless to say, I’ll report back here on this blog when I return.

How mad can you be to plan a family vacation around the world? After all, the idea of a family vacation conjures a nightmare car rides (to visit the grandparents, of course), a visit to Disneyland, a beach resort vacation or, if you are brave, a family cruise… That’s what most people think of when they plan a family vacation. But you are not “most people”, are you?

Now that we decided that you are not mad (or trying to kill your kids), it’s time to start looking at those international flights and make some plans. Where to start from? Whatever is cheaper and closest to your point of departure, of course!

Europe – excellent first stop

The Old Continent is filled with incredible places to visit, no matter what you are interested in. You can start by flying into London and visiting the British capital for couple of days. Then, look for cheap tickets to Germany and explore this interesting country. Berlin has changed a lot over the years and is the perfect place to try to understand both the Western and Eastern Europe. And while you are at it, take a train ride to Vienna. It’s a very interesting place and you are guaranteed to fall in love with it.

Asia – the saga continues

There are several countries in Asia which deserve quite a bit of attention. China is definitely one of them and is the excellent choice for families with children. They can experience thousands of years of history along with the interesting cuisine. Then there’s Thailand, the country loved by budget travelers. And is also the place where you can learn a lot about other religions and explore the stunning temples.

Now look for cheap airline tickets to India . People either love or hate this country and is a daring adventure to take the children here. But with careful planning (and that includes travel insurance), you can enjoy the interesting country and even leave with beautiful memories.

Australia – unique landscapes and cuddly koalas

Remember how you sighed when you saw that documentary about koalas? Then what are you waiting for? Hop on a flight to Australia and explore the beautiful continent. Don’t miss checking out the wildlife, of course.

Africa – why not?

Safari anyone? Then make sure to put Africa on your travel plans. You can visit all the zoos in the world and it still won’t be the same as seeing the animals in their natural habitat, which makes a trip to Africa really worth while.

South America – lost civilizations

Learning about the Mayan civilization is fascinating and when you happen to visit some of the sacred Mayan sites, it’s even better. Take into account if your kids can handle trekking and also consider a short jungle hike, for a really different experience.

The response to my survey about where I should go on my upcoming vacation has been amazing, so thank you all for participating. I can’t reveal which destination is in the lead at the moment, and it may not even matter anymore now that I’ve caught wind of some incredible deals to Hawaii in the coming months.

As fans of the island chain certainly know, it’s popular all year but it is most crowded around Christmas and in the weeks after that. Last winter there were some jawdropping deals that were like half the price of what they were charging the winter before, and it now appears that these offers will be back again for this winter season.

Are you kidding me with this price?

This morning I spotted a deal that includes roundtrip flights from Los Angeles to Honolulu plus 3 nights at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani for $399! I have to admit that I’ve never even been to Hawaii (yet) much less to the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, but I can tell a nice hotel just by its name, and this is a pretty nice hotel.

It seems that cheap flights to Hawaii are going to be the norm again for the next year or so. Since I’ve never been there I’ve been keeping track of the prices of flights, and it was very common for the best price on a roundtrip from Los Angeles to Honolulu to be around $600. Again, that’s just for the flight alone! Hotels, I also know from experience looking around, would normally start around $150 per night for the cheap ones on the beach, and go way up from there. So for 3 nights, two people would spend a minimum of $450 just on the hotel part, and probably around $1,200 for the flights if they got a good deal.

Now instead of paying $1,650 per couple it’s more like $800 per couple, plus a few small fees that aren’t bundled into that price. So, ummm, half price Hawaii? Why not?

Finding even better places to stay

One other benefit from working in the travel industry is that just in my day-to-day activities I stumble upon the best places to research things to do on my trips. In this case I didn’t have to look very far, since BootsnAll has its own Hawaii travel guide, and it’s damn good and written by experts.

People say that Oahu, which is where Honolulu is located, is perhaps the worst island to visit, since it’s the one with all the people. I’m also thinking about Maui instead for that reason. I know it won’t be nearly as cheap, but I’m told it’s much closer to the bit of paradise that I am kind of hoping for. There are these great hotels around Lahaina that all look amazing, and as long as I get a cheap flight I think the extra money is probably worth it.

I’ve decided to try something a bit different this year, as I finally am able to plan my upcoming and much-needed vacation. I’m going to let the dedicated readers of this site help me decide exactly where to go, based on the three choices I’m considering.

One thing that may surprise some people out there is that I’m only considering places I’ve already visited before. I know, most people know me as someone who is always looking for that next place, but when you’ve been to so many countries already it gets more difficult to find something new. Actually, there are still way over 100 countries I’ve yet to visit, but I only have about 2 weeks to spend this year and I don’t want to take the chance of going someplace that might not agree with me.

It’s true that any of us can find redeeming qualities in just about any destination, but as an example I did my first trip to Asia about 10 years ago and I visited Tokyo (loved it), Singapore (loved it), Hong Kong (disappointed), and Bali (loved it). The thing is, when you only have one trip per year, you don’t want to risk going someplace like Hong Kong that disappoints.

Ground rules: I’m starting from Portland, OR, and have 2 weeks to spend

Destination 1 – London

I’ve been to London about 20 times at this point (no exaggeration) and I still always find new things to do. The main motivation of my travel to London this time is that I really want to see things outside the capital, which is something I’ve neglected on almost all my previous trips. The good part is that flights to London tend to be cheap, compared to anywhere else in Europe or even in Asia, but then again you have to deal with Heathrow and all that, which isn’t fun.

I’d spend maybe 2 or 3 days actually in London on this trip, and then take a train out west, perhaps all the way to Wales, and then up north through Manchester and Liverpool and Newcastle. I’ve spent some time in Newcastle before, around one hour to be exact, when I had to change trains going from London to Edinburgh last year. My main concern is that it’ll all be expensive, even though it should be a bit cheaper than actually staying in London.

Destination 2 – Amsterdam

Here’s another one I’ve been to more times than I can count. I actually lived there for a while as well, so I have some friends there and I know my way around with my eyes shut. The main reason to travel to Amsterdam would be something motivated from a scene in Pulp Fiction. Not the one at the beginning about the Amsterdam French fries, but the one later where the Uma Thurmon character says she likes to spend a week or two there each year just to chill out.

It would be hard to find a place anywhere else in the world that was as modern and friendly and also as laid back that town. The cheap hotels in Amsterdam have gotten noticeably cheaper this past year, and I think the price of space cakes has stayed about the same. It’s a winning combination, although when I’m about to leave it always seems like the time has gone by in a blur.

Destination 3 – Bali

Okay, this is really the one I’m leaning to, partly because I’m a big cheapskate. The whole trick about travel to Bali is to not let the high airfare get to you, since once you arrive nearly everything else is crazy cheap. At the moment it looks like the plane ticket would cost about $400 more than either of the other two destinations, but remember this is for two weeks. So I’d spend about 12 full days there (not including the flight time, of course), and that means the extra flight cost adds up to about $33 per day.

Does $33 per day extra sound like a lot to you? Yes, it does to me too, but the thing is you can find decent hotels in Bali starting around US$10 per night, and damn nice hotels starting around US$25 per night. In London or Amsterdam I’d be looking at a minimum of about US$70 per night for a hotel, and especially in London, that would be a shitbox and/or in a far-off neighborhood like Hammersmith or near the damn airport.

Meals in Bali are also crazy cheap, in spite of the great quality and high standards of hygiene. You can eat 3 meals plus have a few giant bottles of beer for way under US$20 per day, even in nice places. In London just getting a cheese and mayonnaise sandwich will set you back about US$7.

Hmmm…I think I’ve decided already, but I’d still love votes from readers of this site. Leave you suggestion in the comments below, and I’ll go to the most popular choice.

When it comes to spending a romantic exotic vacation, many places offer something special. While for the Europeans, the Caribbean is definitely an exotic place, most travelers would characterize both Philippines and Indonesia as exotic destinations. But what if you need to choose between those two?

Finding the flight

Start by browsing the airfare deals available. You can find a lot of interesting destinations at very affordable prices. Although, in most cases, you’ll be forced to leave on a particular date or the offer ends before you plan to leave.

Then, look for flights into major airports in the areas you plan to spend your vacation. Since you eventually have to choose one of the two destinations, compare the prices, for flights departing from the same city.

Philippine Airlines flies from Los Angeles and Las Vegas into Manila, which means the airfare to Manila will be cheap if you fly from either of those two cities and you’ll probably be able to find some good deals as well. A round trip flight (from LAX) in early November costs about $920 (all taxes included).

On the other hand, if you look for flights to Bali departing from the same airport and for the same period, you’ll be paying more (starting from $1060 per person).

How about the place to stay?

The bulk of the travel budget is made up by the airfare, but the accommodation also needs to be considered. If you are planning an exotic romantic escape, you’d probably want to stay away from the capital and head to a more remote place.

If you do choose to stay in Manila, the hotel prices are very affordable. You can stay in a 5-star hotel for prices starting at $115 per night in a superior room. So for 7 nights you’ll pay $805. But you also need to consider the cost of eating out.

As for staying in Bali, there are numerous resorts to choose from although if your budget is not too big, you should consider looking for 3-star or 4-star resorts. Expect to pay about $630 for 7 nights in a 4-star spa with breakfast included. So you need to consider the cost of eating out at lunch and dinner.

A conclusion

Even if the airfare to Bali is higher than the one to Manila, if you manage to find an affordable hotel, over all, you’ll be paying about the same price, regardless of where you plan to go. Plus, once in Manila, you’ll most likely want to check out some of the remote islands, which will only add to the cost of your vacation.

Ultimately, it depends on what your expectations are. If you want a romantic getaway, just to relax and be pampered, a spa in Bali is the best choice; but if you get bored staying in a resort near the beach, then it’s a good idea to plan for a more active getaway.