From 
Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
TwitThis
- 9 Ways to Get Your Vacation for Less
- 6 Secret Ways to Save on Your Next Vacation
- Money and Time-Saving Tips for Visiting Theme Parks
- Tips for Traveling With Your Pet
- 3 Great Deals to Mexico
Pack your bags. Hold the mail. It's time to turn your dream vacation into a real trip. "I haven't seen a buyers' market like this in 25 years," says travel expert Peter Greenberg. "Everything is on sale, whether it's advertised or not." Even the high end of the market is quietly offering add-ons: a free night here, a spa pass there.
In a bad economy, this qualifies as good news for many. A recent Reader's Digest poll shows that 58 percent of Americans are planning to take a family vacation. And almost 75 percent of them are traveling more than 250 miles from home, with nearly half budgeting at least $1,000 for the trip.
We asked 25 travel experts—who've been there, done that—for their ideas on where to go and how to get the most mileage out of each dollar. Whether you want to fly across the country or drive across the state line, here are destinations that offer plenty to do (or not much at all, if you prefer), along with advice on plotting the ultimate getaway and a last-minute escape.
BEST BIG CITIES
For anyone who can't bear to sit still, big cities are the best bet for weekend trips. Zero in on cities that attract business travelers during the week—New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco. The big-name hotels empty out on the weekends and will give leisure travelers a better deal, says Peter J. Frank, editor in chief of concierge.com.
Chicago, Illinois: "One of America's best-looking urban centers, especially in the spring and summer. Take a docent-led cruise (tickets start at $28; architecture.org) and see more than 50 awe-inspiring skyscrapers and other architectural sites. Spend a sunny day in Millennium Park, or consider an indulgent evening at Grant Achatz's Alinea restaurant in Lincoln Park. It's a 12-course extravaganza for $145."
--Heidi Mitchell, features and travel editor, Town & Country
Las Vegas, Nevada: "It's never been so easy to score a deal on the Strip. Five-star resorts are marked down to three-star prices. The Trump International Hotel is offering a package through June called the Suite Escape. Book a luxury suite for $89 a night at trumplasvegashotel.com and get a $50 spa credit. The three-star Palace Station Hotel and Casino has rates as low as $24 per night."
--Nina Willdorf, editor in chief, Budget Travel
Montreal and Quebec, Canada: "Can't afford the City of Light this year? Consider Quebec and Montreal. They're Paris in North America, at one fourth the price."
--Pauline Frommer, creator, Pauline Frommer's guidebooks
Nashville, Tennessee: "Everyone thinks of Nashville as honky-tonk, and yes, that still exists in spades, but it has this incredible emerging food scene with restaurants like Bound'ry, which offers lobster BLT pizza and grilled ostrich. And in newish neighborhoods like East Nashville, there are terrific galleries: The Plowhaus and the Art & Invention Gallery are just two."
--Norman Vanamee, editor in chief, Sherman's Travel
New York, New York: "It's the best place for immigration history. My family chose the living history tour at the Tenement Museum and assumed the identity of newly arrived immigrants visiting a 14-year-old Sephardic Jewish girl, played by an actress. We stayed in character, asking her about adjusting to life on the Lower East Side. My kids (they're 10 and 11) were riveted. Be sure to get your tickets for the ferry to Ellis Island in advance—or risk waiting in line up to three hours."
--Mindy Goldenberg Valenci, co-owner, Family Traveler
San Francisco, California: "It's rare for a major city to have such a spectacular physical setting—the views of the bay from the hills and the Ferry Building Marketplace are stunning. It's also a compact, walkable city (those hills notwithstanding) with great museums. The new California Academy of Sciences building in Golden Gate Park features an aquarium, a planetarium, and a four-story rain forest. Go early! There's also a long tradition of Bay Area bands (the Grateful Dead got its start here). Check out the Fillmore and Bottom of the Hill. And it's an exceptional food city, with great eateries like Michael Mina and Restaurant Gary Danko—named after their chefs—and the pleasures of picking oysters at the counter of Swan Oyster Depot in Nob Hill."
--Laurie Werner, contributing editor, ForbesLife
Seattle, Washington: "Three national parks protect the city's natural beauty. It's so enchanting that an entire vacation can be built on side trips. On the other hand, the city proper is brimming with fantastic restaurants and compelling sights. Seattle is a best-of-both-worlds destination. Fresh-caught Dungeness crab at McCormick & Schmick's delicious. A day amid the fragrant wildflowers on Mount Rainier—intoxicating."
--Eric Wechter, editor, Fodor's Travel guidebooks and fodors.com
Portland, Oregon: "The International Rose Test Garden is the one place I never tire of visiting. It easily represents what the whole city of Portland is about—it's green, friendly, and laid-back. There are over 10,000 rosebushes, and because it's a test garden, the public has never seen many of these 550 varieties. The Rose Festival is one of the biggest celebrations in the city and runs May 22 to June 14."
--Patricia Schultz, author, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die series
GREAT SMALL TOWNS
"Some Americans are putting off long-haul travel in favor of visiting destinations in neighboring states—sometimes for the first time," says Daniel Levine, executive director of the Avant-Guide Institute in New York. It's the perfect time to slow down and enjoy the pleasures of small towns.
Baja California Sur, Mexico: "This is a terrific last-minute destination because airlines frequently offer discounted flights. My husband, my toddler son, and I recently flew to Cabo San Lucas from LAX for $250 and drove from there to Todos Santos, an artsy little beach community. We had a blast and spent less than $100 in four days on food and shopping."
--Kimberly Lisagor, coauthor, Disappearing Destinations
Door County, Wisconsin: "Known for its cherries, this gem sits on a peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan. Stay at the little inns in Egg Harbor or Sister Bay, explore lighthouses, and gather shells on windswept beaches. It's called the Cape Cod of the Midwest and has its own version of the New England clambake: the fish boil. Whitefish, potatoes, and onions are heated in a kettle over an outdoor fire. Once the water boils, the chef tosses kerosene on the fire. When the flames die down, the meal is ready."
--Laura Begley, deputy editor, Travel + Leisure
Michigan's Upper Peninsula: "It's rustic and relaxing. Towns like Marquette are a step back in time. It's never hot, and you get a real Yooper flavor (residents are called U-Pers—get it?). Don't miss the tasty pasties (that's a Cornish meat pie, not a typo). Munising is the gateway to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, an ideal spot for hiking."
--Todd Dulaney, editor, AAA Living
On the road: "Take what I call a one-tank trip, itineraries you can plan on a tank of gas. Cincinnati, Ohio, to Louisville, Kentucky, is about 100 miles. Along the way, you'll see Churchill Downs, the Louisville Slugger Museum, and the Kentucky Speedway."
--Peter Greenberg
Bisbee, Arizona: "Spend the night at the Shady Dell trailer park in a 1949 Airstream, have breakfast at Dot's Diner, then check out the rest of this historic copper-mining town."
--Laura Begley
Advertisement 
