Save On Summer Travel

Millions of Americans are feeling the itch to travel this summer, but they're also feeling the pinch of high gas prices.

So, Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen had some great tips Thursday on how to plan a vacation that won't break the bank.

She obseved that, with gas prices as "outrageous" as they are, "You want to find out how much it will cost to take a road trip this summer. There are a couple Web sites you should head to, where you can actually calculate how much it will cost you in gas to go from point A to point B.

"The two Web sites that I really like are RoadTripAmerica.com -- and the other one is a site by AAA called FuelCostCalculator.com.

"I used that AAA site to plan a mock trip to go from New York City to Pittsburgh to go visit my in-laws. ... Seven-hundred-twenty-four miles round trip. The cost -- $103.68.

"You really can get an idea. Is it going to cost me a lot to travel by car? Should I fly? You get an indication if you use those sites."

Koeppen added that many bed-and-breakfasts are offering incentives to take a road trip and stay with them.

"Before you book at a hotel room or stay at a B&B," Koeppen advised, "ask if they have a gas-saver program. There's a program called Tanks a Lot. ... If you go to BedAndBreakfast.com, you can look for all these different B&Bs across the country that are part of this program.

"They basically give you money to drive there to stay. There's this one B&B in Texas called Biscuit Hill -- if you ask when you book your room for the gas price-saver, you'll get $25 off your rate."

If you decide to fly somewhere, Koeppen continued, "You have to pack light because airlines are charging more for extra bags and charging more for heavy bags. So pack light."

Koeppen says there are also ways to get financial aid and special discounts so your kdis can attend summer camp programs. You can learn about them at CampParents.org.