My #1 tip, follow the fare. We go where its cheap, which means usually in the off-season, like Phoenix in summer, Canada in the winter and Florida in May/September, and we always still have a great time. My #2 tip I've learned, is not to be too cheap. I used to make the mistake of traveling for an hour after arriving at our destination for a free/cheap hotel, I've learned when you do that same thing with every aspect of your vacation its not much of a vacation at all.