From now through August, millions of families travel to vacation at a perennial favorite location: Florida. As a mother of three, I know how fantastic Florida vacations can be. I've had the pleasure of taking my kids down to Disney and Universal, and it was terrific fun. But these days, everyone's on a tight budget. So hitting the theme parks can set you back a pretty penny.

The high cost of theme parks and the growing cost of travel doesn't mean you shouldn't consider a Florida family vacation. Or any other vacation for that matter. Instead, most people who want to vacation this summer should consider some smart ways to travel on a budget. Here are a few travel ideas to get you started.

Cutting Transportation Expenses

First off, realize that you can forgo expensive airline tickets. Why spend roughly $300 each for tickets for a family of four when you can drive more economically?

According to AAA, 32 million travelers took trips away from home this Memorial Day weekend, up 5.4 percent from 2009. Car travel is the most popular way to get around, too, with 87 percent, or 28 million people, getting to their destination by automobile. Since the average family travels a bit more than 600 miles by car for a vacation, even with gas prices at $3 a gallon, driving can be much more cost-effective than flying.Get Those Hotel Deals

Once you're in Florida, or wherever your travel plans take you, another cost to consider is lodging. Your accommodations don't have to blow your budget, if you plan a bit and set some smart parameters, like these do's and don'ts:

-Don't be tied to any one particular hotel chain, unless it's offering a value that beats everyone else.

-Don't forget to comparison shop online, using travel Web sites such as Expedia, Travelocity or Orbitz.

-Do call up hotels you're interested in, and ask if they have any specials not seen online.

-Do consider using a service such as Priceline.com, which offers a "Name Your Own Price" program to get deep discounts off hotel stays.


I love Priceline and use it regularly. Just this week I stayed in Chicago for a speaking engagement. Most really nice hotels were quoting rates of $239 per night and up. My husband Earl and I always see where we can get travel deals. So we bid $100 a night for a 4-star property using Priceline -- and our bid was accepted. I wound up at the Omni, a gorgeous all-suites property for just a fraction of what others had paid. I've done the same thing during trips to Florida, Texas, California and elsewhere. So I can honestly say that when Priceline users report getting 50% off published rates, it's the real deal.

Low-Cost Recreation

Finally, let's say you are taking a trip to Florida. Perhaps your family has its sights set on Orlando, which is popular with the kids. Do you really have to do the Disney or Universal Studios thing? Again, nothing against those places, because I've been to both parks and they're wonderful. But if you're on a really tight travel budget this year, you may have to forgo the theme parks. Not to worry. You can still have a blast.

Consider free or cheaper alternatives, like local parks, museums, the Orlando Science Center, or Gatorland -- a unique attraction sure to please your kids. They'll pass through a huge alligator head as you entire the site, you can be a trainer for the day and take care of reptiles and your children can go to the alligator petting zoo and touch any creature they choose.

So my point is simply this: You can get out a bit and travel without worrying about putting yourself in the poorhouse. Staycations are great. But nothing beats exploring and venturing out when you have a hankering to travel.

---

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, an award-winning financial news journalist and former Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, has been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Times, as well as magazines ranging from Essence and Redbook to Black Enterprise and Smart Money. Check out her New York Times best seller 'Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom.'