Family-friendly getaways

1 Ask for a mini-refrigerator: You can store breakfast fixings and restaurant leftovers.

2 Get on a list: Whether it's a hotel, airline or cruise line, people who sign up for frequent-guest or frequent-flier programmes and email alerts get the deals first. Just by belonging to a loyalty programme, you can get a lot of respect at the front desk, including upgrades.

3 Watch for freebies: Breakfast, resort credits, kids-eat-free and other specials can subtract hundreds from your vacation budget.

4 Book early: Last-minute deals are great for people who can go off-season or don't much care whether they get two rooms or four berths or two beds. As a family, that's probably not you. To get what you want, when you want and at an affordable price, plan ahead.

5 Check out free attractions: For example, in Washington, entry is free at more than a dozen Smithsonian Institution facilities, including the National Zoo, National Air and Space Museum and National Museum of Natural History. In London, most major museums and art galleries, including the British Museum, are free to visit. Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo is also a worthy freebie.

6 Look for something new to do at old, familiar places: Liven up a visit to see family with a side trip to a park or attraction you have not been to before. The newly updated book, Off the Beaten Path, which contains maps, has scores of ideas and tells whether you can expect an admission charge.

7 Book a package: With air fares, hotel and rental car wrapped together, you can shave costs. The reason? Sellers don't have to disclose who gave the discount, so they can keep advertising higher rates to the general public.

8 Travel midweek to resort locations: Rooms that go for hundreds on weekends often sit vacant on weekdays and are discounted by 20 per cent or more.

9 Stay in business destinations during weekends: When the road warriors go home, hotel prices sometimes drop, making them affordable, although often slightly off the beaten path.

10 Consider a hostel: These budget, dorm-like accommodations aren't just for starving students anymore. Many now offer family rooms; some even have private baths.

11 Take the train: Sleeping accommodations aren't cheap but you can avoid them by snoozing in your seat or, better yet, taking day trips.

12 Consider “attractions cards'': Smart Destinations (www.smartdestinations.com) lets you buy a card with many attractions (Go Card) or a card with three attractions (Explorer Pass). These are available for most major cities and can be bought online.

13 Look for coupon codes: For attractions, Google the name of the place and “coupon code'' or “discount''. Such a tactic recently uncovered a two-for-one admission — now expired — at Washington's National Museum of Crime & Punishment that took nearly $20 (Dh73) off the adult admission price.

14 Check bargain email newsletters: SmarterTravel.com offers great bargain advice but take a look at other websites, such as DealTaker.com, which lists travel specials.

15 Watch free football: Football teams open camps in July and practice sessions are usually free and open to the public. Check websites for practice timings.

16 Look to work: Discounted tickets for admission to theme parks, museums, cinemas and other attractions are also available through your workplace.

17 Eat before you leave: By feeding the kids, you can minimise trips to overpriced theme park restaurants and snack bars. Bring food from home and pack your lunches, drinks, etc.