Here are a few tips to have you soaking up the sun under budget.

1. Get off the beaten path. Skip the obvious hot spots and pick somewhere you’ve always wanted to go besides Cancun, Hawaii, or Disneyland. Most major cities have great attractions for families and national parks are still a great deal for families. (Check out next week’s post for ideas on must-see places for families.)

2. Buy a Citypass. If you’re hitting a big city, then this can save you long lines and lots of cash, and you’ll still see all the main attractions.

3. Subscribe to save. A lot of websites will deliver “the deal of the week” to your email to notify you of good deals on airfare and hotels. Be sure to subscribe to email feeds for airline frequent flier programs, TravelZoo.com, and About.com/budgettravel.

4. Hold out for a good deal. Track airfare rates on sites like Yapta that will alert you to good deals to your favorite destinations.

5. Skip the hotel. Instead of a hotel, consider doing a home exchange, using hotel points (similar to airline miles), or renting a condo or timeshare. This is especially helpful if you’re traveling with a large family and you need more room to spread out and want access to a kitchen to save on food costs.

6. Snack on this. I always pack a small suitcase, full of water bottles and snacks, so we can grab and go at Costco prices instead of becoming a slave to convenience stores. Once the bag is empty at the end of our getaway it’s a great place to stash souvenirs from our trip.

While Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end to summer, it’s actually the start of shoulder season in the travel industry and may be a great time to take a vacation if your schedule is flexible and your budget is not.

The tourism industry has been hit hard by the global recession and deals this fall may be even more stellar than they typically are this time of year. Some experts report fares and bookings going for 40 to 50 percent off in order to lure vacationers.

If you didn’t take the getaway that you had wanted to in 2009, now is the perfect time to shop around and land a great deal. Whether you pull the kids out of school and hit the road or you take off for a romantic getaway now, it’s worth considering. However, there are a few things to think about if you decide to rendezvous in the off-season.

1. Pack for all kinds of weather. The temperature and precipitation can be very unpredictable this time of year depending on where you travel. Hurricane season is still in full swing in some areas, but early snowfall isn’t out the question in other parts either. You may have blistering heat one day and a torrential downpour the next, so you should pack for the worst and hope for best.
2. Check the times and availability of major attractions. Most large tourist attractions are open longer hours during peak tourist times, such as summer, but convert to off-season hours after Labor Day. Be sure to check online when planning your itinerary to be sure your destination for the day is open and running.
3. Don’t forget the sun and the stars. Remember that the days leading up to winter get shorter and shorter. Keep that in mind when you are making plans for a hike through the fall foliage or else it may end up being a night under the stars instead.
4. Be flexible. Off-season is a time when museums change out exhibits, theme parks close rides for maintenance, and other attractions shut down operations on weekdays. Expect these bumps in the road and remember that you’re saving cash and ditching the crowds by traveling during shoulder season.
5. Put indoor activities on your agenda. Even though the weather may be great when you plan your trip, it may be stormy when you arrive. Make sure you seek out activities that allow for fun indoors so you don’t get “rained out” on your trip.

Planning a trip to the 1000 islands?