Trip Coach: January 30, 2007

Budget Travel editors: Great question. Part of the fun lies in the planning, as they say. Consider using an online Web site to allow as many family members as possible participate in the planning. That way, you'll avoid a common problem with group travel--one unlucky family member shoulders the full burden of the trip. A free Web site we recommend is I'm In. Yahoo also has a Trip Planner feature.

For ideas, renting a home away from home at your favorite destination is a cost-effective idea. For tips on rentals, consider this article on the topic.

For destinations, consider how much autonomy you want to give your 21-year olds during the trip. Vacation resorts and cruise ships will allow your newfound adults the options to set their own itineraries. Just be aware that if booze is available at the resort or on the ship, you may need to set the limits on consumption. For destination ideas, consider our list of recent Real Deals by clicking here.

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Aiken, SC: We are planning to take my son and husband's grandson for a trip to DC this year. Both the boys are eleven but do not know each other very well. We would like to decide about the best time for a trip to DC...during Spring Break, March 31-April 8 (Easter)....or after school is out, perhaps around June 10. We would like to have the best prices and least crowded conditions. Certainly, a place with a pool would be nice so the boys can get some physical exercise after walking through museums all day. Also, If we are only going to have four full days there....which monuments/museums would allow us to make the biggest impact on kids this age?

Budget Travel editors: Thanks for writing. D.C. is a great choice for a family trip because its attractions are very family friendly. The free Smithsonian Museums--from the Air and Space Museum to the Natural History Museum--are probably going to be a favorite with your kids. If you're willing to ride the very clean, Star-Trek like subway, you may want to consider booking a hotel that is about a 20-minute ride away from the Smithsonian Museums. Trips closer to the action will be far more expensive. Spring Break is when D.C. puts on its best weather, and during those first few days of a March 31 to April 8 itinerary, you'll find the city is painted pink with cherry blossom trees. However, spring break is also a peak season tourism-wise. For hotels, consider looking across the Potomac River in Crystal City, Virginia. There are many affordable hotels with pools and an easy subway stop to access. More importantly, there's an underground mall full of kid-friendly restaurants. Also consider hotels near the Van Ness Metro station and Dupont Circle metro station in northwestern D.C. for more of a taste of actual D.C. life.

The Air and Space Museum features the actual rockets and modules that were launched into space. Be sure to stop by the gift shop and buy your boys freeze dried ice cream similar to the kind once eaten by astronauts. For hours and directions, visit their site. The iMax theater often shows cool G-rated movies on an enormous screen. Learn more by clicking here. Enjoy your trip!

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Asheville, NC: Germany without the beer? Departure gateway: Charlotte, NC. 2 passengers: a married couple in their mid-20s. We are a young couple traveling to Bavaria in February as our newly married, "before we start our family" vacation. I know that Germany is famous for their beers, but can non-drinkers have an exciting and romantic vacation there? Will there be clean water to drink at most restaurants? Our stops include Munich, Rothenburg, Nuremberg, Salzburg and Garmisch. Recommendations on sights and restaurants in those cities and between them would really help! We're also hoping to find a great place to go skiing in Garmish that we can both enjoy (one beginner and one experienced skier).

Budget Travel editors: Congrats on your recent marriage. You'll find a warm welcome in Germany, where it is a modern national tradition to send young newlyweds away on vacations so they become familiar with each other before the childrearing years.

Consider booking your rail travel on Deutsche Bahn, the German train service, on db.de, which has an English language version. Alternatively, try Rail Europe which offers English-speaking sales agents by phone if you run into problems.

When in Munich, allow time for a day trip outside the city to Neuschwanstein, the fairy-tale castle on which Walt Disney modeled his architectural creations at his theme parks. The castle is completely accessible roughly two hours from Munich by train and bus. (No expensive private tour necessary.)