Had enough of winter? Ready for some sunshine and relaxation? Plan a getaway for spring break and take a break without breaking your bank.

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.