Summer Travel on a Shoestring

Summer vacations on a tight budget. We get tips for the season’s best road trips and affordable getaways.

Summer’s coming, the kids are out of school, and it’s time to plan a trip.

You need a vacation, but can you afford one in the current economy? Last year the word was “stay-cation,” as in, fire up the grill, fill up the kiddie pool, and make yourself at home – at home.

This year, people are feeling somewhat better about jobs and money and thinking about traveling again – but where?

The euro is down, but airfares are up. So lots of Americans are making like Jack Kerouac and hitting the road — on the cheap.

This Hour, On Point: back on the road, bargain hotels, and other tips for affordable summer travel.    Guests:

Pauline Frommer, creator of the “Pauline Frommer Guidebooks,” a series for budget-conscious travelers. She's co-host, with her father Arthur Frommer (founder of Frommer’s Guides), of the weekly radio program “The Travel Show."

Download Pauline's top travel tips.

Catharine Hamm, travel editor for the Los Angeles Times, where she writes the “On the Spot” column.

Molly Logan Anderson, freelance writer whose article for the GateHouse News Service this week is “Shoestring Living: Summer travel on the cheap.” Her blog is "Butterflies and Mud Pies."