Check the Math on Air Fares

Using the Internet will make it much easier for you to comparison shop based on final price, since most of the online third-party search engines -- like SideStep -- list their fares with taxes and fees already included. On AirFrance's Web site, the carrier boasts of a $428 roundtrip between San Francisco and Amsterdam, but a savvy traveler checking Orbitz.com will not only see that that one-stop flight really costs $633, they'll see that Northwest Airlines has a nonstop that's $64 cheaper.

One of the best ways to dodge sticker shock, especially when booking last-minute travel, is to book a package. Not only will those pesky taxes and fees be folded in, but you'll have hotel and airfare -- and a rental car, if you want one -- for one set price that can offer a nice savings over buying flights, hotels and cars individually. Tour operators often buy up airline seats and hotel rooms that would otherwise go unsold and offer big discounts, thinking that some money is still better than no money.

Site59.com, which just unveiled a clever "last-minute" search feature, is a particularly good site for package deals. Forget the promise of a $198 roundtrip that doesn't deliver. If you wanted to go to London this weekend, the site has a hotel and air package starting at $414 -- and that includes all the taxes and trimmings.