Money fix: Still time to catch vacation deals

Whoa, look what's just five weeks away -- September. If you've been putting off planning a summer getaway and are motivated by a deadline, now's the time to get to work. Here are some ideas for deals and destinations.

Let others drive: If you would welcome a vacation from driving, check out Megabus offers to places such as Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., says Kali Chan, media relations director at Adelphi University in Garden City. She's gotten deals to Boston ranging from $23 to $55 round-trip. "It's inexpensive, convenient and you board near Penn Station," she says. Amtrak also has deals in the Northeast with 14-day advance booking, and travelers can get 15 percent off its new service to Richmond, Va.

Flights: American Airlines has announced late-summer/fall specials, which must be booked by July 29, for travel starting in mid-August, and look for other airlines to follow suit, says Jaime Samuels, who heads U.S. e-mail publications at Travelzoo, which researches travel deals. If you're fine with potluck and spontaneity, check for deals on Tuesday mornings, when many airlines release last-minute specials for the coming weekend. She cites a recently spotted round-trip fare of $128 from New York City to Montreal.

Destinations: Consider Myrtle Beach, S.C., where Samuels says she has seen beachfront hotels for less than $100 a night. Direct Air and Spirit offer reasonably priced direct flights from Newark or LaGuardia. And while, yes, we have entered hurricane season, you can find bargains on all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean -- for an average $90 per person per night, she says. What's more, at some family friendly spots up to three kids stay for free.