When it comes to finding the best family vacation destinations, it can be tough to decide where to go for your next trip that will combine great, fun activities and attractions for the kids as well as the parents. Now you can explore ideas from Tripbase’s list of the best family vacation destinations and top family vacations in the United States. We looked at tens of parameters in thousands of locations across the United States to come up with a list of best family vacation destinations that include some all-time best family vacation spots as well as some less well-known, more off the beaten path places for the best family vacation destinations. We included cities from California to Florida, and a few in between. Our ratings are based on extensive Tripbase data that compiles information about each destination, including outdoor attractions, the number of family friendly entertainment options, all-inclusive package deals, family friendly hotels and budget friendly places (like restaurants, zoos and theme parks)—to name just a few. So whether you’re looking for a family adventure vacation with beaches and natural landscapes or you prefer theme parks and museums or a city packed with historical significance that will lend an education value to your next trip, check out our top suggestions for the best family vacation destinations.

For more information about each location, including flight, hotel and car rentals as well as personalized travel recommendations tailored to you, such as where to stay and where to eat and what to see and do while you’re there, visit the Tripbase location page by clicking on the link.

1. Myrtle Beach Vacations
Situated right on a 60-mile stretch of beautiful Atlantic Coast beaches called the ‘Grand Strand’ and 98 miles north of the historic city of Charleston, Myrtle Beach attracts over 13 million visitors a year and is one of the best family vacation spots in the United States. And for good reason. Myrtle Beach Vacations are a dream come true for families who want a wide choice of kid friendly restaurants and budget friendly activities– from water sports to beach walks and playgrounds to amusement parks, as well as all-inclusive hotel packages that often have special activities for kids. Myrtle Beach Vacations include water parks and dinner shows as well as plenty of concerts and special events here that cater to families. Myrtle Beach Vacations also offer plenty of great shopping.

2. Honolulu Vacations
Honolulu Vacations on Oahu are among the top family vacations because they combine stunning natural landscapes with loads of kid friendly activities. On Honolulu Vacations you can visit the popular Kapiolani Park, the Polynesian Cultural Center, an adventure water park, the Waikiki Aquarium, and the Honolulu Zoo. Honolulu Vacations on the island of Oahu have plenty of family oriented activities and pristine kid friendly beaches. If you’re into water sports or boat trips, you can swim with the dolphins, take a surfing lesson (kids too), visit Pearl Harbor, go to a luau and watch traditional Hawaiian dancers. The northern part of the island is less developed and a great place for those seeking more of an off the beaten path family vacation.

3. Orlando Vacations
Orlando Vacations in the theme park capital of the world offer dozens of choices for kid friendly hotels that have resorts with ‘beach pools’ and children’s activities. Orlando Vacations are one of the best family vacation spots in the United States thanks to the number of all-inclusive vacation packages offered there. On Orlando Vacations, you can find great deals to Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, NickHotel (dedicated to all things Nickelodeon that features two water parks) and many others—even at Christmas time, when it makes a great, warm escape. If you want to do some exploring, there are more beach resorts nearby than you could count on two hands, including Amelia Island, Cocoa Beach, Clearwater Beach, Daytona and many, many more within two hours drive from Orlando.

4. New Orleans Vacations
New Orleans Vacations are starting to make a comeback after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, and New Orleans Vacations are top family vacations. With the Aquarium of the Americas, the Louisiana Children’s Museum, the jazz music festival and even Mardi Gras (there are great things for kids in the colorful festival), you’ll be surprised by how many things New Orleans Vacations have to offer families.

5. Washington, D.C. Vacations

Washington, D.C. Vacations offer top-notch museums, national landmarks, kid friendly hotels, activities and entertainment in mind-boggling numbers. On Washington, D.C. Vacations, you’ll find zoos with baby pandas, natural history museums with dinosaur bones, the Air and Space Museum with all things aviation and rocket-oriented, insect gardens and sprawling urban parks. Washington D.C. Vacations are top family vacations because they offer education and history in a format that’s fun for kids.

6. San Diego Vacations
Sand Diego Vacations are top family vacations because they include visits to one of the best zoos in the world and spectacular beaches. San Diego Vacations are great for families because they have a wide range of hotel and restaurant options. Just a half hour away is Legoland California, a theme park with live shows, rides and mini villages constructed from Lego blocks. On San Diego Vacations, it’s an easy drive to the Anaheim area where Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom and many California Adventure theme parks are located too. There’s also the popular Universal Studios theme park where kids can explore movie-based attractions.

7. Chicago Vacations
Chicago Vacations include visiting the lovely waterfront and plenty of free activities that kids will love–from urban parks to the Lincoln Park Zoo and a nice boardwalk to beaches. Chicago Vacations are easy to navigate too, which is another reason why Chicago is one of the best family vacation spots. There’s the ‘El’ carriage rides– a favorite mode of transport for kids– and between that, trolley cars and buses, you won’t have trouble getting to the museums, lakefront, shopping, restaurants and kid friendly hotels. For girls, Chicago Vacations should include a day at the American Girl Place– one of the top attractions in the country. Plus, there are a plethora of high-quality museums in the downtown area.

8. Gatlinburg Vacations

Gatlinburg Vacations in Tennessee pack a great punch when it comes to top family vacations thanks to a wide range of family friendly and budget friendly attractions. A wide range of accommodations exist here and you’ll find great parks, the Ripley’s Aquarium, white water rafting, the Space Needle, mini golf, and the Guinness Book of World Record’s Museum, which are great to visit on Gatlinburg Vacations with kids. Don’t miss the host of attractions owned by Ripley’s while you’re there, including the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, Haunted Adventure and Moving Theater 4-D. Gatlinburg Vacations also include access to the Ober Gatlinburg, with its aerial tram and plenty of rides, an ice skating rink, and a plethora of nightly kid friendly entertainment like the Lou Vuto’s Salute to Elvis in the Reflections Theater.

9. Philadelphia Vacations
Philadelphia Vacations combine great attractions with historical landmarks. Plus, Philadelphia Vacations are among the best family vacation spots because vacations here can easily include a drive to Hershey, just 90 minutes away from Philadelphia. Known as ‘chocolate town USA’ because it’s the home of Hershey’s chocolate, you’ll find Hersheypark, the Hotel Hershey (an antique themed hotel with a club for kids), the Dutch Wonderland Family Amusement Park, the Chocolate World Visitor’s Center and the Hershey Lodge. On Philadelphia Vacations, there are loads of museums and landmarks that are a great way to introduce kids to American History without boring them to tears and plenty of family friendly entertainment options, great restaurants, shopping, and art galleries for a night out on the town.

10. Williamsburg Vacations
Colonial Williamsburg Vacations in Virginia are top family vacations because they have an educational twist. Take the whole family back in time to life in the 1770’s, right before the American Revolution, through historic villages that replicate colonial life, actors and volunteers dressed in period costume from 230 years ago on Colonial Williamsburg Vacations. There are plenty of things to see and do on Colonial Williamsburg Vacations. And from there, it’s a short trip to Yorktown and the nearby Busch Gardens Europe theme park (in the summertime) and Water Country USA –both great places to go for a dip with the kids.

Food vacations are rising in popularity these days. After all, food and travel go hand in hand, so why shouldn’t you explore the idea of food vacations? We all know that world-renowned destinations like Paris, Barcelona, Rome and London have great dining, but before you get busy booking flights to Rome or flights to Florence it’s worth bearing in mind that you can find fantastic food for less at best value restaurants around the world. This is Tripbase’s list of the places to go for the best international food vacations. These are the international cities where you’ll get the best value restaurants, and where you’ll find everything from spicy Indian dishes to mild seafood meals. The best part is that you won’t break the bank to eat delicious, interesting food. For more in-depth, personalized recommendations for best value restaurants and international food vacations as well as travel information about each place, just click on the link.

We looked at thousands of international destinations and considered tens of parameters, including the variety of best value restaurants (ethnic, American, and neighborhood places where the locals go), the actual number of best value restaurants (not including fast food venues) and the average costs of a meal (with service and one drink) as well as the number of top-rated chefs per capita, the number of chef-owned restaurants and the popularity ratings of the best value restaurants in a city in order to come up with the recommended destinations for food vacations that have the best value restaurants.

For more information about each location, including food vacations, flight, hotel and car rentals as well as personalized travel recommendations and best value restaurants tailored to you (along with where to stay, where to eat and what to see and do while you’re there) visit the Tripbase location page by clicking on the link.

Best International Food Vacations and Best Value Restaurants

1. Bangkok restaurants (Thailand)
2. Shanghai restaurants (China)
3. Prague restaurants (Czechoslovakia)
4. Hong Kong restaurants (China)
5. Santiago restaurants (Chile)
6. Singapore restaurants (Singapore)
7. Mumbai restaurants (India)
8. Seoul restaurants (Korea)
9. Tokyo restaurants (Japan)
10. Brussels restaurants (Belgium)

Food vacations, including vacations that seek great food and wine travel as well as best value restaurants, are becoming more and more popular. At Tripbase, we thought you gourmands might like to know where you can go for the best food vacations in the u.s., i.e., where to get the best value restaurants for your buck. We looked at thousands of food vacations destinations and considered tens of parameters, including the variety of best value restaurants (ethnic, American, and neighborhood places where the locals go), the actual number of best value restaurants (not including fast food venues) and the average costs of a meal (with service and one drink) as well as the number of top-rated chefs per capita, the number of chef-owned restaurants and the popularity ratings of the restaurants in a city in order to determine the best places in the u.s. for food vacations with best value restaurants.

Although twenty years ago it might have been difficult to find more than a handful of great u.s. cities known for their restaurants, that’s far from true today. Most American cities today offer a wealth of great restaurant options, but these are Tripbase’s top ten destinations for food vacations with best value restaurants. Here, you’ll find cities teeming with choice—from the dim sum in New York’s Chinatown to the deep-dish pizzas in Chicago—plus everything in between. Asian cities are well known for fresh, inexpensive seafood and digging into a plate of something scrumptious in Seattle’s downtown market or at one of Austin’s authentic Mexican restaurants won’t break the bank.

For more information including flights to San Francisco, flights to Chicago, flights to Boston, hotel and car rentals as well as personalized travel recommendations, visit the Tripbase links.

Food Vacations and Best Value Restaurants

1. New York restaurants (New York)
2. Washington, D.C. restaurants
3. New Orleans restaurants (Louisiana)
4. Atlanta restaurants (Georgia)
5. San Francisco restaurants (California)
6. Chicago restaurants (Illinois)
7. Houston restaurants (Texas)
8. Boston restaurants (Massachusetts)
9. Seattle restaurants (Washington)
10. Austin restaurants (Texas)

Tripbase is still in development, but we’re working on improving our algorithms every day, so if you have comments and criticisms for us, we’d love to hear from you.

Happy Travels,
The Tripbase Team

Green vacations and eco friendly travel are becoming more and more popular thanks to the increased awareness about the importance of taking care of our environment and doing all we can as individuals to prevent global warming. So what can you as a traveler do to make sure your green vacations are to an eco friendly travel destination and not a place that tries to look ‘green’ but really isn’t? Check out the following tips from Tripbase about how to reduce your carbon footprint and then explore our top recommendations about where to go for the best green vacations. You’ll be on your way to enjoying a great green vacation.

According to the International Ecotourism Society (TIES), eco friendly travel is “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” TIES recommends following these eco friendly travel principles:

• Leave a minimal impact
• Use local guides or tour services
• Try to stay in local, eco-friendly accommodations
• Support local businesses that promote sustainability. This also supports the local economy.

Although some environmental activists maintain that staying close to home is the best way to do green trips (one overseas return flight produces about the same amount of carbon emissions as a car does over an entire year), there are downsides to that school of thought too. For example, developing countries rely heavily on tourism for development and carefully managed tourism can help fight poverty and promote growth. In addition, traveling far from home can provide long-lasting educational benefits and allow you to participate in local conservation and education efforts—especially if you’re willing to volunteer. Try to make sure that the parks and beaches you visit are truly interested in sustainable tourism, and verify that your accommodation is helping the environment by planting trees, using fewer towels, saving water etc. by giving them a call and asking them what they do to promote eco friendly travel and sustainable practices.

Camping and house swapping are also great ways to do your small part to make your green vacations better for the environment.

Another thing you can do is plan an eco friendly travel adventure to places where you can camp and use the car and fuel minimally. That type of green vacation has the added benefit of allowing you to explore spectacular nature in a sustainable platform.

On top of this, one of the best things you can do is support countries and parks in which green vacations and eco friendly travel are taken seriously. Visiting those regions will ensure that your tourism dollars are providing funding for sustainable tours, green trips and ecotourism growth in the future.

So where are the best places in the world for green trips, green vacations and eco friendly travel? Tripbase looked at a number of parameters in thousands of locations to come up with a list of the best places for a green vacations. We looked at how well these eco friendly destinations fared when it comes to education, conservation and research programs as well as the number of eco friendly trips they offer and eco friendly accommodations they have. We considered nature travel to well-known spectacular national parks reputed for their sustainable practices and volunteer programs as well as more off the beaten path, remote locales. For more information about each destination and personalized travel recommendations in each eco friendly travel destination, click on the links below.

1. Corcovado National Park Travel Recommendations (Costa Rica)

2. Morne Trois Pitons National Park Travel Recommendations (Dominica)

3. Yosemite National Park Travel Recommendations (United States)

4. Chiang Mai Travel Recommendations (Thailand)

5. Yellowstone National Park Travel Recommendations (Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana)

6. Galapagos Islands National Park Travel Recommendations (Ecuador)

7. Etosha National Park Travel Recommendations (Namibia)

8. Denali National Park Travel Recommendations (Alaska)

9. Fiordland National Park Travel Recommendations (New Zealand)

10. Nassau Travel Recommendations (Bahamas)

Happy Travels,
The Tripbase Team

i.e., where to get the most for your money abroad this year

From exotic islands with pristine beaches and coconut palms to bustling cultural capitals, these international travel destinations top Tripbase’s list of recommended best international travel destinations in 2008 for value. So whether you want romantic escapes on idyllic beaches in a tranquil environment or places with great natural landscapes, culture, shopping, nightlife and dining, these are the places that will give you the most for your money—from Africa to Asia and South America to Europe.

We looked at many parameters for each of our thousands of locations in order to come up with our best international travel destinations for value in 2008, including accommodation options, affordable entertainment choices, what kind of discounts are offered to travelers, and average costs to travel (per day averages include hotel costs) in these destinations—to name just a few.

To read more about each location in our list of the top best international travel destinations for value in 2008 and find useful information, including flight, hotel and car rentals as well as personalized travel recommendations tailored to you, such as where to stay and where to eat and what to see and do while you’re there, visit the Tripbase location page by clicking on the link.

Best Beach Destinations 2008 for Value
1. Kingston travel recommendations (Jamaica)
2. Bali travel recommendations (Indonesia)
3. Cape Town travel recommendations (South Africa)

Best Asia Destinations 2008 for Value
3. Bangkok travel recommendations (Thailand)
4. Kuala Lumpur travel recommendations (Malaysia)
5. Beijing travel recommendations (China)

Best Africa Destinations 2008 for Value
1. Cairo travel recommendations (Egypt)
2. Essaouira travel recommendations (Morocco)
3. Tunis travel recommendations (Tunisia)

Best Central and South America Destinations 2008 for Value
1. Buenos Aires travel recommendations (Argentina)
2. Mexico City travel recommendations (Mexico)
3. Rio de Janeiro travel recommendations (Brazil)

Best Eastern Europe Destinations 2008 for Value
1. Warsaw travel recommendations (Poland)
2. Budapest travel recommendations (Hungary)
3. Dubrovnik travel recommendations (Croatia)

Best Middle East Destinations 2008 for Value
1. Istanbul travel recommendations (Turkey)
2. Amman travel recommendations (Jordan)
3. Nicosia travel recommendations (Cyprus)

In our next blog, we’ll share with you the Tripbase team’s recommendations for green vacations and eco friendly travel, i.e., where to go for the best green vacations in 2008.

Tripbase is still in development, but we’re working on improving our algorithms every day, so if you have comments and criticisms for us, we’d love to hear from you.