I find it incredibly painful to find and pay for airport parking while traveling. On our most recent trip to Orlando my husband and I were trying to decided which parking lot to leave the car at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport (MSP) for our five days away. We wanted to find the best and hopefully the cheapest. I started to dig for options, starting with the airport itself. Sure, parking in the closest short-term lot seems ideal, after all it’s a short walk. But having been an airport employee with a short-term parking pass, I know those valuable spaces see a lot of action which means the car will see a lot of dings and in the end it will cost – a lot.

This is what I discovered about the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) parking: Short-term cost $36/day, general is $20/day and value is $16/day. If you use your credit card upon entry, the Discount ePark rate will kick in an save you $2 a day. In other words, the best deal is $14/day – much cheaper than parking close to the terminal. If you insist on parking at the airport, the value is certainly a better bet over short-term.

Instead of parking at the airport, we opted for outdoor EZ Air Park which is located in Eagan about six miles east of the airport at the I-494 and 35 Interchange. The parking lot guarantees available spaces, 24-hour continuous service to Lindbergh and Humphrey terminals, automated entry/exit. The lot is lighted and attended 24-hours a day and regular users can earn free parking with the EZ Parker Program. EZ Air Park also assists if customers have car trouble, offering a free jump start and air for flat tires.

We were dropped off right outside of ticketing which was great with our load of car seats. Our drivers were friendly both ways, helping with our luggage and they even gave the kids toy foam shuttles which were great entertainment for the plane. Our cost was cheap: $11/day. I think it’s a bargain, especially if you’re coming from St. Paul or any southern or eastern suburbs. If you’re looking for the best Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Parking I highly recommend EZ Air Park.

Who wouldn’t love to have an all-expenses paid family vacation? After all, between flights, car rental, accommodations, food and souvenirs, vacation expenses sure can add up. But thanks to the Internet and social-media networks like Facebook and Twitter, it now seems as if there are a million and one ways to win a free vacation these days.

I remember entering travel contests as a kid by filling out sweepstakes forms and mailing them in an (old-fashioned) envelope. (I must have made my mom sign entries for those contests requiring entrants be 18 or older.) Today, you can enter travel contests with the click of a keyboard mouse. Of course, some require work, like making videos, writing essays or uploading photos, but others you can win just by becoming a Facebook fan or sending an email.

And “real people” really do win these travel contests! TwinCitiesGal entered a book-promotion contest to win a hefty credit to Arizona’s Canyon Ranch (yes, she used the credit and pampered herself during a lovely fall weekend), and her stepson won the family a trip to the Nestle ice cream factory in Bakersfield, California years ago. Family-travel blogger Jody Halstead of Family Rambling, who lists vacation giveaways on her blog every Friday, actually won one of the vacation contests she promoted!

The lovely ladies at We Just Got Back often sponsor vacation giveaways. Right now they are promoting a three-night stay at a Tampa Bay resort; all you have to do to win the vacation is register at the site to enter daily through March 16. Sign up for the We Just Got Back newsletter and you’ll get notified of all future sweepstakes.

Here are just a handful of other free travel contests that are happening right now (press releases about these giveaways landed in my email in-box just in the last week — yes, I get a lot of releases):

Playing on the shore in Carlsbad, California -- part of San Diego North.

Three-night stay in La Jolla from San Diego North: The Vacation Gals all love the San Diego area, and the region to the north — from La Jolla to Oceanside and inland toward the desert — has a lot to offer, too. I have wonderful memories of recent family trips to Carlsbad, where we visited LEGOLAND and played on the beach (in unseasonably cool March!). To win, write a short essay detailing your “San Diego North Story” by June 30.

Family reunion at YMCA of the Rockies: I stayed at Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park with my immediate family a couple of years ago, and I think it would make an awesome vacation for an extended-family reunion. Multi-bedroom, large cabins make it so easy to gather, and there’s tons of fun stuff to do: swim, fish, hike, bike in the summer or cross-country ski, tube or snowshoe in the winter. Choose from the Winter Park or Estes Park location for your reunion of up to 30 friends or family members. Enter by March 31.

$10,000 dream vacation from HomeAway.com: Did you see that really funny commercial with Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo during the SuperBowl? Make your own “I survived a hotel from hell” video, or upload photos or an essay and you could win a vacation-rental trip worth $10,000. Enter by March 2.

Airfare, accommodations, dinner and Carrot Top tickets at the Las Vegas Luxor: This contest actually does involve your going to the post office! Create some crazy prop that comedian Carrot Top can use in his (R-rated) show, send it in, and if yours is the funniest, you’ll be heading to Las Vegas for free. Enter by May 1.

First-class Eurail pass valued at $749: Aimed at the young, backpacking community, this contest from Off Track Planet requires the winner to Tweet during his or her European adventure as the host of the OTP “Europe by Eurail” promotion. Enter by March 22.

Know of other vacation contests happening now? Feel free to link to them in the comments below.

As an American living in Australia, I’m quite familiar with the 20-hour long-haul flight from Sydney to New York. A direct flight to Los Angeles takes about 14 to 16 hours, depending on headwinds, and then there’s the stopover and then another five hours to JFK. As a poor student, I’m always on the lookout for cheap international flights, so it means I end up with a lot of red eyes and plenty of lengthy stopovers.

For this arduous long-haul journey, finding a good seat is critical. There’s nothing worse than touching down in Los Angeles at 7 am, having not slept a wink and then needing to wait another 8 hours at LAX to board a connecting flight to New York. Funny enough, I’ve never managed to get myself upgraded, except to Economy Plus, which gave me an extra inch of leg room – and a broken entertainment screen.

If you’re making the long haul for the first time, here are a few tips on picking the best seat:

Check in online. If you can pick a seat at the time of booking, go for it as seats fill up fast. Alternatively, many airlines will let you check in online so you can head straight to the gate without needing to queue at the airport. Many carriers also tend to release exit row seats on the day of the flight, so you have a better chance of securing some highly coveted leg room then.

Beware drafty conditions. There is nothing more irritating than not being able to sleep because you’re freezing! Entrances to the galley can create a wind tunnel, so seats right next to these can be quite cold. Ask for an extra blanket.

Watch for babies. Seats located in the front row directly behind the galley are often reserved for families with infants. On many international flights, a baby bassinet can be secured to the galley wall while the plane is in air. It can be exceptionally disappointing to get a great bulkhead seat only to have it come with a burbling baby.

Consider gambling on the back seats. A really nice flight attendant once pointed me to a row of five empty seats in the last row. Since most people tend to reserve seats in the front, the back rows are the most likely to be empty for you to sprawl out. The drawback of course, is most back seats are narrower so if you don’t get extra room, it can be quite disheartening. Red-eye flights tend to be emptier than other ones, so there’s a fairly good chance you’ll be able to catch some Zs.

Consult SeatGuru. This website has a great guide for picking a great seat for any airline and almost every aircraft. The trick to know what type of plane you’ll be flying in. You need to be on top of this, however, as sometimes airlines will change aircraft without prior notice – and then reassign your carefully picked seat!

Break up the long-haul flight. Another thought to consider, that I personally have come to prefer, is breaking up the long haul flight. Last year, instead of flying direct, I found a cheap flight to New Zealand that then connected to Los Angeles. The process of getting off the plane after the first three hours to stretch my legs and then hopping back on a flight that only lasted 12 hours was actually a lot easier on the knees.

If you have more ideas on how to make a 20-hour flight more pleasant, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have a great flight!

Paige Green is DownUnderGal and she writes and blogs in Australia. Originally from the US, she’s always on the lookout for last-minute holidays and deals to pop back home.

The Vacation Gals love collaboration nearly as much as we love exploring the world’s great travel destinations. We’re so excited to co-host a Los Angeles bloggers’ meet-up with Uptake and our friend Kim Tracy Prince. The Huntley, a lovely, sophisticated hotel a block from the ocean in Santa Monica, is opening its doors to bloggers, travel-oriented or not, on February 28, 2010. Any Los Angeles area bloggers interested in learning how to increase their blog traffic are welcome (please RSVP)! Uptake, one of the fastest growing travel sites, is running the Blog Traffic Seminar from 3:00 to 4:00PM, with hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and networking to follow.

I attended a Washington State Tourism media luncheon at The Huntley a little while back, and I thought the hotel was fantastic. The food was fresh and delicious, and the Pacific Ocean views downright distracting.  I chose the Huntley Hotel to base this meet-up in after being impressed by that beautiful view, accessible floor plan, and the friendliness of the staff. So, Angelenos! If you want to meet some smart, friendly people, enjoy some food and drinks, and take in the best view in Santa Monica CA, come on to the Los Angeles Blogger Meet-up! Uptake, The Vacation Gals (well, one of us, anyway), and Kim look forward to seeing you.

One of the best ways to to ruin your travel experience right off the bat is screw up your airplane carry-on luggage packing list. And there are many reasons. For one, lost luggage via air travel does occur. Losing the bag with your flip-flops, toothbrush and sunscreen can be hugely disappointing but also forgiving since you can purchase these items at your destination. But some items are irreplaceable.

Here are the top items you should add to your airplane carry-on list:

ID. Passports, drivers licenses and other official documentation should be with you at all times. For one thing, you can’t board a plane without proving who you are.

All forms of money. Please tell me you’re not one of these people who pack their travelers checks and Visa in their luggage — because these people are out there. Be smart and keep all of your cash, credit cards and travelers checks close to you.

Eye wear. It’s hard to enjoy your vacation if you can’t see. Since contacts do fall down drains, remember to pack in your carry-on your back-up contacts, holders, a 3-oz or less sized solution and any spare glasses.

Itinerary information. I have seen passengers in the baggage claim area confused and disoriented because their bag didn’t make the flight (aka: lost luggage) and they didn’t know what hotel they were staying at because the papers were in the bag. Don’t make this mistake. Pack every detail about your trip in your carry-on: air travel, hotel, rental car, shuttle service, confirmation numbers or any other information that relates to your travels such as neighbor’s phone numbers. Also, be sure to back up your information in you email account so you can access it from the internet in case you lose your PDA, spill tomato juice on your papers or leave your travel folder in the airport bathroom.

Keys. You would not believe how many people have checked their luggage on return trips with their car and house keys inside only to have their luggage get lost or miss the connecting flight. The poor passengers have to stand around and wait for their luggage to arrive or call a friend to pick them up — or even worse — stay at a hotel on their own dime since they live too far from the airport and can’t get in their house anyway. Even if you’re leaving for vacation keep your keys with you.

Prescription medication and information. If you rely on daily medication, this is one of the most important travel tips. Always carry your medication with you — even if you already took your daily dose. This includes keeping a list of medications handy in case you are in a medical emergency. When I was a flight attendant, I was working a flight once where are diabetic passenger forgot to take his medication due to the rush of the morning and his prescription medication was in his checked luggage. (Unfortunately, there is no secret passage way from the cabin into the plane belly — yes, I’ve been asked.) Halfway through the flight the man severely needed his medication. He ended up on my galley floor close to passing out. An on-board doctor asked him what medications he was on — neither the man nor his wife could remember.

Electronics. Let’s face it, luggage falls, get’s smushed and thrown heartlessly, and while electronics aren’t a life or death issue, it’s best if you never pack your electronics in your checked luggage, especially laptop computers and high-quality cameras — you don’t want to lose all of those precious vacation memories do you?

Chargers. I’m assuming you’re already bringing your cellphone on board with you, but don’t forget the charger or any other chargers you may be toting. Airports have increased their number of outlets for passengers which comes in really handy during delayed flights or if you forget to charge your phone the night before.

Common sense is the name of the game when it comes to writing out your airplane carry-on packing list, so think it over and pack well. You’ll end up getting your vacation off to a great start!

I live in the Colorado mountains, about 30 minutes from the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (ASE) and an hour from the Vail-Eagle County Airport (EGE), but I’ll book a flight from Eagle over Aspen any day. Here’s why I believe EGE is the best airport in Western Colorado.

Vail-Eagle County Airport embraces Colorado's cowboy culture with oversized artwork in the big baggage-claim area.

Free Parking: Name one jet-served airport in the country that lets you park for FREE, no matter if you’re leaving your car for up to 7, 15 or 30 days.  The EGE 7-day lot is a stone’s throw from the terminal; it is incredibly convenient, and I’ve never found it full (thought it might be packed over the winter holidays). Aspen charges $5/day for parking, and it’s a trek from ASE’s C Lot to the terminal.

Free Wi-Fi: It’s a strong and reliable signal, and oh-so appreciated by this ColoradoGal who always travels with her laptop.

Spacious Gate Area: Once you go through Aspen’s security screening, you’re packed in a tiny gate area. It’s fine if you’ve got an early morning flight or it’s off season; but if it’s noon on a Sunday during the winter, it might be tough to find a seat. Contrast that to the wide-open, bright waiting areas at EGE. There’s always plenty of seating in Gate 1, where my United flights to Denver usually depart from.

Big Baggage Claim Area: In Denver (DEN), my other “local” airport, the baggage carousels are packed so close to one another and up against the oversized-luggage (ski & golf bag) corrals, that they are nearly always crowded with passengers eager to retrieve their luggage. At Vail-Eagle County Airport, there’s loads of room to breathe.

Friendly Staff: Maybe it’s just that they live in the laid-back Colorado mountains, but I’ve always found the ticketing staff at United super friendly at EGE.

Comfy spots to sit and wait in leather chairs at the Vail-Eagle County Airport.

Cool Chill Area: If you arrive early for your flight,or if you’re waiting to pick someone up, you an relax in oversized leather chairs in the seating area near the baggage claim.

It was smooth sailing for me as  passed through EGE twice last week during my travels to and from Lake Tahoe. As I book family air travel this summer, chances are I’ll end up with flights in and out of EGE again, as fares are typically cheaper than Aspen (though not as cheap as driving the 3.5 hours to fly directly of DEN) and I am apt to find seats available for booking frequent-flyer miles (if I get my act together and book soon).

Here’s to a great airport, EGE! Thanks for never letting me down.

Ah, romantic destinations for Valentine’s Day! Every February, couples are given an excuse to celebrate their love for each other. From high school sweethearts to grandparents celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, Valentines Day reminds everyone to appreciate romance. There are some wonderful destinations in the world, but we don’t have to go to the best luxury hotel in the world to enjoy a romantic getaway. Here are some of The Vacation Gals’ recommended spots for romantic travel, Valentine’s Day or otherwise.

• Hawaii is an island chain that has it all; luxury travel, soft adventure, fun for families, and of course, romantic experiences. the Vacation Gals are huge fans of Hawaii. One lesser-known island, Molokai, is quieter and less overrun by the tourist crowd during holidays. ColoradoGal recommends a romantic Valentine’s Day vacation here.

• The Caribbean has many islands with different vacation options (but more humidity and less predictable weather than Hawaii). Jamaica is ColoradoGal’s recommended Caribbean vacation destination for romantic getaways – in particular, the Couples Swept Away Resorts in Negril and Ocho Rios.

• St. John is the smallest of the three US Virgin Islands, in the Caribbean. Considering that I honeymooned there (and have been back a couple of times since), St John will always be associated with some of my most romantic memories.  I’ve been to St Thomas and St Croix, but St John is my absolute choice for a romantic vacation.

• The San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California, is just a stone’s throw from Santa Barbara. Forbes named it the “Best Hotel in the World” in 2009 – not too shabby! Santa Barbara is pretty and fun, and the Ranch utterly romantic. An entire long weekend can easily be spent just exploring the property. Montecito is incredible.

• Not many of us can jet off to Tuscany or Provence for every romantic occasion, but Napa Valley CA is closer (and somewhat easier on the wallet) for a culinary vacation replete with wine tastings galore.

• Well, California’s not the “most romantic state in the US,” because romance is where you make it, but TwinCitiesGal loves Solvang and Carmel CA – in particular, the Highland Inn of Carmel gets high marks from her for the ocean view, wood-burning stove, and attentive staff.

Speaking of having a romantic getaway where you make it so, TwinCitiesGal also has some handy ideas for creating a romantic hotel room. Not to insinuate that the junkiest, most rat-infested motor lodge can be transformed into a luxury vacation hotel with these tips, but hey – every bit of forethought helps. Be it for Valentine’s Day, a honeymoon, anniversary, or just to get away, romantic travel rejuvenates relationships and keeps them healthy.  We hope your next romantic getaway is perfect.

We have extended family in South America and let me tell you, this is one trip I love and loathe at the same time. Since we live in New York state, going to toasty-warm Chile is a treat just after the winter holidays… the flight and travel time, not so much.

The thought of packing up four boys, ages 9 and under, for an 8+ hour flight brings makes me feel like I might break out in hives. The packing, actually, is less daunting than the actual flight itself. Traveling with high-energy boys long distances can bring any parent to a stress-induced sweat.

We have developed a loose strategy that has helped for us. I can’t guarantee travel-with-kids nirvana, but hopefully these tips will at least help make your next flight a little easier and enjoyable.

Book late flights when flying long distances, making sure our kids are well fed and exhausted. This helps to ensure that they sleep. We also withhold naps for that day (at least for the younger ones) so they are extra sleepy. It seems to work.

Review any recently implemented travel rules via your airline’s website (or pick up the phone). You’ll want to confirm any recent rule changes regarding customs, federal regulations, and what you can and cannot bring on a flight, such as child seats and food — you do not want your snacks confiscated. If you’re flying domestically, check out the latest information from the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) website for “What to Know Before You Go” (on the home page).

Bring a stroller for the kids under 4. Airports are big and why add stress to an already stressful situation by making a little kid walk. They will get tired and whine and you’ll either get upset or end up having to carry the child. I have a double stroller that I use for the two youngest. Usually, my 3-year-old tell me he wants to walk, so he strolls his little suitcase (packed with activities such as crayons and books, a tape player, snacks and a disposable camera) but he always gets tired – so he ends up in the stroller.

Book a nonstop flight whenever possible.

Ask for a bulkhead seat. Seems like there’s more space. (This is different from an exit row, where airlines will not allow children to sit.)

Arrive at the airport early so you don’t feel rushed.

Dress everyone comfortably. I usually change the kids into pajamas before we board an overnight flight. On a daytime flight – pj’s are not necessary, but comfort is a must. Bring a sweater or grab a blanket and a pillow on your way in (they’ll be scooped up if you don’t and you’ll wish you had one) in case your child gets cold. It always seems cooler on a plane to me.

Get your older children involved with planning, as they can be more helpful when they’re excited because they want to get there too.

Explain the plan for the entire trip. Communicate what the kids should do if they get lost in the airport, and for new, young flyers, explain about in-flight bumps and noises so they know what to expect.

There’s a lot you can’t control when it come to long plane trips, but if you take charge of what you can, you’re sure to have a better flight. My boys always complain that they don’t like long flights, but when we talk about going on trips, the flight is the part of the adventure they talk about: getting up early to leave, watching all the planes in the airport, and chilling out with  a movie on the plane. Plus, some of our best conversations occur when we’re en route to our vacation. These are part of the memories they will remember when they’re older – so try to enjoy them, even if they start whining a lot.

FlyGal Renee Martinez blogs at Raising Boys World, an online community for parents raising boys.