If you are one of the millions of people who have two weeks' vacation per year away from the office, you want to make the most of them. You'll want to squeeze every ounce of fun, enjoyment and relaxation out of your vacation, and here are some tips to help you do just that.

 Know what you want. Don't leave it until the last minute and then scramble around to book a vacation. You'll end up paying more, and the destination will not meet all of your needs. Especially if there will be children coming along, there needs to be some planning involved to be sure you all have a great time and there isn't money wasted. This planning should be fun, not a chore. Grab all the travel books available at your local agency, and enjoy some time reading through them to see what piques everyone's interest. Narrow down your choices based on what really appeals to you.

 Know what you like. Are you a beach person or a mountain person? Would you love to backpack through Europe, or visit the outback in Australia? The cliché 'life is short' exists for a reason! Don't leave all those 'someday's' on the backburner. Know what you like and what you would love to see and do, and plan your vacations around accomplishing some of these dreams. Especially for people who get very limited time off each year, the temptation to just 'get away' because it is a relief often overpowers the dream list. Don't let this happen to you. If you only get so much time off, then make it count. You'll remember that mountain you climbed for the rest of your life, while that 3 star all-inclusive you may have settled for would have been long forgotten.

 Do your homework. For each trip and each destination, there are usually various ways to make it happen, and various price points for the same features and details. By doing a little legwork yourself you will not only stand to save a great deal of money, you may even find something nicer than you would otherwise have found. As a little proof, we offer the story of a couple with three kids who searched around following our advice, and for the price of a suite for ONE night in Orlando, they were able to find a flight and accommodation package deal that allowed them to stay in a private villa with their own pool, in a 5 star resort community. This is not an exception - it's the kind of deal you can expect to find when doing a little homework yourself.

 One final tip is to check out the travel insider secrets we bring you at Travel-like-a-pro.com [http://www.travel-like-a-pro.com]. There is nothing like knowing what the pros know, and it will save you money and hassle every time. What's your time worth?...

Have a great time planning your trip, and an even better time enjoying it. Bon Voyage!