With warmer weather creeping northward across the U.S., travelers are awakening from their winter slumber to start nailing down a trip or two this summer, to get away from the office or household, and share some new experiences with family and friends.

There's nothing wrong with that. But when you launch your summer vacation planning campaign, bring a few key weapons to the table - particularly, some old-fashioned budget savvy, and several well-researched, useful online travel and booking sites.