Traveling smart in Cancun starts with cheap flights

A good vacation has many elements: it's safe, it's fun, it's a good value. Guaranteeing that your vacation fulfills all your dreams is very much in your hands. In a popular destination like Cancun, your chances of having a great time are high, but it can be easy to trip up and suffer the consequences of bad planning.

Here's how to avoid mishaps and have the time of your life.

Your first stop when planning Cancun vacations? Research. Start by using the Web to dig up information on what you want to do and where you want to stay. Travel guides can be a good supplement for this, but when it comes time to book, you can't beat the Internet. If you are planning and researching well in advance of when you'll leave, it's a good idea to set up a fare-watching alert that will let you know when prices drop.

When you've found the right flight for your schedule and budget, it's time to take the plunge. For travel to Cancun, it's quite likely that booking a vacation package that combines cheap flights and hotel costs can be a real money-saver. If you think you'll be comfortable driving in Mexico -- again, do your research so that you know the rules of the road well ahead of time -- you can also often add in car rental at a discounted rate, when it's bundled with your flight and hotel.

So, you know you've gotten a great deal on you hotel and flight, what's next? Get to know your destination, warts and all. It can be hard to read about scams that happen where you're going, but you'll be better off as an informed traveler. A number of travel forums on the Internet offer up-to-date trip reports.

Some good ideas for Cancun: Check with your hotel about safes and lockboxes. If there are valuables that you don't plan on bringing with you every day, most hotels have a safe available, if not in your room, then at the front desk. It's also a good idea to wear a money belt or pouch under your clothes when out on the town. Keep your passport and credit cards in it (leaving photocopies of them in a safe place at the hotel). In general, though, Cancun is very well-policed and safe. Just use common sense.

Next up, it's time to have fun. Cancun is a tourist mecca for good reason. The pristine beaches are legendary, and it's quite possible (and pleasurable) to spend your entire vacation staring out at the crystalline water from your comfy perch on the powder-fine sand. You can add in activities like parasailing, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, jet skiing and even more, all just a stone's throw from your hotel.

If you want to explore a bit beyond the beach, you'll find few more diverse areas than those which surround Cancun. The attractions within day-trip distance are rich pickings. The Mayan ruins at both Chichen Itza and Tulum are wildly different (the former in a jungle setting, the latter right on the coast) yet equally impressive in terms of their fascinating architecture and culture. You can also take trips into the jungle for dives into underwater caves called cenotes, or take in a handful of quiet villages along the lovely Riviera Maya coast.

Armed with good information, cheap flights, a good deal on accommodation and an adventurous spirit (or a stack of good beach reads), your trip to Cancun will be an experience you'll love to look back on for years to come.

Courtesy of ARAcontent