Planning a family vacation this year? How about visiting the Hawaiian Islands? The cost can be rather expensive, but there are deals available out there so you can have some fun for less. Exhaust all your options to find the best deal.

Several sites on the Internet are dedicated to offering travel deals to customers. Before you go to the airline websites, check out Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline, and Expedia. These sites offer deals on airfare, hotel accommodations, and rental cars. When you decide on the dates for travel, plug them into the search parameters on each website to see what they have to make the trip less of a financial drain.

At Priceline.com, folks looking for good prices on their travel can bid on fares. Let them know what you are looking for and how much you are willing to pay. Continue to check back to the site for deals or have them email you when something comes up in your price range.

In addition to Priceline.com, shoppers can look for airfare and hotel deals at travel auctions. Travel actions allow customers to save money by outbidding other shoppers. You can check the listings for airfare and hotel packages, deals on rental cars, timeshares, B &B's, and other trip particulars. You can come across deals from the simple to the very unique.

Each site has their rules about membership and bidding, so read the fine print. Some, like Luxury Link are free to join, but you must be a member in order to bid on travel deals. People that want a premium luxury accommodations and airfare for less can find it here.

There is more than one type of auction. In single auctions, the highest bidder is the one that wins the deal or whatever you are bidding for. Then there are Best Shot auctions. Here, more than one of the same item is up for bid. The winners are those that come in with the highest bid. Then each bidder that wins pays the lowest of the winning bids.

A Dutch auction is similar to the Best Shot auction. When more than one of the same item is up for bid, the two highest winners get the items but only pay the lowest price of the day for that item. This means that the winner who bid the lowest price sets the price for both winners.

Travel auctions are worth looking into but be careful. If the deal sounds or looks to good to be true on paper, it probably is. There are many unscrupulous people out there who want your money. Read the fine print so you don't' get taken for a ride by a cheat.

Hotels on the islands can be pretty expensive. If price is not the object but amenities, here are some suggestions for hotels to check out. On the island of Maui, there is the Grand Wailea hotel. This establishment is not for people without deep pockets. The prices start at $575 per night and can run as high as $3,200. For a modest hotel with great service, go to the Mana Kai hotel or the Napili Surf. The former runs around $133 per night, while the latter offers rooms for $94 a night.

Prices on Kauai are in the same range and higher for premium accommodations. The Princeville Resort will serve you with style for a mere $565 to $5,500. The Hyatt is a bit more reasonable with rooms starting at $430. For families, the Kaua'i Palms Hotel has rooms for $65 a night. Perfect for those who don't want to break the bank with their hotel bill.

The Big Island has some great choices for those travelers. Choose from the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel with prices starting at $306 a night. There is a private beach as a perk of your stay. The Royal Kona Resort offers rooms near the shopping district for $85 a night. To save money, vacationers can always book a hotel room on one Hawaiian Island and island hop for day trips.