The packages focus on stays at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, Arizona, just east of Flagstaff. The 287-room hotel is next to the train depot and is a short walk from downtown Williams and Route 266; it also has an indoor pool, hot tub, and playground. The roundtrip train ride—using restored railroad cars, some dating back to the 1920s—takes about two hours each way, and gives you about four hours to explore at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim before heading back.  The Railway Express Plus packages are available for one or two nights, with or without meals. They include:

• One or two nights at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel (usually $109/night this time of year)
• Round trip for four on the Grand Canyon Railway ($70/adult x 2 + $40/child under 12 x 2 = $220)
• Optional: Breakfast and dinner buffets at the Grand Depot Café ($92/day)
  
• Entry to the Grand Canyon (usually $16 for four people)

The best deal of all, though is the one-night, no-meals version of this package, which comes to $219 for four. You're basically getting the hotel for free and a dollar shaved off the train tickets to boot—for a true 50% off your total. Note that if you add in the meals, you're paying exactly $92 more—what you'd pay anyway for meals, so there's no savings.

Deal or no deal? No matter which deal you choose, you're guaranteed at least 20% savings. If you want to ramp up to 50% savings, skip the buffets. The meal add-on is not discounted, so opting for the no-buffet version is the way to go. Bonus: You won't be tied to a single eatery, so you can eat where you like.

All versions of this package are good for travel through March 14. You can book online or by calling 800/843-8724 and asking for the Railway Express packages.  Note: There is a strict payment and cancellation policy. You pay in full when you book and can modify your reservation up until the day before you travel, though you may have to pay more if you change to a more expensive date. There is no refund if you cancel within 72 hours.

For families traveling between cities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions this summer, there is an affordable and arguably more enjoyable alternative to taking the car or plane. Amtrak is cutting fares by as much as 25% on routes in the Northeast corridor between Boston and Washington for travel between June 2 and September 3. Sample one-way fares include:

• $65 Boston-Washington, DC
• $49 NYC-Washington, DC
  
• $60 Boston-Philadelphia

On most trains and on most days, up to two children aged 2 to 15 may travel at the half-price fare with each fare-paying adult. To get these lower fares, you must make reservations at least 14 days in advance.

Every day, the Grand Canyon Railway makes the 130-mile roundtrip journey from Williams, Arizona, across the high desert of the Grand Canyon Plateau to the canyon's South Rim. For families, it's a low-stress trip with a bonus: the chance to ride on a vintage diesel train and get a taste of the Old West. Just before you pull out of Williams, you'll witness a mock shootout between the train's marshall and bandits and, once on your way, musicians in period dress travel from car to car playing popular tunes from yesteryear. Along your journey, you might spy wildlife including elk, mountain lions, pronghorn, and bald eagles. The trip takes two hours and 15 minutes each way, which is 45 minutes faster than when the train made its first journey in 1901. The roundtrip fare is $65 per adult and $35 per child 2-12.

Money-saving packages make fall a particularly savvy time to make this trip. From October 15 to March 14, 2009, the railway is offering a two-day getaway package including roundtrip train fare in coach class, overnight accommodation at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, plus breakfast and dinner, for $119 per adult, $93 per teen 13-15, and $43 per child 2-12.

Packages with longer stays, including a rim tour and an overnight in the Grand Canyon National Park, are also available.

Family vacations are supposed to be a chance for us to connect with our kids. But what with our iPods and DVD players and Nintendo DSes and books on tape, the earplugs can definitely get in the way. Leave it to a mom to invent a game that makes it easy to get the whole family really talking to each other.

Mother of two Beth Daniels created Around the Table Games to get her own family conversing at meal times, but they make great take-alongs for car rides, airport layovers, train journeys, and flights. The concept is simple: 100 cards with questions are attached to a D-ring that can be hooked on a backpack or thrown into a purse. Whenever you have some time to kill, pull out a question. Some are fun ("Are you related to anyone famous?") while others bridge the generation gap ("What was your first job ever? How much were you paid?"). Kids will like that nobody is going ask whether they finished their homework, cleaned their rooms, or took out the trash. Parents will like that nobody is going to ask for extra souvenir money or if they can have another pet.

When my family tried out this game on a recent daytrip, I liked that we all learned something new about one another. "What is your favorite ride at an amusement park?" got us talking about past vacations, while "Are you more like your mom or your dad?" and "What are you most proud of?" were an opportunity for some healthy sharing. Three versions of the game—Family Talk, Family Talk 2 and Grandparent Talk—are on store shelves now.

Retail price: $12.95.

In this summer of our discontent, the numbers have been scary. While $4-a-gallon gas has made folks think long and hard about road trips, airfares have risen more this summer—and it's not even over yet—than during any year in the past 25 years. This post on USA Today's "Today in the Sky" blog estimates that "For a family of four, a cross-country flight this summer may cost about $1,000 more than last summer." 

This all explains why many travel experts, including the great Arthur Frommer, have been advocating for Amtrak. For families, traveling by Amtrak offers some definite benefits. On most Amtrak routes, children 2 to 15 ride for half price when accompanied by an adult. (Each adult can bring up to two children at the half-price rate.) If you're an AAA member, your kids may be eligible for additional discounts. And there's more to like about train travel. Since movement onboard a train is less restricted than in a plane or car, you can get up and walk around when you feel the need. There's often a wider choice in seating options, including booth-like tables and private compartments. And finally, sitting on a train and watching the scenery roll by can be much less stressful for parents than driving long distances. 

After all the bad news, it's time for some happy numbers. This terrific article on Frommers.com gives the lowdown on Amtrak's discount codes and how to use them to save big money on fares. For example:

• "Code V856 used to cover the entire Northeast, but Amtrak's recent computer-system changes locked it down to destinations in Massachusetts. V856 will get you 20% off the price of tickets to the Boston or Route 128 stations in Massachusetts. You just have to book regional trains (not Acelas) and book three days in advance. This code is good for trips at least through Dec. 13."
• "On Amtrak's Downeaster train between Boston and Portland, Maine, there's a great buy one, get one free deal going -- that's a full 50% off each of two tickets! Use code V773. This code is only good for morning departures northbound, and afternoon departures southbound."
• "You'll love train travel in New York State and Canada by using code V464 for 20% off your tickets—but only over the phone, not online. V464 now works with any of the Empire Service or Lake Shore Limited trains within New York State or the Adirondack to Montreal, but not the Maple Leaf into Ontario. It's good through September 2008."
• "In the Midwest, code V665 gets you 50% off a second ticket on the two daily trains each way between Kansas City and St. Louis, MO. That one's good through December 15."
• "On the Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin trains from San Diego up past Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, the city of Santa Barbara is sponsoring H752. That nabs you a cool 20% off those fares, through Dec. 8."
• "Portland, OR is a quirky town that sponsors some quirky codes. These codes work on any Amtrak Cascades train, anywhere from Eugene, OR to Vancouver, BC. Through August 29, you get a quirky 19% off all Cascades tickets by punching in H773. Then, from Sept. 4 to May 22, 2009, couples can get half off the second fare with H779 for an even bigger discount."

Read the entire article on Frommers.com for even more tips and discount codes.