6 Tips For Sticking to your Budget in Switzerland

As the shadows grow longer, the leaves fall and our thoughts turn to... winter vacation! Before the snow piles up and the Polar Vortex returns, there are some amazing deals to get you on the best ski slopes, the world's most beautiful islands, and a Caribbean cruise. But you've got to press the button on these deals soon. Budget Travel's President Elaine Alimonti spoke about these amazing vacation deals on The Weather Channel's AMHQ with Sam Champion—click here to see the clip! SKI THE ROCKIES! The outstanding Vail family of resorts (including Breckenridge, Vail, Keystone, and more) is offering 30 percent off ski packages if you book BEFORE opening day (Breckenridge opening day is November 14, 2015). With the 30 percent early-booking discount, package rates (lodging and skiing) start as low as $150/night. These Colorado resorts offer not just world-class skiing, but also sleigh ride dinners, tubing, ice skating, charming ski villages with a fun après ski party scene, and the incredible beauty of the Rocky Mountains as your backdrop. SAVE BIG ON A CARIBBEAN CRUISE! Escape the winter cold by booking one of Royal Caribbean's mega-ship cruises to the Bahamas by October 11 and you'll get half-price on the second guest. Royal Caribbean's prices are reasonable, with three- and four-night cruises in the $500-per-person range, so the "buy one get one" deal really brings your total travel expense down. Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas ship is mind-blowing: first Starbucks at sea, a full production of Mamma Mia, a carousel, boardwalk, ziplining, and 25 restaurants onboard. The Bahamas are one of Budget Travel’s favorite getaways: swim with dolphins and tropical fish, parasail over the islands, and shop Nassau’s legendary boutiques and shops. SEE THE SOUTH PACIFIC! $1,148 for a package deal from Air Tahiti Nui (a French airline) that includes round-trip airfare to Auckland, New Zealand with an INCREDIBLE three-night stopover and hotel stay in Tahiti. Must book by September 30. Your stopover in Tahiti is at one of the island’s premiere resorts, where you’ll have access to a perfect white-sand beach, swimming pools, amazing food and cocktails. Then… New Zealand! Budget Travel loves New Zealand for its diverse geography – you can explore mountains, beaches, cities, and visit the island’s traditional farmstays, legendary for their hospitality and delicious meals, including lamb, fresh cheese, and great local wines.

At BT, we love indulging in affordable spas when we travel. If you do too, now is a great time to take that relaxing spa vacation you've been dreaming about: October 12–18 is Spa Week, a magical time when mega-expensive treatments—think fancy pumpkin facials and soothing Swedish massages—are offered at deep discounts at luxe spas across the country. Most services are just $50. Where to go? Here are some of our favorite on-sale, decadent, ahhh-inducing treatments in cool vacation destinations across the country to inspire your Spa Week escape—either as a girlfriend getaway or an excuse to take a little solo travel "me time." Prefer a staycation instead? Search for your town at spaweek.com. Sign up with your email address to see the deals. 1. Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Spa: Juno Dermatology (3801 PGA Boulevard, Suite 107, junodermatology.com) Try this deal: 60-Minute Pumpkin Enzyme Facial With Extractions ($50; regularly $125). Because what's more festive in October than a pumpkin facial? Budget Traveler tip: To further boost your circulation, go for a walk, run, bike ride, hike, or canoe trip in Loxahatchee Slough Natural Area, only 10 minutes or so away. Trails and wetland overlooks are open from sunrise to gorgeous sunset. 2. Scottsdale, Arizona Spa: Amethyst Spa at Wekopa Resort & Conference Center (10438 North Fort McDowell Road, wekoparesortandconferencecenter.com) Try this treatment: 30-minute Signature Amethyst Facial and 30-minute Yavapai Swedish massage ($50, regularly $190). The hydrating acai berry facial refines and resurfaces skin with vitamins A, C, and D, and you decide whether the full-body theraputic massage should consist of slow, gentle relaxing glides or vigorous and bracing strokes to relieve stress. Budget Traveler tip: Amethyst's Spa Week services come with a complimentary glass of champagne and h'ors d'oeurves, plus access to the spa's outdoor desert-oasis pool area, which has a heated swimming pool and two whirlpools with views of the Sonoran Desert. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, a somewhat mysterious preserve highlighting the ruins of an ancient desert people's community, is about an hour away by car ($5). 3. Chicago, Illinois Spa: Oxygen Spa Studio (400 South Green Street, oxygenspastudio.com) Try this treatment: Gold Coast mask facial with LED light therapy treatment ($50; regularly $135). The facial lifts, tightens, and boost circulation; the LED treatment plumps skin and treats acne. Budget Traveler tip: The Art Institute of Chicago is less than two miles away from this spa. Admission is free for Illinois residents on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. If you're visiting from out of state and plan on doing a lot of sightseeing, a Chicago CityPass gets you into the institute as well as four other attractions at a discount, plus you get to skip the lines (from $79). 4. Fountain Valley, California Spa: Origins Massage and Bodyworks (18303 Brookhurst St., originsmassage.com) Try this treatment: Specialty deep-tissue, Swedish, prenatal, sports, or trigger-point massage tailored to your pressure preference, with an enhancement of your choice, including aromatherapy, a blackberry vanilla foot scrub, or peppermint scalp massage ($50; regularly $130)  Budget Traveler tip: Huntington Beach—dubbed Surf City USA—is a 15-minute drive from Fountain Valley. Hang out on the beach or bike along the pier, then grab a treat at a place we can vouch for: On her recent coast-to-coast #BTRoadTrip, Budget Travel Photo Editor Whitney Tressel discovered Sandy's, a restaurant with an ocean view where the Signature S'more is legendary ($7). 5. New York, New York Spa: Ling Skin Care (12 E. 16th Street, lingskincare.com) Try this treatment: 50-minute charcoal facial ($50; regularly $260) (Bargain alert! That's less than a fifth of the original price.) The treatment begins with a papaya enzyme peel, followed by an herbal clay clarifying mask, a ginseng moisturizing mask, and, finally, the charcoal mask to absorb oil and leave skin smooth. Budget Traveler tip: With more than 50 spas in New York City offering $50 treatments, you can spa-hop all week between legendary names like the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa on Fifth Avenue and hidden gems like Skin Spa, aloft on the fourth floor of a Flatiron District building. When you're sufficiently relaxed, take a leisurely stroll among the fall foliage on the High Line, one of the best free activities in New York City.

As lovely as New England's forests and charming small towns are in autumn, the region has not cornered the market on fall foliage. A short road trip or train ride away, the NYC metro area has colors as vibrant as anyplace in America. I shared these four "weekend escapes" with PIX11 Morning News co-host Sukanya Krishnan today: Sleepy Hollow, NY: Yes, that Sleepy Hollow! Trace the ride of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman through the blazing autumn finery of Rockefeller State Park Preserve, take a lantern-light cemetery tour (if you dare), tour Historic Hudson Valley sites such as Washington Irving's Sunnyside and Philipsburg Manor along the river, and chow down at one of the outstanding nearby eateries in Tarrytown. Planting Fields Arboretum, Oyster Bay, Long Island: Sure, we think of beaches when we think of a Long island weekend, but you can make like a millionaire when you stroll the grounds of Planting Fields Arboretum, a Gatsby-esque “Gold Coast” estate and botanical gardens, whose trees burst into full-on autumn colors. Natchaug State Forest, Eastford CT: New Yorkers sometimes forget that New England is closer than it might seem: Northern Connecticut is home to authentically rustic New England forests, including Natchaug State Forest and others, and charming small towns that are close enough for a weekend drive with affordable vacation rentals. New Hope, PA: Just over the Delaware River from New Jersey, Bucks County’s trees light up in autumn, and the town of New Hope, with its galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and artsy vibe, will impress even Manhattanites.  

It’s Shoulder Season! The weather’s still great, but the crowds have thinned out at some of our favorite travel destinations. Translation: Luxurious vacations at a discount. Budget Travel’s president and publisher, Elaine Alimonti, shared these three amazing vacations for under $100/night on the Weather Channel’s AMHQ this morning. For 19 more awesome and affordable trips, read 22 Vacations for Under $100/Night. MAUI Visit Maui before mid-Decenber (when the winter crowds arrive) and you can find a stylish steal at one of the island's resorts. You can relax on legendary Ka’anapali Beach, three miles of white sand that’s often been named the most beautiful beach in America; check out Maui’s ultimate must-see Haleakala, a 10,000-foot-tall dormant volcano; and pig out—literally!—at a traditional Hawaiian Luau with kalua pork cooked in an underground imu oven, plus hula performances! STAY: Maui Beach Hotel has rooms from $85 during the week, and you can get 10 percent off by showing your best “shaka sign” (the thumb-and-pinkie finger “hang loose” hand sign) at check in. NEW HAMPSHIRE Here in the east, a fall weekend calls for a New England road trip to see the amazing fall foliage. White Mountains National Forest is one of the best New England leaf-peeping destinations. Bright red foliage should start appearing in New Hampshire around September 15, with peak color usually arriving in early October and lasting into the first half of the month. STAY: 1785 Inn, in the White Mountains, has rooms from $79/night, including full country breakfast. Book a room in winter and you’ll get two complimentary passes for onsite snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. LOS ANGELES Can you keep a secret? Los Angeles's warmest, sunniest beach weather comes in fall—after the summer tourists are gone. Hike in the Santa Monica Mountains by day, dine on perfect seafood right on the beach at sunset at Gladstone’s (where Sunset meets the Pacific Coast Highway) and savor the city’s art collections, which are the finest on the West Coast, including the Getty, the LA County Museum of Art, and the Norton Simon. STAY: While some of L.A.’s swankier hotels can be pricey, but a vacation rental in Silver Lake—LA's hippest neighborhood—can be yours for $98/night from HomeAway. Browse the cool boutiques and delicious food trucks, and stroll over to the Saturday farmers market for fresh food and celebrity spotting.