River cruise deals: 2 for 1 specials, no single supplements, and more

What is your best money-saving, time-crunching, fun-optimizing vacation strategy? If there's one thing that sets Budget Travel apart from its peers, it's you—our readers have provided some of the most thoughtful, savvy travel tips this magazine has published in its 12-year span. We celebrate the best of these in the Reader Tips section at the front of each issue and have included some of our favorites in Budget Travel's two most recent books. The Smart Family's Passport came out in 2010, while The Smart Traveler's Passport hit shelves in 2007. This week, we're on the hunt again for some fresh new travel tips to feature in an upcoming issue. But this time, we're raising the bar a bit higher to seek out the most original, unusual ideas. To give you an idea of what that means, here below are the top 10 most popular tips submitted to us by readers: 1. Pack a Ziploc bag for any and all purposes. 2. Bring a nightlight so you don't stub your toe in dark, unfamiliar hotel rooms. 3. Pack old clothes so you can throw them away on vacation and fill the newly empty space in your suitcase with souvenirs. 4. Keep a scanned electronic copy of your passport and other important documents on an e-reader, laptop, or smartphone. 5. Print and bring along a chart to remind you of foreign exchange rate. 6. Split your family's clothing evenly between multiple suitcases—if one bag gets lost, someone isn't left completely without clothes. 7. Bring an empty water bottle through airport security and refill at a water fountain. 8. A steamy shower works just as well as ironing. 9. Don't forget to bring along a roll of quarters for tolls and parking meters. 10. Always take a picture of your rental car before you leave the lot to record any pre-existing damage. These are fantastic ideas, all, but now we're looking for even fresher concepts, and we'd love to hear from you! Email your best money-saving, time-crunching, fun-optimizing vacation strategies to tips@budgettravel.com. Be sure to include name and address—you want credit for your genius, don't you?! More from Budget Travel Help a reader! Know of a travel-ready detergent? A reader proposes smart new routes for river cruises Reader report: Booking New Zealand hotels with Wotif and NeedItNow

Outside the entrance to a new shopping mall that's a Frisbee toss from St. Paul's Cathedral, a small girl recently channeled her inner Eloise, overdramatically saying to her parent, "Can we go in? It looks so shiny!" The child had a point. With its misted glass exterior and interior open-air walkways, "One New Change" looks more like a cutting edge modern art museum than what it actually is—the grey financial district's first new shopping complex in 130 years. So it's unsurprising to learn that it was built by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winner Jean Nouvel, who has also built the stylish modern art museum in Paris, Fondation Cartier. What makes this mall unique is that its roof presents the city's best view of St. Paul's Cathedral. On its eighth-floor roof terrace, you can now take in the full panorama of the city skyline. It's a public perspective that, until now, no visitor to London could easily access for free. In the winter, of course, you may prefer to stay inside in the café, which also overlooks the cathedral. While shopping, be sure to check out British brands All Saints, Reiss, and Topman (its first stand alone location in the city), which burst with exceptional, gift-worthy items. onenewchange.com, St Paul's tube station, map. Insider's tip #1 Be sure to go around the corner outdoors to the side of the mall opposite from St. Paul's and look at St. Mary-le-bow Church—home of the city's most famous church bells. A century ago, all neighborhoods within earshot of these bells were the heart of Cockney-speaking, working class London. In its courtyard, Americans may be surprised to see a statue to John Smith, the founder of Virginia and a national hero. Insider's tip #2 On the second floor of One New Change, there are free public bathrooms, open seven days a week. (You may laugh now, but wait until you're visiting London and fumbling through your pockets for a 50p coin to activate the door on a public loo.) MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Readers' Choice: What's the most beautiful city in the world? London hotels: Want that towel? You have to pay $2.40 World's best new boutique hotels under $150