Brian Laird on WNYC, and as some of you know to end the Pledge Drive shows each day this week,

we're talking travel tips.

So far we've been joined by Brian Kelly last few days, better known as the

points guy. And today and tomorrow, we'll get into some of the finances of going on vacation

with one of our favorite guests, Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist for the Washington

Post, who's here to share some tips on making that dream summer vacation, a reality without busting your budget.

Michelle, always a pleasure.

Welcome back to WNYC.

Oh, thank you so much for having me.

And by the way, if you save money on travel, then you can give some of that savings to the fun drive.

We did not bribe her to say that.

All right, first tip for today, consider avoiding tourist traps.

Why?

Yeah, you know, listen, when you travel a bar, everybody says, or wherever you go, you got to see this, you got to do that, but that may not be your thing.

And you might be guilt-tripped into going to see something that you really don't care about.

I spent a semester in Europe during my college years and went over to Paris.

And everyone was like, you got to go see the Mona Lisa.

And so I went and I'm telling you, I saw a better look of Mona Lisa in the book at the gift shop.

And so, you know, it was a disappointment.

There are obviously there are other pieces of art in the Louvre.

But there are some places that, you know, that may not be your thing.

And it's okay to skip it and save that money to go someplace or during your trip that you

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