10 Big Trips . . . on Little Budgets

CHEAP ALTERNATIVE: Track the sales. Air Jamaica Vacations (800-LOVEBIRD, http://www.airjamaicavacations.com/ ) recently offered a deal good for travel through the end of the year that included round-trip air from BWI and six nights all-inclusive hotel for $996 per person double.

7. Mexico was rated high for affordability, as well as beaches, culture, night life, and snorkeling and diving. Noteworthy resorts include Paraiso de la Bonita ($595-plus a night) and Maroma Resort & Spa ($480-plus a night) in Riviera Maya and Las Ventanas al Paraiso ($450-plus a night) in Los Cabos.

CHEAP ALTERNATIVE: Package an all-inclusive with airfare. Vacation Express (800-309-4717, http://www.vacationexpress.com/ ), for example, recently offered a deal with air from BWI and a week-long stay at a three-star all-inclusive for $1,740 per couple.

8. St. Barths, a tony French island in the Caribbean, made it into the top 10 for the first time, garnering mentions for romance, food, seclusion and sexy ambiance. Hotel Guanahani & Spa ($406-plus per night) was ranked high for its plunge pools.

CHEAP ALTERNATIVE: Instead of flying to St. Barths, which can cost upward of $1,000 round trip, fly to St. Maarten (about $580 on American) and take a ferry to St. Barths (about $110 round trip). Book a villa through a private owner: At Vacation Rentals by Owner ( http://www.vrbo.com/ ), a three-bedroom villa starts at about $1,650 a week.

9. Jamaica was voted into the top 10 for affordability and sexy ambience. Several resorts with locations in Jamaica -- Sandals (from $270 a night per couple), Couples (from $493 a night per couple) and SuperClubs (from $398 a night per couple) -- were named as top all-inclusives.

CHEAP ALTERNATIVE: Scour the all-inclusive Web sites for special deals. Couples, for example, sometimes offers a deal with air whereby it chooses which of its four resorts you'll go to in exchange for serious savings: One recent deal was about $3,000 for two with air for a week-long stay. Also, many travel agents have special deals with the major all-inclusives that are cheaper than rack rates.

10. France earned mentions for romance, food, night life, culture, sexy ambiance and winter sports. The honeymoon suite at Four Seasons George V Paris ($875 and up a night) received an "ultimate honeymoon suite" rating.

CHEAP ALTERNATIVE: Go in late fall, when round-trip airfares often drop to $500 or less per person. Rent a private apartment, with rates starting at about $120 a night; try Rentals in Paris (516-977-3318, http://www.rentals-paris.com/ ) and Venere.com (011-800-83637300, http://www.venere.com/ ).

-- Carol Sottili