Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of a trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at discounted prices.

One good source of package deals is the airlines themselves. Most major airlines offer air/land packages, including American Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/321-2121, Delta Vacations (tel. 800/221-6666; www.deltavacations.com), Continental Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/301-3800; and United Vacations (tel. 888/854-3899;. Several big online travel agencies — Expedia Travelocity,  Orbitz , Site59. and lastminute.com — also do a brisk business in packages.

Just to give you an example, at press time, Southwest Airlines (tel. 800/435-9792; www.southwest.com) was offering round-trip airfare from Los Angeles with 2 nights at several different hotels; per person based on double occupancy, for Bellagio it was $269, and for the Golden Nugget, $149 (before taxes and fees), although these prices vary dramatically depending on when you are traveling.

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