AAA

Reading an interesting story in the UK Times about an English grad's trip to the US reminds us that AAA is a decent discount deal for US travel -- the writer notes that she didn't find many student discounts in the land of the free but that she saved a few bucks via AAA, notably on maps and via AAA hotel discounts. It's true that of the 11 countries I visited this year, my US trips were the most expensive (New York walks away with spendiest city of my year, while Iowa and West Virginia were el cheapo US destinations). Also true that AAA would have saved me some substantial scratch had my old VW broken down, and did save me bucks on lodging, though I tend to go the Priceline route or hostels in North America.

If your holiday travel plans include road tripping, weigh whether a AAA membership is worth it. A little looking may save you more in some cases -- as an example, Amtrak is 10% off with AAA and 15% off with a student ISIC card.

• AAA Savings Links

_{Related: Road Trip Planning | Holiday Travel Planning: Amtrak Routes | How to Get an ISIC Card | Road Trip Wonders - Iowa | Road Trip Wonders - West Virginia | Road Trip Key West | US Hostels | Gas Price Comparison}