Q: We’d like to stay at a nice hotel for our anniversary. How do we get the best room rate?
Start with websites such as travelocity.ca or expedia.ca, but don’t stop there. Once you get a benchmark rate, check with the hotel’s site for any online offers, then call the hotel itself (rather than toll-free operators, who don’t have the authority to negotiate rates) and speak with a reservations agent there. Ask what the best possible rate is, then book with the cheapest source. Join the hotel’s loyalty program if they have one. This ups your chances of scoring freebies or a room upgrade. Suite!

Q: What’s the difference between a charter flight and a regular one?
Caroline Hay, product manager at Thomas Cook Travel, explains that charter flights are organized by tour operators (like Signature Vacations or Sunquest) who kind of rent planes from companies like Skyservice for specific times of the year (Caribbean in winter and Europe in summer). These flights cost less, but occur less often. They also tend to be inflexible and offer less leg room and baggage allowance. Regular carriers like Air Canada follow a set schedule year-round with more frequent flights. Fares fluctuate more, but you’ve also got more flexibility to make date and time changes or cancel a flight.

Q: My wife is desperate to visit Paris, but I don't want to take out a second mortgage to get us there. Any cheap tricks?
Oui. Go during “shoulder season” (November to April), when fewer tourists roam the rues and prices fall. Unlike some other areas of the world, a two- or three-star hotel in Paris can be decent. Choose one based on reviews from real people at a site like tripadvisor.com. Once you’ve arrived, get yourself a Paris Visite pass for the metro at any major station. While you’re there, grab a Carte Musées et Monuments for unlimited access to Paris’ many museums and attractions. It’s a real money saver.

Q: We’d like to try a cruise, but we’ve heard that they’re teeming with elderly folks. How can we make sure there’ll be passengers our age?
With more than 2,000 passengers on some ships, you’ll likely find others who think Family Guy is funny too. But some ships and routes do skew younger. Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas features a rock climbing wall and basketball court, places where grandpas may fear to tread. Shorter (i.e., cheaper) three-night cruises to hot spots like Bahamas and Key West attract the young and the restless with great nightlife. Try Carnival Cruise’s Fascination.