BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Vacations should be a day at the beach — not leaving travelers high and dry from expenses.

When planning a trip, thinking ahead and shopping around for the best rates is important.

And with Expedia.com reporting that about 51.2 million Americans aren’t taking enough vacations, tourists are looking for more bang from their vacation buck.

“Planning often is dependent on the type of trip [someone is taking],” said Tim Elsishans, travel consultant from Going Places Inc. in Baltimore. It’s important to “stress the need to shop around. Travel agencies don’t always get the best price, but the Internet won’t always, either.”

If planning a trip locally, residents might want to think twice.

Baltimore vacation costs are the 16th-highest among large U.S. cities. Visitors to Charm City on average spend around $260 ($157 for lodging, plus $103 for meals) per day for a family of four, AAA reported.

A family visiting Maryland can expect to pay around $293 per day. Meanwhile local travelers visiting neighboring states can usually expect to pay more. Delaware ($305), Pennsylvania ($268), Virginia ($252) and West Virginia ($222) also proved to be less-than-cheap options.

One hint for travelers is not undervaluing the convenience of a package trip, Elsishans said. Although sometimes more expensive, package trips save the time, effort and confusion of getting hotel reservations to match up with flights, and often include a meal plan.

Kiplinger magazine’s May edition offers several tips for vacation planners.

The first is to use the Web and shop around, familiarizing yourself with the marketplace. Other hints include trying new locations, traveling after peak season, consider camping as an alternative and, most importantly, being flexible.

“There’s not always one answer for travel,” Elsishans said.

dcarey@baltimoreexaminer.com