Americans who live in warmer climates have some distinct advantages over those who live in regions where winter is a very real -- and very cold -- phenomenon.

But residents in Florida, Arizona and Southern California don't have to be the only ones who enjoy pleasing temperatures while everyone else is shivering through long spells of cold.

Win A Trip | Plan A Trip | Winter Deals

For many people, taking a vacation to a warmer part of the world is an escape from the winter blues. Not only is it a way to stay out of the bitter cold, but it's also sometimes cheaper depending on where and when you go.

So how does one find the best deals for warm-weather travel throughout the winter?

Packages Offer Best Deals

According Steve Loucks, a spokesman for the leisure division of Carlson-Wagonlit Travel, the packaged travel route is often the best way to go.

"Travel agencies actually have some exceptional pricing that is made available to them through key tour operators that have an aggregated product that they only offer through travel agencies," Loucks said.

Some travel and tour operators provide total vacation packages -- including airfare, ground transportation, hotel, attractions and some meals -- that are offered directly to consumers. Other providers sell similar packages through travel agencies, which often buy large numbers of rooms and tickets at lower rates that are reflected in the final package price.

Loucks said he believes the best way to go is through a package-deal provider of some kind because those vendors have much more leverage to negotiate lower prices than the individual consumer. Regardless of where you look, he said, it will always trump the strategy of trying to piece together a travel package yourself.

"That is probably the least advantageous route to go because you're going to be paying top-dollar," Loucks said. "Most of these tour operators buy in bulk ... they even work with car rental companies and on-site destination management companies to ensure that they're giving you a full product that you could never put together yourself at the same price."

Ken Pomerantz, president and director of sales and marketing for MLT Worldwide Vacations, said he thinks it's a good idea to use the Web to monitor fares and hotel deals. But he also said that when you're ready to book, you should check around with travel agents and tour operators to get the latest and best deals.

"Someone sitting in their shorts in front of a computer may not know all the sites to check or call, and it's a travel agent that can help you with that," Pomerantz said.

The middle of winter is one of the most popular times for sunny destinations, so it's important to know that if you wait until after the holidays, you're going to be traveling during a peak tourism period. But even after the holidays, you can still find some great deals on travel to both wildly popular and less-thought-of destinations.

Loucks and Pomerantz singled out five of the hottest locales that offer high value this winter for snowbirds looking to escape from the chill. Although most options on the list are already well-known to travelers, there are two options that are probably unfamiliar -- and perhaps surprising.

Top 5 Values

1. Caribbean Cruises: Cruises are a perennial favorite for many travelers, and interest in them only continues to rise. But along with the increase in interest has come a drop in prices.

Bookings are up in part because many cruise operators are offering big discounts on packages to popular destinations. According to Loucks, the Caribbean is hot right now because the supply of cruises has gone up, prompting carriers to fight for market share.

"There's exceptional value right now for cruises in that region, primarily because of the large number of ships and itineraries that are being offered by every cruise line," Loucks said. "So there's a lot of competition, and that's giving consumers a lot of bang for the buck."

2. Cancun: Long known as the home of spring break for many a college student, Cancun's resorts are good for more than just partying. In fact, since being hammered during the 2005 hurricane season, the popular destination is perhaps bigger than ever.

"(Cancun) is really up and running, and it is welcoming travelers back," Loucks said. "We've only seen a minor dip in advance bookings for this current season."

Pomerantz said packages to Cancun are once again starting to pick up, with three-night, air-hotel packages from Des Moines, Iowa, for example, running at about $700 per person. He also said the new value added to the resort area makes it an especially good deal this winter.

"They've rebuilt the beach, expanded the beach ... the hotels have done all sorts of upgrades, and it is just a fabulous-looking destination that people are flocking to," Pomerantz said.

Better-quality opportunities are also helping the industry right now, with many destination hotels in the region offering better deals and higher-quality service than ever, Pomerantz added.

"A lot of the hotels in the Caribbean and in Mexico have introduced all-inclusive options or have just become total all-inclusive hotels, and they've really upgraded their restaurant offerings," he said.

3. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: Punta Cana is gaining in popularity, driven by its low-cost -- yet world-class -- resorts and beaches.

According to Pomerantz, East Coast travelers have been well aware of the lesser-known destination for a while. He said that it's just now catching on with travelers in other parts of the United States.

Loucks agreed, adding that "(Punta Cana) has really emerged as a popular, low-cost destination, as many of the other Caribbean islands have seen huge price increases over the last several years."

4. Hawaii: One of the most consistently popular destinations for U.S. tourists, Hawaii is trying to bounce back from a magnitude 6.7 earthquake that could be felt across much of the island chain in October.

However, virtually all of the resorts recovered quickly and are trying hard to lure tourists back. Much of the offerings on the island of Oahu, for example, are virtually brand-new with renovated rooms and new attractions.

"In Waikiki and Waikiki Beach there is a ton of renovation and remodeling and growth," Pomerantz said. "So for people who haven't been to Hawaii in the last 18 months or two years, there is a ton of new stuff to do in terms of upgraded hotels and restaurants, activities ... it's worth another look."

5. Europe (especially Italy, Spain and Greece): Many people consider Europe to be a summer destination. While it's true that the moderate to warm summers can be a huge draw to perennially popular places such as Paris and Berlin, it's also true that the prices are commensurate with the high demand.

In the winter months, there are huge deals to be had -- especially in the warmer climate of the Mediterranean destinations, where some of the least-expensive travel times are from November through April.

Loucks said that whether you're looking for individual, couples or family travel, winter might be the best time to see many parts of Europe.

"If families are really looking for some of the best deals that are out there, (they) may want to consider avoiding the sun and going to a place like Europe, because Europe in the wintertime is really one of the best deals out there," he said. "The peak travel season to Europe is always during the summer months, and everybody has this notion that going to Europe is going to be cold every other month of the year, but you've got warmer destinations, such as Italy and Spain, that really have a temperate climate throughout much of the year.

"But the rates at hotels, the rates on airfare and the rates on everything else come down dramatically. Sure, you have to worry about the value of the dollar, but there's a tremendous bang for the buck for anyone who is looking to go to Europe during the off season."

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