Chalk up another one for Twitter. I was surfing there last week when an opportunity came to win a facsimile copy of Europe on $5 a Day by Arthur Frommer. The little book first appeared in 1957 and it revolutionized travel for thousands of North Americans. Wiley published a 50th anniversary edition in 2007, and happily, I was one of the lucky giveaway winners.

What's the big deal about a book with highly outdated information from 52 years ago?

Before this groundbreaking work appeared, most travelers were under the sad impression that visiting Europe was only for the rich. All others could read about the Piazza San Marco, Lake Geneva or the sidewalks of Paris in books. Frommer gave everyday people (like me) hope for visiting Europe by packing his little book with scores of practical tips.

Europe on $5 a Day came out two years before I was born. But a generation later, Frommer was still writing and updating his original copy. I think the first one I saw was Europe on $50 a Day. The prices had changed, but the concepts and advice still were sound.

When my facsimile copy of the $5 version arrived this week, I expected to find some interesting prices from 1957, and I wasn't disappointed. On the very first page, Frommer decried an unnamed guidebook that he said implied authentic Parisian tours could only begin from five-star hotels: "This tome states that one really can't consider staying in Paris at hotels other than the Ritz, the Crillon or the Plaza Athénée (at $30 for room and bath)..."

According to the usinflationcalculator.com, $30 in 1957 equates to $231 in 2009. At this writing, the cheapest rack rate I can find for the lowest level of room on the Ritz Paris Web site is €550 (about $820 USD).

But not everything was cheaper in 1957. Consider overseas airfares: Frommer cited a New York-London round trip coach class airfare of $522. Usinflationcalculator.com says that's $4012 in 2009. Most times of year, you could probably fly four people for that amount today. But Frommer mentioned that in 1957, there was an installment plan for airfares called "Pay Later." He also cited "excursion fares" for people who would spend 15 days or less overseas. The New York-London round trip excursion fare was cited as $425.

Read on, and you'll discover Frommer directed his 1957 readers to a three-course meal in Paris for 85 cents, a second-class Venice hotel room for $1.30/night and deluxe hotels in Athens for between $2.00 and $2.85 per night.

Even when adjusted for inflation, most of those opportunities could not be found today. But Frommer (whom I consider the father of modern budget travel) demystified places like London, Paris and Munich. He showed people they could indeed afford to visit these places without going broke if they were willing to look for no-frills options and live like the locals.

Mr. Frommer, thank you for writing that book back in 1957. It started a travel revolution from which we all benefit to this day.

_{Image courtesy Frommers.com}

Here's the latest list of 10 travel deals. Many of these links lead to offers with a very limited shelf life, so if you're interested, act quickly. But don't act so quickly that you miss the fine print. For deals that aren't quite so fleeting, check out Fall deals. This week's deals include some beachfront holiday bargains, shopping trip savings, and airfare discounts for Asia.

Is the airline credit card still in its heyday? I think not. These cards became popular many years ago because they allowed budget travelers to earn frequent flyer miles from everyday purchases like groceries and oil changes. But airline frequent flyer miles have become increasingly difficult to use as a budget travel tool. Many of us like to shop multiple airlines for a good deal, pay for those bargains in cash, and then use travel rewards to book hotels or car rentals. A bank-based travel rewards credit card works quite well in that scenario. What is best for you? There is no blanket answer. You must look at your own patterns of spending and travel. You must ask yourself if being tied to one carrier through an airline credit card is best.

I am usually quite skeptical of news releases with polling data or "research" conducted in the best interests of a business. Many deserve to be ignored because they are transparent attempts to get the company's name into news content.

But two recent studies pertaining to the upcoming holiday travel season prompted me to take a second look.

Travelocity did an analysis of holiday flight bookings showing the costliest flight itineraries a passenger can purchase ($459 on average) are for Nov. 22-29 (Sun.-Sun.) or Nov. 25-29 (Wed.-Sun.). When adjusted to a Nov. 26 departure with return Dec. 1 (Thurs.-Tues.), they found an average fare of $280. As always, the travelers with flexible schedules get the best deals.

American Express Spending & Saving Tracker reports current consumer attitudes about spending and savings: Although 19 percent of those surveyed who traveled last holiday season plan on staying home this year, 41 percent still plan to travel in the next 30 days. Notice this: the survey found about eight in 10 will spend more on dining out but cut back on grocery expenditures.

Half of the current Deals of the Week are airfare sales. But budget travelers who search online can find deals on hotels, resort stays and ski trips, too.

Bottom line: despite the economic gloom, lots of holiday trips are planned or booked, and there are still deals out there for the taking.

This might seem like an odd time of year to bring up planning a budget vacation to Paris. After all, the warm summer months are long gone and the romantic "Springtime in Paris" days are still many months in the future. But many budget travelers like to visit this favorite destination in the so-called off season, when airfares and hotel rates are generally much cheaper. Need some other ideas for affording a trip to Paris? Take a look at 10 illustrated tips for saving money on Paris vacations. If your heart is set on Spring in Paris, you'll have plenty of time to make money-saving plans. If not, these tips will get you moving on an off season plan of action.

Here's the latest list of 10 travel deals. Many of these links lead to offers with a very limited shelf life, so if you're interested, act quickly. But don't act so quickly that you miss the fine print. For deals that aren't quite so fleeting, check out Fall deals. This week's deals include airfare sales on U.S. flights; discounts on flights to Italy; and more hotel discounts for holiday shopping destinations.

Good budget travelers avoid baggage claim and simply carry-on their luggage when flying. Given the rapid escalation of airline baggage fees, it makes a lot of sense to do so. But this widespread practice is now creating a mad scramble for space in overhead storage bins on many flights. Sometimes, passengers place bags that are really too big to be carried on, and people coming after them find there is no overhead room. They're not too happy when this situation forces them to pay a checked baggage fee.

The issue has attracted government attention. The U.S. Congress is now considering a bill that would standardize and clarify the dimensions of carry-on baggage and personal items on air carriers.

Packing properly for a budget trip has never been more important. You'll need help, so consider some accessories that could help you save on baggage fees.

Airlines are determined to increase these fees and make you pay for heavy baggage. You should be equally determined to travel with one properly-sized carry-on bag as your main piece of luggage and leave the heavy stuff at home.

Here's the latest list of 10 travel deals. Many of these links lead to offers with a very limited shelf life, so if you're interested, act quickly. But don't act so quickly that you miss the fine print. For deals that aren't quite so fleeting, check out Fall deals. This week's deals include discounts on room rates in New York during holiday shopping season; specials from Rail Europe; and airfare sales to Asia and Australia.

Ski deals in October? The calendar says winter doesn't begin for another few months, but snow and cold are already common in higher elevations, where ski enthusiasts are already making plans. Defining ski season can be just as tricky as using a calendar to decide it's winter. There are several "seasons" within the time resorts are open. Choose your time and place with help from these links for ski deals in the United States, Canada and Europe. Click on comments below to tell us about great ski deals you've snagged.

Remember all the great holiday travel bargains that started popping up about this time last year? Many were designed to encourage travel in the midst of an economic downturn. People who waited until the last minute to book a holiday trip often reaped some nice financial benefits.

As you search for low fares in 2009, don't count on a repeat of last year's good fortune. In fact, it's beginning to look like the opposite could be true this year.

The New York Times reports holiday airfares are on the rise. Michelle Higgins writes that modest increases since mid-September are in the 6-10 percent range, but she also cites other examples of individual fares up more than 50 percent during that time.

More bad news: Airlines such as American, Delta, United and US Airways have added a $10 surcharge to fares on the peak holiday travel periods such as the weekends after Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Airlines are also cutting back on the number of seats available on certain routes.

It could add up to an interesting holiday season for budget travelers. It's possible many who traditionally visit relatives during this time won't change their travel patterns too much. But what about others who are considering a vacation during the holidays? Will many simply stay home rather than deal with soaring airfares? Vote in our poll and watch Deals of the Week, where I try to post a few last-minute offers that could save you money. As always -- but especially now -- if you find a good deal, book it immediately. Chances are good it will be gone in a flash.