City "A" is staging its annual marathon tomorrow. Twenty thousand runners and scores of spectators are coming to town. City "B" is nearby and uncrowded.

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The fairly obvious budget travel choice in each case is "B."

But many of us are drawn in by the hype surrounding a certain city or event and we "just have to" visit at that time.

If the new ride or the marathon are important to you, no one is suggesting you shouldn't attend. But if they are not a top priority, stay away!

Do not ignore special events, just avoid them if possible. The recent Jubilee 2000 was a good example of why this advice is valid.

Jubilee 2000 was a series of religious events that no doubt had profound spiritual significance for those in attendance. Many events were staged in Europe.

Locales removed from the epicenter of the Jubilee 2000 plans faced a drop-off in summer tourism without some good financial incentives for potential visitors. Bargain hunters in the year 2000 took advantage of those deals, whether or not they attended the Jubilee events.

Another strategy: find the places where tourism is down and plan a visit.

Travelers willing to go to New York or Washington, DC soon after the terrorist attacks reaped tremendous bargains. Some might view that as gain from another's misfortune. But most in both cities saw those bargain-seekers as honored guests rather than vultures.

Is a Caribbean destination struggling to recover visitors after a devastating hurricane? What about exploring that inland city that is less-visited and less-expensive than its coastal counterparts?

One final thought that takes us back to the theme park: the new ride will be there next year, too. It might be even better. The lines will certainly be shorter.

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Photograph (c) 2002 Mark Kahler, licensed to About.com, Inc.