planning my first outside usa trip for this Oct 2003. family of four to playa del carmen/cozumel area. 14 and 11 yr old kids. which is best all inclusive hotel with decent beach. we won't do much else other than the resort itself because it will take all our money just to get there. best value/best return of investment needed, if you know what i mean. probably only time we will make it as a family for a trip like this. thanks for any and all tips and insider help

My wife and I travel all over - at teh drop of a hat. She got laid off (so she has time) and I have United Airlines miles that I'm afraid of losing so we are going to Buenos Aires next month. <BR><BR>I've been to Cancun and was not to fond of it. It's too crowded and EVERYTHING is too expensive. May I suggest Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo. Like Cancun, its also a Fonotar resort. Its on the West Coast of Mexico, not too far from Acapulco. The area is made of of two bays. The more southern of the two bays,Zihuatanejo, is a real fishing with real people living and working. The Norhtern bay, Ixtapa is a planned beach resort with many hotels. In between teh two bays is the Las Brisas resort which is the JEWEL. ZIH is 100% safe, less than half as much as Cancun for hotels, meals, and entertainment, has great beaches, golf and shopping. Think about it.

Also.... Early October is still Huricane season. And this is supposed to be a big year for Atlantic huricanes. Although it is extremely unlikely that you will be hit, it can mean that you have many rainy or overcast days. <BR><BR>If you are thinking about the end of October, you migh also want to consider the Caymen Islands. Its expensive but condos can be fiar priced. AND....The end of October is PIRATE WEEK. The Caymens were founded by pirates and every year they celebrate with parades and loads of fun.

Have you considered renting a small house or condo? This can save you tons of money on food, drinks, tips, etc. Especially in Cozumel, (which I think would be cheaper than PDC) you can rent houses in town for very little. Then spend all your time at the great public beaches, eat at home, take picnics, and eat very inexpensively at local restaurants for dinners out. There are lots of places for teens - like Pizza Hut, etc if they aren't into traditional foods. The local grocery - really a super market - has all you would need to set up housekeeping. Many of the houses even come with a small pool. Do a Google search for &quot;Cozumel+vacation rentals&quot; and you will see many choices. Just a suggestion.

If you monitor worryfreevacations.com<BR>or similar sights you should be able to get good deals for oct if you wait until<BR>August or so to book. You could also consider visiting isla-mujeres.net which is a small island 10 miles off Cancun which is a much less expensive place than PDC or COZ. No AI on IM but hotel and food prices are much less. Check out Norte Beach Condos which would be about $70 in OCT. <BR>You can also e-mail me for a 26 page brochure on the island. Home grown and free