How to vacation without buying gas...too much

It's nearly summertime, and that means you can look forward to hours on the road, on the rail or in the air. Of course, there's no way to completely cut gas out of your life when talking about transportation, but there are ways to cut gas out of your vacation: Public transportation.

Now, sure, the New York subway transportation can be frightening to visitors not familiar with mass transit, but that doesn't mean it's not safe and cheap. As a matter of fact, it's cheaper than renting a car and filling your tank up with $4/gallon gas, driving in circles and shelling out for a GPS.

While you have your vacation planner out, prepare for hot spots to visit. If you're considering the nation's capital, consider seeing the sights on the metro system that can transport you from downtown D.C. to the outskirts of Maryland and Virginia, all for a low price of $7.80. And, if you think getting around is going to be hard, well, there are now web sites that can give directions from point A to point B. Despite the ads around NYC, you shouldn't have to rely on celebrities to help get you around. There are ways you can navigate the city, save on gas, and have more money to splurge on the kids.

Take a look at 5 major cities, and the estimated costs to get around. Traveling just got a little easier.