Whenever you have the opportunity to go see a new city, you can spend a ton of time researching every point of interest there on the internet, you can post general questions to Facebook and rely on your 400 friends to give you advice, or if it's a major city in the United States, you can check into getting a CityPASS.

The first time I vacationed in New York City, I purchased a CityPASS to give me a little structure but without being tied into an itinerary. I purchased it online, and I picked up the CityPASS book when I got there. Generally, you can buy a CityPASS 90 days in advance of your trip, and as long as it's used within that time frame, you're good to go.

Here's why I love the CityPASS:

1. Save money on some of the best of the city's attractions.

In most cities, you save at least 40% off of the regular price if you were going to buy admissions separately. The only exception is in Southern California, where you're saving 30% on a 3-day Disneyland Resort park hopper PLUS Universal Studios, Sea World San Diego and the San Diego Zoo.

2. You have up to 9 days to use all of the tickets in a CityPASS.

If your vacation is 7 days, give or take a couple of days as most vacations are, the CityPASS is valid for 9 days total - giving you plenty of flexibility in your itinerary.

3. You get a little of everything.

If you like museums, historical landmarks, and cruises, the New York CityPASS is an amazing value. You can go to the Empire State Building, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, The Museum of Modern Art, and your choice of either Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island or Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, plus your choice of either the Guggenheim Museum or Top of the Rock. In San Francisco, you get tickets to California Academy of Sciences, Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise, Aquarium of the Bay, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and your choice of either the Exploratorium or de Young Museum/Legion of Honor, plus a Muni & Cable Car 7-day Passport.

You can buy a CityPASS for any of the following North American cities:

* Atlanta
* Boston
* Chicago
* Hollywood
* Houston
* New York
* Philadelphia
* San Francisco
* Seattle
* Southern California
* Toronto

Buy your CityPASS online, check out what's in your CityPASS book, and get out there this year.

Safe Travels.