1. Solidify the group. A New Year's vacation can be a great time for a couple to unwind, for families to play, for friends to reunite. Who is coming on your New Year's vacation? Decide this and a host of new questions will come up regarding times, places, activities and prices. But as long as you know who's going on this trip, all the other questions can be answered.

2. Solidify the details. Once you and your companions are all on board, figure out where you would like to go, how much you would like to spend, what you would like to see and do--including how you would like to spend New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Do you want to be in a major city with a lot going on come New Year's Eve? Do you want to be in a cabin in the woods, just you and your companions and some good champagne? Do you want to set aside serious money to celebrate in a big way? Is there a football fanatic in the bunch who wants access to all those bowl games? Or is how you spend New Year's Eve or New Year's Day not important? These are things to decide up front. It may take several major meetings to figure out the destination, the accommodations, the budget and the departure and return dates, but if everyone is open-minded and listens, compromises can combine to create a trip everyone will enjoy.

For instance, if you're traveling with children and grown-ups, you may want to visit the Disney Resorts during New Year's. Not only does Disney have the traditional parade and fireworks for children, but some of the on-site clubs like Pleasure Island have special New Year's Eve events for adults.

On the other hand,. if your group is more interested in celebrating in the "real world," there are tour packages that can help guide you through everywhere from Time's Square in New York City to Yosemite National Park. It's up to your group to figure out your preference: big city, great outdoors, or somewhere in between.

3. Get those reservations made soon! After you figure out where you want to go, and when, don't hesitate to make your reservations. Chances are good a few other people will be headed exactly where you're headed exactly when you're headed there. The further in advance you can book flights, hotels, even rental cars, the better the chance you will get your choice of dates and times. Getting early reservations also means that you can work off a concrete budget, give other people a lot of notice, and have other details from passports to packing all sorted out ahead of time. No one wants to deal with those hassles during the holiday season.

Remember that even though the Internet makes booking your own travel easy, and many people like to book their own reservations, sometimes a good travel agent can be a timesaver, too. Travel agents may have the inside track on New Year's bargains or may be familiar with packages you can't quickly find online.

4. "Ring in the new year with a deal!" While the holiday season is usually a peak travel season, you may be able to find some deals related to where you're going, the size of your group or when you're willing to travel. Don't forget to search for these deals or hire a travel agent to search for you. On the other hand, don't forget that sometimes peak seasons include "blackout" dates where you can't use frequent flyer miles.

New Year's might be just the right time for you and your family or friends to get away from it all and regroup for the next three hundred and sixty-five days. On the other hand, it might be fun just to be somewhere new and exciting when the New Year rings in. Do they get Dick Clark in Fiji?