It's inescapable: the biggest vacations tend to come with the biggest headaches. Sure, you can slip in and out of Branson, Missouri stress-free, but try to plan a rewarding, no-hassle family excursion to New York City or Chicago and the sheer scale of the endeavor is enough to sour the fun for all involved.

The problem, as it is with most of the modern American's failed exploits, is traffic, or less specifically, transportation. Let's face it: the average downtown metropolis is a tangled web of congestion with one-way off-shoots scattered about like shrapnel. It's no place for a first-timer. Every city has its own rules, its own personality and its own expectations of your fellow man. And nothing can bum out a trip faster than missing a show because you were stuck in traffic/couldn't find the exit/got lost/etc.

The solution, as it is with most of the modern American's failed exploits, is research. Virtually all of that next big city trip's hair-pulling potential can be eliminated with a patient head during the planning phase. Consider the full breadth of transportation options, and don't resign yourself to auto-addiction just because you use a car back home. When in doubt, do what the locals do.

Here we'll give your vacation planning a head start with transportation tips and suggestions for America's four largest cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. Just to make it that much easier, hotels are recommended for each location.

Since our subjects have been chosen for their size, it's unavoidable that your specific travel needs may require less-than-optimal arrangements, and after all, these are just suggestions. Nevertheless, in any large city you will find that dependable strategies emerge.

America's largest city and also one of its most exciting. There are few places you can visit in the United States that are more diverse yet still so distinctly American. The City That Never Sleeps has an aura about it, some of it really there, some of it formed from the perceptions you've developed over a lifetime of TV, movies, books and stories of what the city is like. If visiting for the first time, you're in for a thrilling experience, provided you don't let a few bad choices stand in your way.

Tip #1 - Don't rent a car! True, this is a country forged on the mighty steel of automobile barons. There's a sort of do-it-yourself mentality to owning one's own vehicle, but unless you plan on traveling through Queens or Staten Island (and let's face it, you don't), there's just no reason to have a car in New York City. The roads are a mess with taxi cabs, public vehicles and pedestrians, traffic laws are strict and unusual (no right on red), prevalence of one-way streets makes navigation difficult for newcomers and parking is extortionate whenever it isn't impossible. It can't be said enough: do not drive! Instead...

Tip #2 - Embrace public transportation, especially the subway. Most New York residents don't own a car for the simple fact that they don't have to. The subway and bus systems of New York are among the nation's most efficient and effective. Yes, the subways do appear a bit grimy, but they operate 24/7, are always on time, are inexpensive and have a remarkable safety record despite what you may have heard. As long as you restrict your activities to Manhattan Island, and most first-time visitors do, the subway system will get you within walking distance of anywhere you need to go. Metrocards are necessary to enter the subway station; you can find more information about them at http://www.mta.info/metrocard/. Free maps are available at all token booths.

Tip #3 - Do what the locals do ... within reason. The locals know the best and fastest ways to get around, but there's usually a learning curve. On-foot etiquette can be especially dangerous if all you do is go with the flow. Jaywalking is an epidemic in New York, but it's in the hands of people who know the rhythm of the city. You should always think twice before jaywalking, even if everyone else seems to be doing it. Remember, better safe than sorry.

Hotel Recommendations - Staying in Manhattan is expensive no matter what, so go ahead and reward yourself for your trouble. The Jumeirah Essex House, an historic Central Park NY hotel, will pamper you with the finest upscale New York City experience. If you're looking to save and willing to travel, consider one of the many New York suburbs. The Crowne Plaza Englewood, a refreshing New Jersey hotel, offers affordable rates only 10 miles from Times Square (shuttle available).

America's second largest city offers an entirely different experience than New York thanks to one rather devilish development: sprawl. While New York, and Manhattan Island in particular, is very compact relative to its population, the City of Angels stretches on and on. Two hours is not an unreasonable amount of time to spend crossing the entire metropolitan area (by car!), and unfortunately, the public transportation system may not have your back.

Tip #1 - Rent a car. The subway, light rail and bus systems have made valiant strides in the past two decades, but they're still not reliable tools in the hands of vacationing sightseers. Popular attractions are miles part, and the hassle and expense of multiple line transfers simply aren't worth the trouble. Indeed, L.A. is notorious for its wall-to-wall traffic, but while the roads are congested, that doesn't mean they are moving slowly. Planning ahead and knowing your route forwards and backwards is crucial for having a positive (or at least tolerable) driving experience. There is no ideal option, but driving is the least of the evils and is all but necessary to see many suburban attractions.

Tip #2 - Expand your horizons. You've already got the car, go ahead and use it! While they don't have the name recognition of must-sees like

Tip #3 - Carefully consider your airport. If you're flying in, Los Angeles International (LAX) is the obvious choice, but not necessarily the best one. It has the benefit of offering cheaper flights on average and being closest to Hollywood and central L.A. in purely physical terms, but connections from the airport are time consuming and, in the case of taxis, expensive. You'll have more of a drive from other airports such as Long Beach Airport (LGB) and Orange County/John Wayne Airport (SNA), but since you should be renting a car anyways, the experience might actually prove easier. If you can, get a flight into Bob Hope (Burbank) Airport (BUR). It's close to Los Angeles and easy to navigate from.

Hotel Recommendations - With sprawl comes choice; a choice that depends largely on what you want to see and do. Here's a list of options scattered through the city:

For a fine choice in hotels near Burbank Bob Hope Airport, consider the Hilton Los Angeles North / Glendale.

For inexpensive hotels near Long Beach Airport, consider the Doubletree San Pedro.

For hotels in downtown Los Angeles, consider the Kyoto Grand Hotel & Gardens.

For Redondo Beach hotels near LAX, consider the Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach.

For Santa Barbara Airport hotels, consider Holiday Inn Santa Barbara-Goleta Hotel.

America's third largest city, The City That Works really is! Considering its size and population density, it's impressive to discover that Chicago simply isn't plagued by the extreme traffic of New York or the public transportation woes of Los Angeles. You can travel efficiently in your own vehicle or you can rely on public means, both good options, and except for a few crunchy spots downtown, you can typically get wherever you want to go with minimal effort.

Tip #1 - Listen to your heart. It's still recommended that first-time visitors to Chicago utilize public transportation, but if you genuinely prefer having your own car, go ahead and do it. Except for the multi-leveled downtown and Loop districts, Chicago is a breeze to navigate with street numbering systems that are consistent and, glory of glories, make sense! There are two possible concerns, however. Most highways have both a U.S. designation number and an un-posted moniker, and locals are likely to use the latter, so be sure to memorize both. Also, many of the most popular Chicago attractions are located downtown in The Loop, arguably the most difficult place to drive. Cars are fine, but bear this in mind.

Tip #2 - Trust the taxis. You can always trust big city taxis, but you can't always trust that standard rates mean a good deal. In Chicago, however, the fares are reasonable, making taxis an affordable and quick means of both planned and last-minute travel. Hint: take note of the closest intersection for every stop on your itinerary. Providing this to your driver might earn you a faster (i.e. cheaper) trip.

Tip #3 - Travel the tracks. One of the worst things about traveling in this country is that it so often feels like a chore. We've conditioned ourselves to resent the act with busy, busy, busy attitudes. Chicago offers an opportunity to get back to the joy of cross-country travel with its bustling rail system. Most major U.S. cities have train access to Chicago, and you should consider taking the train in. Affordability is one advantage, for sure, but the real advantage is the experience. The sights and sounds of train travel can't be duplicated by any other method, and as airfare soars into the stratosphere, there's never been a better time to rediscover this American pastime.

Hotel Recommendations - Once again, the options are considerable, depending largely on where you wish to stay and what you wish to do. Here are multiple choices:

For a Chicago area hotel near O'Hare Airport, choose the Wyndham O'Hare.

For downtown Chicago hotels, consider the Hilton Garden Inn Chicago - Magnificent Mile.

For Northwest Chicago hotels, consider the Doubletree Hotel Chicago - Schaumburg.

For North Chicago hotels, consider the Doubletree Hotel Chicago - Wood Dale.

For Chicago North Shore hotels in Deerfield, consider the Embassy Suites Deerfield.

For a famous luxury Chicago hotel, visit the Silversmith Hotel & Suites.

America's fourth largest city, Houston suffers the same growing pains as Los Angeles, only on steroids. The problem once again is sprawl. Everything in Houston is relatively far apart, something common to many Texas cities where the ideas that "Everything's Bigger in Texas" and "Bigger is Better" are oft cited creeds. Of course, when it comes to navigating an unfamiliar city, bigger is almost never better. Here are some tips to help you out.

Tip #1 - Rent a car! No ifs, ands, or buts about it, a personal vehicle is mandatory if you wish to travel Houston. While the new METRORail light rail is growing in popularity, it's young, doesn't cover a lot of ground and you'll have to drive to the Park & Ride Station anyway. In general, the city is also not pedestrian-friendly, so walk carefully when you must. Speaking of careful, Houston has amassed a pitiful record of rail-on-car crime. Be very cautious when crossing rail tracks, always read signs thoroughly and never try to outrun a train.

Tip #2 - Plan ahead and avoid traffic. Among Texans, Houston traffic is the example to end all arguments. No matter how bad you think you have it, a Texan is likely to say, "Well, at least it ain't Houston." Congestion is an obvious problem, especially in the downtown business districts and the West Loop, but another primary cause is much more frustrating: construction. With sprawl comes lots of road, and with lots of road comes near-constant maintenance and construction. Avoid these problems as much as you can by learning your route thoroughly, researching alternate routes, keeping a road guide on hand at all times and utilizing real-time traffic guides like the Houston TranStar.

Tip #3 - Be respectful. On September 11-13, 2008, Hurricane Ike ripped into the city of Houston causing structural damage throughout the metropolis. Electricity and some municipal services may still be missing in sections of the city. Of course, this has only further aggravated the traffic situation. Before choosing to visit, research the situation to be sure that the trip will be worth the effort. Meanwhile, bear in the mind that as reconstruction gets underway, the local economy would be more than happy to receive your travel dollars.

Hotel Recommendations - Because you will be driving either way, staying within city limits where you can quickly move from hotel to attractions and back to hotel is a smart choice. Neither of the suggested hotels was damaged by Hurricane Ike.

For downtown hotels in Houston, consider the Crowne Plaza Houston - Downtown.

For other hotels in Houston, Texas, consider the Crowne Plaza Houston - West.

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