Summer ends, and the deals start up

AUTUMN is a pleasant time to travel in the United States. Crowds are smaller, hotels usually reduce their rates and airlines compete for your business.

Recreational vehicles are not fully booked and are often available for rental at half the summer price. In sunny locales, including Southern California, the deal is simple: Rent for three nights, get three extra free; rent for seven nights, get an extra seven free. A 24-footer with a three-night rate of $425 would cost $425 for six nights. Call Cruise America, (800) 327-7799, www.cruiseamerica.com. Ask for the special rate.

Train touring in the United States and Canada is also a bargain in fall and early winter, especially if you buy a $495 North American Rail Pass for use in both countries. Grab a window seat and keep chugging for 30 days of unlimited travel to places north and south of the border, such as Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Toronto, Miami, Montreal, St. Louis, New York, Denver, San Diego, Atlanta, and Vancouver, Canada. The one caveat: You must book a segment in each country before purchasing the pass. Other than that, you can make reservations on the fly. From now through Dec. 31, the 30-day pass costs $495. (Students, children younger than 19 and seniors 60 and older pay $445.50.) Contact Amtrak at (800) 872-7245, www.amtrak.com.

Many major attractions in the U.S. slow down in the fall, and that’s particularly true at South Dakota’s mountain sculptures: Mt. Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial. A three-night Black Hills visit, with a choice of hotels and motels, is $425 per person, double occupancy. Included in the package is LAX airfare, lodging, a three-day Avis car rental, admission to the Crazy Horse Memorial and a two-for-one breakfast at Mt. Rushmore. Extra nights are $25; single supplement is $153. Contact Black Hills Vacations, (888) 636-0643, www.blackhillsvacations.com, to book or for more information.

Vancouver, Canada, is another good off-season choice. When the International Olympic Committee recently chose Vancouver as host of the 2010 Winter Games, it reinforced what many people already knew: This cosmopolitan coastal city, with nearby beautiful mountain scenery, is ready for the spotlight.

In autumn and winter you can see what the hype is all about with a three-night stay in the city’s tallest hotel, the Empire Landmark, as well as airfare and transfers, for rates as low as $314.85 per person, double occupancy, from LAX. Prices are lowest Oct. 1 to Nov. 30, rising slightly in December and January. (Some dates around the holidays may be sold out.) Extra nights $23; single supplement $106. The tour operator is Alaska Airlines Vacations; (800) 468-2248, www.alaskaair.com.

Fall is a fine time to visit San Francisco too, in terms of visitors and expense.

You can spend four nights at the tastefully decorated Carlton Hotel, built in 1928 and located downtown near Union Square. It offers free coffee, tea and newspapers and goes for $383.50 per person, double occupancy, from LAX, including airfare. Prices are based on Monday or Tuesday departures in November and December (some dates are blacked out) on America West; contact America West Vacations at (800) 942-8564, www.americawestvacations.com.