From the Miami Herald:
My trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls differed from my two previous last-minute trips in one significant way: Instead of buying a package trip, I booked everything separately — flights, two hotels and a rental car. I used opaque sites — Web sites where you don’t know the hotel, airline or rental car agency you’re getting until you make the purchase — for the first time.
There was a lot more room for trouble, but other than some minor problems at the airport, I didn’t have any. And I got bargain prices on everything.