If you do go with laminate, make sure you splurge on good underlayment. It's all fairly inexpensive, but it makes a world of difference. Having said that, there are a ton of great vinyls on the market now. There are sheets, strips, even stuff that doesn't have to be glued down and is removable, although it's comparatively expensive.
Another suggestion: if possible, do not buy the flooring at a big-box store. The reason is that the box store inventory is the same for extended periods, hence it gets put into a lot of houses. When I go to an open house where everything came from the same box, and it's all the base-grade stuff, it screams "Joe Homeowner - DIY Alert" to me. Nothing against DIY'ers per se, it's just that there are a lot of scary results out there. I think it can also create the impression that the work was done cheaply, and not high quality. Costco often has value priced options that are not in the store for long. ReStore and Craigslist can also be good. The best source for variety is a specific flooring store. No one wants your business more these days than a small business owner. They tend to be specialists, so they have a much wider array of goods at all price points to help you make a selection that's right for your home and will look good for years to come.