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Saving on Vacation Spots
What tips do you have on cutting costs for vacations? Is there a special website, magazine, or place that you have found to save a few bucks? |
We share a cabin with my twin sister and her family every year in Minnesota. We are able to split the cost of the cabin rental, food, etc. We have made it a point to get to know (or we just ask folks) what to do in the local area (when we are not fishing) that is free, fun, educational, or really worth the money. Local people are always willing to share what is best about their area, and many times will point you to the best restaurants, attractions, and best yet free spots. One afternoon, we had a wonderful time, watching several young men practice high jumps from the ski jump area. It was fancinating to see how they did this in the middle of summer and what they wore. We spoke to them and found out they were practicing for a place on the Olympic high jump ski team for the winter olympics!! We have toured museums, factories, schools/universities, mines, libraries, driving tours, visited with the local taxidermist and his wife the furrier, local musuems, pre-manufactured home centers (just to see the new homes and dream - and get ideas), visited quilt and needlework stores, art galleries, pottery shops (and spoken to the artist), wine/vinard shops, went to some unique stores, ate some of the BEST homemade pie in a small town, purchase food at a bakery that ships speciality ethnic baked goods all over the world, ate ethnic foods, went to discount stores which are not in my area. The list is endless. Always stop at the local visitor's center -- but also talk to locals in your area.
This sounds exactly like the type of vacation my family would love. We do not care for the tourist, glitzy destinations. My problem is locating these places. Any suggestions? We live in Southwest Virginia and with gas prices going up again we do not want to drive long distances but would like to visit new locales. We haven't had a vacation in 10 years so we want to make this relaxing and enjoyable.
Day trips are a great way to save money, and you feel like you have done more because you do something different each time. My husband and I have two young children, so we don't want to do anything that they cannot take part in. This summer we will be taking day trips due to schedules and money. Instead of going somewhere else, find out why places in your state are great destinations. We plan to go to the Jacksonville Zoo and Jacksonville Museum of Science and history while visiting family for a few days, this saves us from having to pay for a hotel room. There are other smaller destinations we will be attending too, including a baseball stadium, aquarium, marine centers and other inexpensive venues that are all within four hours from us. Though this isn't the case for everybody, those that aren't sure if there is much to do around them can research these things and you may find that there ae some places closer than you thought. I regret not taking advantage of some of this stuff earlier when living in New Mexico. I could have taken a weekend to see Santa Fe or Carlsbad Caverns, but didn't and now I live on the other side of the U.S.
I live in Central Florida so I am just hours away from many wonderful vacation hot spots. I like to travel off season. I can get a great condoon the beach to stay in for 1/2 the price then during peak season, and in the condo I can cook myself and save $$ instead of eating out. Happy Vacations!! Erika Apopka, Florida
We're planning a trip for next May to Sanibel Island, Florida. The prices are cheaper because it's the off season, which means the beaches will be nice and quiet. We're going to rent a condo, so we can stock the kitchen and eat in as much as we want!
We are headed for Gatlinburg, TN this weekend. Any suggestions on money saving tips?
We put away $10 each week and at the end of the year take a vacation. That way your not hit all of a sudden with a big chunck of change to come up with for a vacation. Then we look for deals on the internet and with AAA to see where we can go for the best low price.
We have been going to the Outer Banks for the past 2 years and are returning for a 3rd visit this July. We rent a beach house with my brother and his family. We save money by sharing the cost of the house, and we save on food. We start the renting process in January so we have until a month before the trip to get it paid in full. We also have 6 months to stock up on food items. The beach houses come with fully equipped kitchens and outdoor grills. During the whole week, we eat out maybe once or twice. We also rent a house in Hatteras. It is way cheaper to stay further south than to rent in touristy towns of Corolla, Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk & Nags Head. The towns of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Frisco, Buxton, Avon & Hatteras have more affordable rentals and are more private and quiet. I love Hatteras.
Homeaway & VRBO are 2 great site for locating vacation homes to rent by the week or month. If you travel during the off season, you can find homes (some with their own pool) that are 1/2 the cost of a hotel. Saving money while eating at home can cut costs also.
- Jeanann said:
We are headed for Gatlinburg, TN this weekend. Any suggestions on money saving tips?
It has been several years since we were there but we listened to one of the time share things while we were there and got free tickets to the aquarium.....It was well worth our time..no pun intended.
When we travel by car, we pack a cooler of food and drinks, so we can eat healthier and cheaper without relying on road food. If we want a treat,or a break, we will stop at a local spot.
Have a home in Dover, Ohio if anyone is interested in staying call 330 343-0037 or contact Susan at susanmetcalf1@verizon.net
I have so mnay ways to save on trips here! I use coupons believe it or not, I search relentleslesslyfor trips that are low cost or no cost and I try to be inventive so the kids and me can have some fun and still save. I've come up with so many ideas I wanted to share them so I am starting a Blog calle Tx Road Trips. I just started it and will hopefully have it going by this weekend. Its a blog on google. Hopefully it will help others without having to do all the searching I've been doing.
- Diana said:
This sounds exactly like the type of vacation my family would love. We do not care for the tourist, glitzy destinations. My problem is locating these places. Any suggestions? We live in Southwest Virginia and with gas prices going up again we do not want to drive long distances but would like to visit new locales. We havent had a vacation in 10 years so we want to make this relaxing and enjoyable.
You are in a beautiful part of the country with endless choices for reasonably priced vacations. Try visiting some of the gem mines in the Franklin, NC area. They are pretty close to the Skyline Drive (another choice!) and offer good, cheap family fun. You are also withing driving distance to many other inexpensive areas such as the Cherokee reservation(also in North Carolina), South Mountain (Roanoke area), West Virginia vistas, Kentucky horse park, Natural Bridge... We live in the middle peninsula area of Virginia but love the mountains. Simply packing a picnic lunch and driving to the nearest "overlook" would be a scene changer and well worth the effort!
- Terri said:
I have so mnay ways to save on trips here! I use coupons believe it or not, I search relentleslesslyfor trips that are low cost or no cost and I try to be inventive so the kids and me can have some fun and still save. Ive come up with so many ideas I wanted to share them so I am starting a Blog calle Tx Road Trips. I just started it and will hopefully have it going by this weekend. Its a blog on google. Hopefully it will help others without having to do all the searching Ive been doing.
I can't wait to check this out. I love to travel and save. Two of my favorite things!!
My husband and I are semi-retired so we have more flexability than most. We try to always travel off season for better fares and when possible we stay in a condo or suite with a kitchenette to make meals easy to prepare and much more cost efficient.Barb
We live in central Pennsylvania.And the best of all vacation places is Knoebels Amusement Park! Sitting in a natural wooded setting.This park has won the golden ticket award for several best amusment park rides and the best food for several years.The best of all it's free addmission and free parking.You only pay for the rides you go on or buy a ride all day wrist band.The food is very reasonable and scrumptious.Or you can just bring a picnic. Its a gem of a park.There are plenty of rides for all ages some brand new and some rides are from days gone by and have been lovingly restored to there former glory like the two wooden roller coasters "phoneix" and the "twister",you get fantastic air time on both.There's plenty of shade and plenty to do thoughout the park.For education there is bald eagle habitat and a mining museum there.There's a grand carousel where you can catch the brass ring.The nostalgic Haunted house and bumpers cars.And the natural spring pool is great. I've seen people bring there dogs into the park..leashed.There's camp grounds and cabins next to the park to rent.I love this place! You get the most for your money here at this amusement park.So you can spend alot of time having fun with your kids.Without busting your budget.Check it out on the web to see for your self.
We went to vegas this past april & spent very little. We didn't gamble a whole lot, took in some sights b/c we were stopped by time-share people to sit through the pitches. We got buffets BOGO free, $100, $20 a ticket for a trip to the grand canyon(instead of $169 a person) which included breakfast & lunch(not a very good breakfast, but not bad considering we didn't pay the whole price) transportation provided). We rented a room w/a small kitchen & went to a grocery store for milk & cereal. Just b/c you're on vacation doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune for one. The time share's though time consuming for a bit, is worth it considering how much you can save in the long run & just tell them no about purchasing one. Getting you in the door w/freebies is how they get some of their owners, but it states on the signature page(reservation only) that all it requires is you sit through 1 hr & 1/2 & no obligation to buy. Well worth it!
Go on a trip with friends and share the cost. Jean
- Erika said:
I live in Central Florida so I am just hours away from many wonderful vacation hot spots. I like to travel off season. I can get a great condoon the beach to stay in for 1/2 the price then during peak season, and in the condo I can cook myself and save $$ instead of eating out. Happy Vacations!! Erika Apopka, Florida
Travelzoo.com check it out
HI! Anyone want to visit MidWest Wisconsin ? I have a year round house to rent . You name the amount of time needed ! Next to a BEAUTIFUL small lake with beach within skipping distance of cottage. Great for swiming /canoeing /fishing / Small motor boats allowed . Great ice fishing lake also (in winter of course)
If interested e-mail dnest@webtv.net
Before heading on any vacation, I check Tripadvisor first. The information I have gotten on the forums there always saves me money.
We love to travel! Having a good travel agent is a must these days. They have access to booking companies that give much better prices than you can find online. We take advantage of All Inclusive vacations to Mexico and the Carribean. Having all of our meals, drinks, and loging paid for upfront really gives us the relaxed feel when on vacation that we are looking for. There is no worry about how much a bottle of wine will cost, or if you want the lobster for dinner... it's already paid for, so you just have to have a great time!
I have found great hotel deals on www.hotwire.com . My husband and I just celebrated our anniversary smack dab in the middle of Chicago's Magnificent Mile for just $99 a night at a 4.5 star hotel. We also saved money by taking the train into town (or you can take the Mega Bus!)
I have used www.orbitz.com for almost all of my travel. You can get great last minute deals and also save like half on hotels booked from that site. I have gotten great deals and now there is an orbit asurance program where if you book a flight and the price lowers, they will refund the difference to you. Also a lot of the time they won't charge extra fees for their services. Cruises are a deal too. Some of my friends use www.priceline.com but I prefer orbitz because you actually know what hotel or airline you are using when you give them your credit card.
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