Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Buy the computer game World of Warcraft. I have been all over that world and it's just like a virtual vacation. Years ago when Everquest first came out, I spend an entire week playing the game, 12 to 14 hours a day. Great cheap fun.
What tips can you give for an inexpensive vacation?
Its a subjective thing, but, assuming a Family of Four having two adolescents with at least a week to devote ....
1. Camping (Tent or cheap Cabin) at any number of State Parks in your State or adjoining State that offer a variety of activities , scheduled events, or hiking/sightseeing opportunities (Google 'State Parks' along with the name of your State) . These usually make for some very memorable family experiences and are quite cheap . Travel by car and make some interesting short stops along the way to see things of interest. Plan out the road trip well .
2. Visit out of town Relatives you like alot and scout out things you can do in their general locale with your family ; you probably wont have to pay for motels by staying at their place (?) . Plan a good variety of things to do and see along the way and take a different road route back home .
3. Think of very good Friends, Neighbors, or Relatives who have a Vacation Home somewhere within the Continental U.S. that you can stay at for free or for very little rent and plan out things to do in that locale .
4. If youve got less than a week to devote for a family vacation, then, consider a Hotel like Embassy Suites Hotel Chain that have special getaway offers for families . Thier Suites are like an apartment with lots of room to move around in and offer all the popular amenities such as indoor/outoor pools, suana, fitness room, mani/peti/massage , whirlpool , dvd player, kids game room, et al.... Order in a big Pizza which you can cook on the furnished stove/microwave . Send the kids down to the swimming pool for a couple of hours while you Parents 'get re-acquainted' again by taking advantage of ALL the furniture (Ohhhh go ahead , youre on vacation ! ) . Pretend your Adam and Eve meeting for the very first time..lol..
My wife and I planned a Disney World vacation in February during the off season. Downside is some attractions are closed for repairs or renovations. Plus side is cost savings. For real cheap vacations, try looking at what's available within 4 hours drive from home. People would be surprised what's available within their home state.
When I was a kid, we would spend a week camping wayyyy up in Yosemite (I mean WAY up)-we really really "camped", and by that I mean we would take our sleeping bags, an old piece of foam (like a mattress cover, but the "old" kind from way back), put the sleeping bags on the foam and crash out under the stars..listening to the river or stream that my dad would always set up camp by, and slept like a baby. Never had a problem with any bears or anything like that, cooked over a campfire, went fishing, hiking, best memories of my life.
My older brother told me a few years ago that he and his wife 'went camping'- they stayed in a hotel up in Yosemite- I couldn't believe he said "camping" with a straight face, LOL
When I was a kid, we would spend a week camping wayyyy up in Yosemite (I mean WAY up)-we really really "camped", and by that I mean we would take our sleeping bags, an old piece of foam (like a mattress cover, but the "old" kind from way back), put the sleeping bags on the foam and crash out under the stars..listening to the river or stream that my dad would always set up camp by, and slept like a baby. Never had a problem with any bears or anything like that, cooked over a campfire, went fishing, hiking, best memories of my life.
My older brother told me a few years ago that he and his wife 'went camping'- they stayed in a hotel up in Yosemite- I couldn't believe he said "camping" with a straight face, LOL
We still camp, in camping cabins, upgraded from tents, but it's still camping.
The new thing I've discovered for discount travel is credit card points. My card has a special every few months where I get extra cash back on purchases at certain places, like restaurants, gas stations, groceries...etc. It's great and I've used points to book flights.
I also think it's a good idea to rent a house if you have more than a few people on your trip. It can cost just as much as a couple of hotel rooms plus you can cook your own meals and buy your own drinks to make at the house, which saves a lot.
I recently heard about something called Airbnb. It's a site where people list rooms in their homes or entire houses or apartments for short term rental. I haven't tried it but I might give it a try for my next trip. I've seen some nice studio apartments that rent cheaper per night than hotels in the same area. Has anyone tried it??
One word. Camping. Cook your own food, skip eating out. You can buy a tent sleeping bags, etc relatively inexpensively. Camp site a whole lot cheaper than a motel. And if its kids, they will love the sense of adventure. We still remember well the nights we camped out. Even if we did wake up in 32 degree weather and a totally soaked campsite. Or the morning you woke up with a Bison in the middle of the campground. That's the adventures you enjoy and treasure a lifetime.
i have a marriot rewards card. i use it when i travel for work since we amost always stay in marriots, and then i can use the free stays for personal travel. i signed up recently though and haven't gotten any free stays yet. supposedly you get one per every two nights you stay.
Marriott does not give one free stay for every so many stays (well, they sometimes do periodic promotions like this but it is not how Marriott Rewards typically work) - instead, as a Marriott Rewards member you get 10 points for every dollar spent at most Marriott properties (plus bonus points if you earn status levels with them) and their credit cards let you earn Marriott points on all purchases at a rate of at least 1 point per dollar, usually more for money spent at Marriott properties. Some higher end cards give more points for certain types of purchases.
Between my business travel for work (primarily at Marriott properties) and my Visa signature card that gives Marriott points, I rack up about 200k or so Marriott points per year. We burned some this year for 5 nights at the Marriott in Aruba and 5 at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas. Other travel benefits of that card include one free-night certificate per year at Category 1-5 Marriott properties, 15 nights credited towards my Marriott status every year and 1 more night towards status for every $3k spent.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.