THE PICNIC PLACEMAT
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
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BUDGET VACATION TIPS
Looking for some vacation money saving ideas? There's nothing
wrong with vacationing on a budget. Hey, we all can't travel like the
rich and famous.
You save all year to get the money for a well earned vacation. You
want to stretch your vacation budget but still enjoy yourself. Sounds
like a good plan. To help you out here are some vacation money
saving ideas that I hope you will find useful.
Plan Ahead
If you have a particular destination in mind it pays to plan ahead.
Research the attractions and facilities. Find out what specials or
discounts they may have going. Look for other things to do or see
nearby so that you can make good use of your time and cut down
on the running from place to place.
Plan your vacation for the off season. You can usually get
better deals on lots of things like plane tickets, hotels, car rentals,
cruises and lots of other things.
If you have friends or relatives nearby your destination consider
asking them if you can stay with them. Don't be a freeloader
though. Even though you help pay for the groceries and other
expenses your host incurs, it's still a good vacation money saving
idea.
If you are flying, try to plan your trip for when tickets are
traditionally cheapest. That would be Feb thru May and September
thru December (except the week before Thanksgiving and the two
week period before Christmas). Try to avoid flying on Friday
afternoons as this is often the busiest time of the week for airlines.
Meals
Meals can be expensive at restaurants so you can save some
money by packing food for the road.
When eating out try to avoid the places that obviously cater to
tourists. Find out where the locals eat. Ask around. The smaller
family owned places usually have better food at better prices. You
may have to go a little out of your way but it is usually worth it for
some vacation money savings.
Hotels
Hotels are typically more expensive the closer you get to a major
attraction. With a little planning you can find a good balance
between price and distance.
When picking hotels don't just go by the ratings. Compare the
amenities they offer. Often you will find that you really don't need
everything offered by that 4 star hotel and you can do very nicely
at the 3 star...with a better price!
Consider buying or renting an RV. You travel at your own pace.
Cooking and bathrooms are always close by. You can meet a lot of
other friendly RVers who will usually be glad to point out the best
places to go.
Driving
When traveling by car you can save fuel by renting a smaller fuel
efficient model. Packing light, reducing your speed and maintaining
proper tire air pressure will also cut the gas costs. More road trip
information.
Make sure that your car is ready for the trip. Good tires, oil change,
tune-up and all that good stuff. It's a heck of a lot cheaper and
more convenient to deal with these things before you go rather
than on the road somewhere.
Check out the local transportation system of buses, trains or
trolleys. These can be considerably cheaper than using taxis.
Camping
Camping is a great vacation money
saving idea. There are lots of
campgrounds around. They are
cheap and you may end up
with an experience that
outshines anything you can get
a fancy hotel.
Plan activities that don't require a lot
of money. Hiking, and swimming are
good ones. Local Museums and
historical sites are often very
reasonably priced as well as being quite educational and fun. The
big theme parks have their appeal but you can really go through
the cash at those places.
Plan picnics. These can be excellent vacation money saving
opportunities as well as a chance to really relax and enjoy the local
area.
Avoid buying souvenirs. It's easy to get caught up and blow a
bundle on these overpriced goodies. Set some mental rules ahead
of time about how much you will spend on souvenirs and it will be
easier to stick to it when the time comes.
I hope that you find some of these vacation money saving ideas
helpful. Make a plan and stick to it. There's no reason why you
can't have a great vacation without emptying the bank account.
The author, of this article, Peter Shannon, is the owner of the
website http://www.1001-vacation-ideas.com. Here you will find a
large collection of vacation and getaway ideas for travelers
searchable by theme and location.
wrong with vacationing on a budget. Hey, we all can't travel like the
rich and famous.
You save all year to get the money for a well earned vacation. You
want to stretch your vacation budget but still enjoy yourself. Sounds
like a good plan. To help you out here are some vacation money
saving ideas that I hope you will find useful.
Plan Ahead
If you have a particular destination in mind it pays to plan ahead.
Research the attractions and facilities. Find out what specials or
discounts they may have going. Look for other things to do or see
nearby so that you can make good use of your time and cut down
on the running from place to place.
Plan your vacation for the off season. You can usually get
better deals on lots of things like plane tickets, hotels, car rentals,
cruises and lots of other things.
If you have friends or relatives nearby your destination consider
asking them if you can stay with them. Don't be a freeloader
though. Even though you help pay for the groceries and other
expenses your host incurs, it's still a good vacation money saving
idea.
If you are flying, try to plan your trip for when tickets are
traditionally cheapest. That would be Feb thru May and September
thru December (except the week before Thanksgiving and the two
week period before Christmas). Try to avoid flying on Friday
afternoons as this is often the busiest time of the week for airlines.
Meals
Meals can be expensive at restaurants so you can save some
money by packing food for the road.
When eating out try to avoid the places that obviously cater to
tourists. Find out where the locals eat. Ask around. The smaller
family owned places usually have better food at better prices. You
may have to go a little out of your way but it is usually worth it for
some vacation money savings.
Hotels
Hotels are typically more expensive the closer you get to a major
attraction. With a little planning you can find a good balance
between price and distance.
When picking hotels don't just go by the ratings. Compare the
amenities they offer. Often you will find that you really don't need
everything offered by that 4 star hotel and you can do very nicely
at the 3 star...with a better price!
Consider buying or renting an RV. You travel at your own pace.
Cooking and bathrooms are always close by. You can meet a lot of
other friendly RVers who will usually be glad to point out the best
places to go.
Driving
When traveling by car you can save fuel by renting a smaller fuel
efficient model. Packing light, reducing your speed and maintaining
proper tire air pressure will also cut the gas costs. More road trip
information.
Make sure that your car is ready for the trip. Good tires, oil change,
tune-up and all that good stuff. It's a heck of a lot cheaper and
more convenient to deal with these things before you go rather
than on the road somewhere.
Check out the local transportation system of buses, trains or
trolleys. These can be considerably cheaper than using taxis.
Camping
Camping is a great vacation money
saving idea. There are lots of
campgrounds around. They are
cheap and you may end up
with an experience that
outshines anything you can get
a fancy hotel.
Plan activities that don't require a lot
of money. Hiking, and swimming are
good ones. Local Museums and
historical sites are often very
reasonably priced as well as being quite educational and fun. The
big theme parks have their appeal but you can really go through
the cash at those places.
Plan picnics. These can be excellent vacation money saving
opportunities as well as a chance to really relax and enjoy the local
area.
Avoid buying souvenirs. It's easy to get caught up and blow a
bundle on these overpriced goodies. Set some mental rules ahead
of time about how much you will spend on souvenirs and it will be
easier to stick to it when the time comes.
I hope that you find some of these vacation money saving ideas
helpful. Make a plan and stick to it. There's no reason why you
can't have a great vacation without emptying the bank account.
The author, of this article, Peter Shannon, is the owner of the
website http://www.1001-vacation-ideas.com. Here you will find a
large collection of vacation and getaway ideas for travelers
searchable by theme and location.