Jul 23 2008
5 ways to Save Money when you Travel
Many of us are looking for ways to stretch our travel budgets this year. This doesn’t mean staying at home and never taking a trip. Here are 5 ways to save serious money when you travel on your next vacation.
Hit the local parks
Local parks have become more sophisticated. Nice facilities, water features and free music are more common than ever. You can zip through a skateboard park, run around in water geysers, go fishing, bicycle beautiful trails and spread out a picnic lunch while listening to the band. Most of these activities will be free or low cost. Well-known parks like Boston Commons in Boston, Massachusetts are easy to find and filled with people but look for the smaller, local parks, too. The St. Johns County Ocean Pier Park in St. Augustine Beach, Florida has a water park playground for the toddlers, a great beach with an ocean fishing pier, volleyball courts and summer concerts at the pavilion. This is a great way to stretch your travel dollars and enjoy fun activities together.
Use those discounts
AAA, AARP, Military, Senior, State Resident and more discounts are available for the asking. Did you know that Florida Residents can get discounts at almost every attraction in Orlando, Florida? Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta, Georgia offers Georgia Residents a “Mountain Member” club to join where they get discounts on food, rides, admission and more. Hotels, cruises, attractions and restaurants offer lots of ways to save if you do your homework. Look into local and group discount programs when you plan your next trip.
Get a library card
Only 3% of the population has a library card these days. What a shame! Libraries may seem old fashioned but they have become multi-media resource centers where folks can gather and share information and ideas. For example, The Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix, Arizona promotes after school programs, a special needs center, a family fun night, GreenTweens environmental programs, a Guitar Hero video game night and more. These days, libraries are an excellent choice to check out on your travels.
Shop around
It pays to shop around for prices on your travel whether you use a travel agent, internet or other source. Prices, fees and packages vary widely. Your travel research is improved with the help of sites like our Trustedtours.com where you can review city guides, compare attractions, book hotels and purchase tickets. Take some time to learn about your destination. With some patience and effort, you can save money and enjoy the city of your choice.
Explore your own backyard
Traveling close to home on “staycations” is becoming more popular. Get reacquainted with local, state and regional areas that you haven’t been to or visited for a long time. If you want to venture out further, pick an interesting city and find things to do there. If you want a European type experience, consider New Orleans, Louisiana, Savannah, Georgia or St. Augustine, Florida. Smaller towns also have their charms like Charleston, South Carolina, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Naples, Florida and Scottsdale, Arizona. Don’t forget the big cities where many activities are free like New York City, Boston, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. Vacationing close to home has never been so good!
With some creativity and planning you can save loads on your next vacation. Things to do and vacation ideas don’t have to break your travel budget.
Use these 5 techniques to improve your travel experience and discover new activities on your next trip. Happy traveling!
Seattle definitely has tons of parks that I’ve never checked out. Great advice!
Advice well taken, I think my backyard is also overlooked! Thanks
Fun and excitement is the name of the game when you go on picnics. Considering the current economic situation, it is but normal to want to save money. Picnics are one way to help you save a little bit of money while having fun.. Also, typically most kids love the outdoors, so picnics are a great match. Dont for get to bring your picnic baskets and enjoy.