Looking for a way to go on vacation without mortgaging your house to pay for it? Everyone that enjoys time away from home knows it can get expensive quickly once you are out on the road or in another country. Finding a good travel package can help remove some of the financial stress while allowing you to enjoy that time away from work whether you are visiting relatives or visiting a certain location. Try some of these sites to explore your options.
Exotic Locations:
CheapCaribbean.com has a great site that is easy to navigate. Some great deals include 3 days plus air to Cancun for $379 or the Virgin Islands for $299. Exotic locations are this site’s specialty. You can click on Hot Deals and Reviews to see what appeals to you. A lot of their deals are up to $250 cheaper than those found on Expedia.com and have been featured on the Today Show. This summer they are holding a contest to get more subscribers – they are looking for the one millionth subscriber to their email service – sign up today!
Vacationing in the Great Outdoors:
Kampgrounds of America (KOA) has campsites available in 42 states across America, some just for RVs, others for tents, etc. This is a great vacation option because you can take your pets with you and don’t have to pay a sitter while you are away from home. There are amenities at the grounds such as clean showers and restrooms, miniature golf, fishing, washer/dryer facilities, and swimming pools. You’ll also get to spend quality time with your family in the great outdoors. Go to the site and type in the name of the site or state you want to visit, and away you go! Multiple available campgrounds are listed with photos and reasonable pricing. Their monthly email of deals, the KOAKompass, suggests destinations and highlights current deals. They also have a Value Kard Reward program that saves you 10% every time you camp at one of their campsites.
Read all about it:
TripAdvisor offers customer reviews of most American and foreign hotels and shows both commercial and amateur photos of guest’s stays at their resorts, hotels, and motels. This is a great way to find deals because you can read about a certain hotel and then there are side bars that have local attractions and availability packages. Type in a city and state, and review the list of available hotels from many different chains and then look for a deal that suits your budget. They also have an email service that will “keep an eye” on certain areas you want to visit and let you know when good deals are coming.
Search Services:
- Sherman’s Travel offers an email service that sends a list of the best travel deals right to your inbox. Links are included that send you to top travel agencies with great deals that won’t break your bank.
- Travelzoo has a wide variety of links and a wonderful newsletter that details the Weekly Top 20 deals available nationwide.
Clubs:
- AAA and Travel Tex are great resources for attractions, local history, and offer maps.
- There are also clubs like Wyndham Vacations and Travelers Advantage that offer deep discounts and travel point reward programs that include car, rail, air, motels, and attractions, and you can join their email list as well.
*Pricey, but worth a mention:
If you have money “available” you can try renting an RV to travel and save on accommodations. Quest RV Rentals is a nationwide company that will even deliver the RV to your home! You do need to put down a refundable $1000. security deposit and a $500. base deposit on the actual rental, but 3 days could be as cheap as $790 bucks for a family of 4. They have models ranging from 4-8 sleepers with microwaves, TVs, washer/dryer sets, gas or diesel engines, and even Internet connection. They have a Repeat Renters Reward program that gives you $50 credit every time you spend $500., which can add up quickly if you travel by RV a lot.
No matter where you decide to go, saving money is a big issue. Try some of these sites and see where they can take you.
