Travel Tips

Florida
This state is perfect to visit all-year round. With theme parks galore in Orlando alone, theres sure to be a place or two able to welcome last-minute travelers like you. While in Florida, you can also head off to Miami and enjoy its beaches and exciting nightlife. For more adventure, you can book a day trip to Key West and enjoy its exotic locale. In Key West, make sure you set aside a portion of your day for fishing and shopping.

New England Coast
If you need a last-minute destination during the fall, theres no better place to pick than the New England Coast. Its spectacular fall foliage is famous worldwide and you can enjoy it for free just by walking around. The same beauty shall greet you whether youre traveling to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, or some other place in the New England coast.

Paris
Lovers will always have Paris at any time of the year. Sure, its crowded all the time, but you dont really notice things like that when youre in love, do you? In Paris, you immediately know a couple of well-known attractions to visit and activities to check out. Besides the ever-famous Eiffel Tower, theres also Versailles Palace to check out. You know as well that its imperative to give the street-lining cafes a try for authentic French cuisine, to walk around and just enjoy the romantic atmosphere and appreciate the works of Bohemian artists.

New York
Another city you wont lack for excitement is the Big Apple. But beware, native New Yorkers dont like it when people refer to NYC as the Big Apple. Because its a city that never sleeps, youll always find something to see or do no matter what time you get there. Just be careful of pickpockets. Thats one authentic NYC experience you can certainly do without!

Nevada
Like NYC, Nevada or Las Vegas in particular is a city that comes especially alive at night. If you think gambling is the only thing to do in Vegas, think again. You can drop by at Caesars Palace, for instance, at certain times in the evening and youll be treated by a special presentationfor free.

California
First stop: Hollywood. Walk around Beverly Hills, buy a map to know where the stars live, walk a couple of minutes more and you can spot a famous actor or two while shopping in any of the equally famous boutiques lining the streets. A food tour wont be amiss because Cali is a melting pot of various cultures! Youll see a Thai restaurant right next to a fine-dining French restaurant and a fastfood joint.

London
History buffs wanting to do some last minute travel should immediately head to London. There, you can visit Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and lets not forget London Bridge, the ultimate star of nursery rhymes. If you have extra time, check out Thames Park this used to be the most fashionable place for nobility to see and be seen.

Hawaii
Hawaii has nice tropical weather all year round. They may have stormy bouts once in a while, but the weather channel will easily let you know if visiting the islands now would be bad timing. In Hawaii, you can enjoy luaus after frolicking in the beach.

Egypt
Pyramids! Theres no need to think when you get to Egypt. You can also try riding a camel and visit the various museums found in Cairo.

Shanghai
Take advantage of the currently welcoming regime in China and see the secret wonders of this once-forbidden country. The language barrier could take a bit getting used to but the extremely cheap cost-of-living makes struggling with Mandarin worth every second.

Do you want to plan a fun family vacation, but are you operating with limited financial resources? If so, an amusement park may be the answer to your problems. Right now, you are likely thinking there is no way you can afford a trip to Disneyland. Yes, Disneyland is one of the worlds most well-known amusement parks, but it is not your only option. There is Six Flags, Busch Gardens, and many locally owned and operated parks. Luckily, they are easier to travel to and much cheaper.

Your goal is to save money on your familys vacation and an amusement park will help you save money. With that said, you still want to have a good trip. After all, unhappy children are the quickset way to spoil a family vacation. So, how can you ensure your familys cheap vacation at an amusement park is a success?

Opt for an amusement park you have never visited before. Many states have at least two or three good amusement parks to choose from. If your family needs to drive an additional four hours to get to a new park, do it. It will be a new experience for your children. Leave at night or early in the morning. The long car ride wont be a huge problem for your children if you have lots of fun activities and if they can sleep.

Consider making it a two or three day trip. One of the problems many parents run into is feeling like they are shortchanging their children. If your teenager is used to a weeklong beach vacation, a daytrip to the amusement park may not be what she had in mind. Really turn it into a vacation by staying one or two nights. Luckily, most amusement parks, like Six Flags and Busch Gardens, are large. Take your time and you could easily spend two or three days exploring the entire park.

As for your staying options, you usually have two. There are usually hotels and campgrounds located near amusement parks, if not right onsite. Camping will be your cheapest options. If you can stay onsite, see if special deals are available for guests. You may get free park admission. If you do have some money to spend and are more worried about the happiness of your children, ask for their input. Would they rather stay at a hotel or camp? Yes, you want to save money, but, if you have money to spend, ensure your children are happy.

Plan your amusement park vacation during the weekday. If you are concerned about missing too much work, schedule your vacation on a Sunday and Monday, so that you miss only one day of work. Weekdays are best. Sometimes, you will find lower admission fees. Best of all, the parks are less busy. You and your family will have more fun, as you will spend less time waiting in line.

Look for discounted tickets. Many times, you save money by buying your tickets early. Many grocery store sell discounted tickets. Discounts are also usually offered on the websites of these parks. In addition to discounted prices, you may find buy one get one free deals, free admission for young children, and so forth. Saving money on admission prices for your familys amusement park vacation is nice. It gives you more money to spend on souvenirs or games.

Speaking of games, they cost money, but are loads of fun. A good approach is to set aside a specific dollar amount, like $10 for each child. Let them know once the money is gone, it is gone. Since games are scattered throughout amusement parks, let your child signal when they want to stop. Yes, they only have a small amount of money to spend playing games, but at least they get to handpick those games. You can also give them the alternative to take their game money and buy something at a gift shop.

In conclusion, you dont have to forego your familys summer vacation this year, even if you are on a budget. An amusement park is filled with fun. There are many ways that you can save money, while still providing your children with a great time.

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Are you on a budget? If so, planning a summer vacation may literally be the last thing on your mind. Luckily, there are many travel deals and discounts available. By taking advantage of these deals and discounts and with careful planning, you can easily have a great summer vacation, even with limited financial resources.

So, how can you plan a cheap summer vacation in 8 easy steps?

1 Decide on a Destination

We all have ideal summer vacation destinations. Pick your top two or three favorites. Which would be cheaper? If on a budget, keep costs in mind. You want to have the vacation of your dreams, but make sure you plan a trip you can actually afford.

When choosing your destination, keep seasons in mind. Some vacation destinations, like Hawaii and Florida, are popular all year round. Others, like Colorado, are season specific. Colorado is most popular with skiers in the winter. You are likely to find more summer travel deals and discounts because it is considered their off-season.

2 Decide on Your Dates of Travel

Once you have a destination in mind, choose your travel dates. If on a budget, consider shortening your trip. Yes, you may be accustomed to weeklong vacations, but what if you cant afford one? Opt for a three or five day trip instead; you automatically save money.

When choosing your travel dates, keep events in mind. The more activities that are happening around town, the more expensive hotels rooms are and they harder they are to come across. Try to avoid the weekend of July 4th, when a popular concert is taking place, or a business convention.

3 Visit Online Travel Websites

If opting for a hotel, go to the well-known travel websites, like Priceline.com or Orbtiz.com. If opting for a private vacation rental, focus on websites designed for these rentals. Price compare. Different hotels and private vacation rentals have different fees. Online travel websites are known for their moneysaving deals on travel packages. Save money by booking your airfare, hotel, and car rental in one large package.

4 Price Compare Again

Unfortunately, online travel websites do not always give you the best deals. Luckily, it is easy to tell. They should give you the names of the hotels, car rental companies, and airlines. Visit their websites and request more quotes. Compare the two. Go with the cheapest.

5 Book Your Travel Plans

Once you have found the cheapest travel package or independent reservations for a hotel, car rental, and your flight, make your travel plans. Many experts claim the best time to book reservations is early Tuesday or Wednesday morning.

6 Determine How Much Money You Have Left

Since you already booked your airline reservations, car rental, and hotel, focus on the other aspects of your trip. These include food, activities, attractions, souvenirs, and so forth. For example, if you had $1,500 to spend and your airfare, hotel, and car rental totaled $900 for the week, you have $600 left.

7 Estimate the Rest of Your Travel Costs

Once again, you already booked your hotel, car rental, and airline tickets. Focus on attraction admission costs, activity rental fees, food, and souvenirs. Visit online travel websites to familiarize yourself with local activities, attractions, and restaurants. Examine online menus or attractions to get an average cost idea. Then, estimate the cost of each meal, activity, and so forth. You now have a good idea how much you can expect to spend on your summer vacation.

8 Compare and Cut Expenses if Needed

In step 7, you estimated the cost of travel and in step 6, you determined how much money you had available to spend. Compare the two. If your vacation looks like it may be more than you can afford, start cutting corners. Opt for a fast food restaurant, instead of a sit down restaurant one or two nights, try to find parks and other attractions with low or no admission fees, and so forth.

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