Mar 28 2009
This summer, take a budget vacation!
Think you can’t afford a vacation this year? You may want to think again! With a little planning and a spirit of adventure, you can easily plan a vacation on a shoestring budget!
First, you want to figure out where you are going and how you are getting there. If you plan to drive, figure out how far you are willing (or can afford) to go. Grab a map and a compas and plot out this distance in a circle with your town at the center point. This will help you narrow down your options.
If you plan to go a longer distance, it may be more economical to travel via bus, train, or airplane. Be sure to do a lot of shopping around before you buy tickets to find the best possible deal!
Once you know where you are going, you will need a place to stay. Hotels are expensive, but luckily there are some great, low-cost alternatives. These include hostels, private homes, and other alternative lodging.
Clarence Castle, Toronto, Canada
Hostels are popular with the backpacking-through-Europe set, but they aren’t just in Europe. They are everywhere in the world! Take, for example, Clarence Castle in Toronto, Canada. For under $25 per person per night, guests can stay in this gorgeous place! Most hostels include basic amenities such as breakfast, linens, and wireless internet access. Prices vary depending on room type; privacy comes at a premium. Some hostels offer private rooms for one or two people in addition to dorm-style arrangements with many beds in one room. (I stayed at the Astor Quest Hostel in London a couple of summers ago and shared the room with 9 other people, but it was only about $15 a night!)
There are a couple of options to consider if you want to stay in a private home. You might want to just rent a single room, or perhaps you have a family and require more space. If the latter is the case, you may want to consider joining a house swapping organization. For a membership fee of about $100 a year, these groups pair up families across the country or around the world to trade houses. Their family vacations in your town, and you vacation in theirs!
You may also want to check into other alternative lodging. If you like wilderness, look for a lodge or cabin rental. You may be surprised what you can find; the same summer I stayed in London, my friends and I rented a houseboat in Amsterdam for a few days, which cost each of us about $35 a night!
Of course, there is always camping to consider. There are many large areas where you can camp for free; check with the US Forest Service for maps of these camping areas!
Don’t let the bad economy keep you from living your life, get out there and enjoy yourself!
