Comments on: Helping A Soldier Plan An Inexpensive Vacation

By: ~M

~M — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:21:44 +0000

Hi Trent,

I would like to see a post about how to plan and execute an overseas vacation…tips, how to save money, etc.

Thanks!

By: kathy

kathy — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:32:14 +0000

I had a son over in iraq that came home on leave and we were able to get free rooms at pearl river ressort in ms for his leave, and also we were able to get military discounts for his rooms at places in fl. People were more than glad to give us good rates, or free rooms, and this can be helpful. All you have to do is ask and let them tell you what they are willing to do for you.

Now my way to enjoy as much stuff as i can for my buck, includes trips to casinos. I dont spend more than i would on food, drinks and rooms to gamble, but i get those things for free when i go. So if you are really careful, you can enjoy a really good time on what it would cost you to just rent a room at a nice hotel and these places are the best for things to do, and near good places for things a family can do as well. Just my two cents on how i have fun. And of course people always are telling me about me being so broke and still doing these things, those same people dont hesitate to pay alot of money for eating out, and things they want to buy, and i manage to make what little i do have go a long way and still have fun enjoying some of this life we have. I get great food, we just came back from a trip and i ate really well for a week, i gained about four pounds back that i had lost on my economic diet. I have lost 54 pounds by cooking from scratch and making portions last for three people on fixed incomes. And at home if i dont cook there is nothing to eat for the most part. I have come up with my own recipies for candy bars from things on hand, and making bisquits from scratch and cornbread and our greatest dishes are the taco salads and the french bread or homemade pizzas or casseroles by the dozens i have learned to make. They work on making it last and everyone getting full.

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:49:48 +0000

I have a question for you, why would spending $1000 to $1500 not be considered as spending alot on travel? Using a professional can assist you in chosing just where to go. We use many of the same companies as you in addition to having access to trusted wholesale vendors to price your vacation and who can price match if found to be lower. If a situation arises you have someone to call on to rectify things, and we are not paid by the customer. With this in mind…. How about a train trip? You get on and off privledges and book in a sleeper car, it is all inclusive while traveling. So many ideas…may I please be of assistance to you
Kim

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:07:36 +0000

I am a travel Agent but of a different kind, I do my best to send you to places that are different.
I call myself Your Travel Concierge, and I have a million ideas for you. For romance I start with staying in a Bed & Breakfast when traveling in the USA, and there are so many to choose from. Secondly, air will probably be your best fare when going further than a 5-8 hr drive, usually.
If driving how about following a path along the Erie Shore from Ohio thru the top of PA into NY ending at Niagara Falls on HWY531 to HWY 5 stopping at the wineries over several days. Just a sample of things I know as a professional, and I can do it all for you, leaving it as a surprise for her.

By: Amy Haden

Amy Haden — Wed, 30 May 2007 16:45:14 +0000

Once you pick a destination for your road trip, hit your local library for travel books and then check out the state tourist bureaus on-line (most will send you free maps & guides).

At tripadvisor.com you can check out travellers’ reviews of specific attractions & restaurants in an area, and if you have a specific question, you can see if it’s already been answered, or post it in a forum yourself. I use it when planning my vacations & also post answers to questions that folks have about visiting the city where I live (Charlottesville, Virginia).

By: Ken Girard

Ken Girard — Tue, 29 May 2007 17:51:21 +0000

If you happen to be in the St. Louis, MO area for a day, spend some time at the City Museum (http://www.citymuseum.org/). It is not your normal museum. It is much more a place for the entire family to play and explore. Neat things like a 5 floor slide, a plane hanging 3 floors off the ground that you can climb in to, a circus, and more.

You can easily spend 8-10 hours there. Not bad for $10.

By: miguel

miguel — Mon, 28 May 2007 15:47:43 +0000

I like to rent a house in St George Island Florida (a 7 hour drive from ATL) every year. If you go with lots of friends and family, it ends up being cheap. We’re going for 11 days, with 11 people (it’s a big house on the beach). It ends up being $30.00 a night per person. Plus the house has a real kitchen, so you can cook. The island is not commercial at all. There is not a single Walmart, Mcdonalds, or national chain on the Island… except for an old BP convince store.

By: Mardee

Mardee — Mon, 28 May 2007 15:23:38 +0000

The problem with travel agents is that they send you places where everyone else goes, even overseas. If you really want to get off the beaten path, go as an independent traveler. I just got back from 2 weeks in Turkey that I did on my own, and can tell you that traveling independently gives you a sense of spontaneity and freedom that you could never achieve by having someone else plan a trip for you. And you can spend as much or as little as you like – in my 2 weeks (actually 16 days), I spent approximately $1600 (not counting plane fare), which is around $100/day. The places I stayed at were nice places, too – nothing fancy but clean and safe.

Granted, Turkey is one of the cheaper countries, but you can travel on your own quite cheaply just about anyplace in the world. There are hundreds of internet sites that give great information and advice on overseas travel. Most of the major guidebooks like those by Lonely Planet and Rick Steves have message board forums with posts by other travelers, where you can gather a ton of information. I spent about 2 months researching my trip and when I was ready to go, knew so much about the country that I could change my itinerary and my plans with no qualms.

By: jackie

jackie — Mon, 28 May 2007 14:42:04 +0000

If you are looking for cheap airfare I recommend checking out http://www.kayak.com. The website checks all travel sites (ie. expedia, travelocity,etc.) and airline websites to give you the best deals. Kayak does the same for rental cars and hotels, but it doesn’t seem to work quite as well. Good luck with your travels!

By: chazzman2000

chazzman2000 — Mon, 28 May 2007 13:26:30 +0000

I’m in the process of getting out of debt, but still wanted to have some good experiences with my wife and two daughters without spending a lot of money.

I picked up “1,000 places to see before you die” from Half.com for $5. It is a great read with places all over the world and my wife and I have gone through the book and declared (different colored highlighters) places around the world that we’d like to see. I’m not worried that we don’t have the money right now, it gets both of us involved and it gives us a lot of ideas for future vacations.

For the short-term, we found a ton of places in the U.S. that we never considered. For this year, we plan to drive to Chicago and we have our whole family helping out on the decisions.

Hope you have a great vacation and a safe return from Iraq.

By: Francesco Bellomi

Francesco Bellomi — Mon, 28 May 2007 07:27:39 +0000

I would suggest http://www.couchsurfing.org/ as a way to find people willing to host you.

Francesco

By: Dy (www.dyphan.com)

Dy (www.dyphan.com) — Mon, 28 May 2007 06:53:16 +0000

Any ideas if where you want to go is overseas?

By: Pierce Presley

Pierce Presley — Mon, 28 May 2007 03:13:57 +0000

Couple of things:
Driving is always cheapest, but only if you’re laid back while doing it. If any form of travel stresses you, just say no.
Trip planners can be a lot of fun. I use the “optimize stops” buttons a lot in Microsoft Streets and Trips (I have 2K4, but I can’t imagine they’d get rid of the feature). You can do something similar, with fewer waypoints, at http://www.mapsonus.com.
Eating can eat up a ton of budget in itself, so I recommend saving money by making the majority of your breakfasts, lunches and snacks simple, prefabbed or easy-to-make. Like breakfast or granola bars, PB&J or lunch meat sandwiches, chips, jerky, popcorn, etc. A two-quart container, some water and packs of Crystal Light mixes means good drinks and no calories.
Finally, in addition to Branson, I’d like to add Springfield, Mo., as a great visit (Bass Pro can be a day unto itself if your into the outdoors); Rogers, Bentonville, Springdale and Fayetteville, Ark. are booming and have a ton going on; Eureka Springs, Ark. is a little out of the way, but if you like eclectic charm, it’s gotta be on your list; Highway 7 takes you down from the Ozarks to the Ouachitas in one of the prettiest drives you’ll ever see in any season (though fall is wondrous indeed, and my favorite); and finally, go to Hot Springs, and soak those war-tired bones in natural hot spring waters straight out of the ground, and remember that there are those who honor our warriors, no matter what we think of the war.

By: !wanda

!wanda — Mon, 28 May 2007 02:49:40 +0000

I would say not to book through a travel agent or go on a prefabricated tour when traveling anywhere in the developed world (if, of course, you have the time to comb through the Internet). I really like Trent’s ideas for planning a road trip. Do you really want to go on the same vacation as everyone else? That’s what you get through a tour or a travel agent.

By: Armchair Fiduciary

Armchair Fiduciary — Mon, 28 May 2007 01:56:08 +0000

Don’t forget to check out the vacation rental by owner type websites. They can be much cheaper than hotels and just as nice. I made a post with a review of a bunch of the sites on my blog in this post:
http://armchairfiduciary.blogspot.com/2007/05/save-bundle-on-your-family-vacation.html

By: Patricia

Patricia — Mon, 28 May 2007 01:16:19 +0000

How about the Ozarks for you reader … although it doesn’t always have the greatest reputation, Branson is beautiful (and relatively cheap). There is also a ton of stuff to do.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 27 May 2007 23:44:12 +0000

Inform the reader that the easiest way to figure out how much the reader can expect to spend on their trip is how much driving they will do if they are staying local.

Using a spreadsheet, I was able to formulate how much it would cost to drive each day considering it is a long ways from Indiana to Ohio or Missouri.

If their car gets 20 miles per gallon, and gas prices are 3.50 a gallon, to drive a mere 100 miles would cost 17.50 dollars, likewise, 200 miles would cost 35.00.

If their car gets more miles per gallon, and gas cost 3.50, they will be able to go a little further.

Considering their location, I would suggest the Ozarks in Missouri if they want to spend a relaxing time outdoors. They would be able to stretch their dollar if they combined a few days camping and a few days at a hotel.

This is assuming they spend no more than 100/day for 15 days.

And with the price of gas, if they drove 100 miles a day, on a 100/day budget, that leaves them with 82.50 a day to spend.

I have logged over 250,000 miles driving all over the country so I can understand their concerns and desires for a relaxing vacation.

By: marc b.

marc b. — Sun, 27 May 2007 23:26:14 +0000

For your map, I suggest downloading and using Google Earth. You can put in electronic thumbtacks and also layer in roads, geographic features, points of interest, etc.

After using it last summer, I can’t imagine planning a road trip any other way.

By: kim

kim — Sun, 27 May 2007 22:40:40 +0000

With that budget, definitely consult a travel agent. They can get fantastic last minute deals. Have you considered cruising? This is a relatively inexpensive vacation with meals included. If you cruise, definitely sit down with a travel agent who can educate you on all of the charges, as some tend to be hidden. Ask for military discounts.
Beginning in late August DisneyWorld is offering free dining, which is a nice savings! You could do a budget week in Disney for two with that budget!

By: Eric

Eric — Sun, 27 May 2007 22:33:41 +0000

A trick to visiting Jamaica is staying in the cheap cheap Sandals resort ( basically a hotel ). Nothing spectacular on premises, but across the street is the ocean and you can use the facilities of all sandals resorts on the island including golfing!