Frugal vacations

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

What have been your best frugal vacations?

My favorites have been camping-canoeing vacations. The first one was our honeymoon--to the Boundary Waters by motorcycle. Rented a canoe, bought a couple of maps and into the wildnerness we went!....Also memorable was the one in which I decided to swim on a cool summer day in the glacial lake we were canoeing. Yikes, I got hypothermic. That was scarey, but, what can I say: memorable! ...We've canoed lakes, ponds, dam pools, rivers big and small, even the artificial bayous that drain the areas that used to be swamp in southern Missouri and Illinios.

If your family includes kids, you might have to finagle things to get everyone safely into the proper number of canoes, or there might be years when things just can't work out for all of you to canoe together, but it is a healthy, engaged, active, peaceful way to spend a vacation. Our canoe was well worth the investment. We've gotten immeasurable pleasure from it.

And you?

[Daylily]

I like all-inclusive resorts in the Carribean. I travel during the off season and I don't book until three to four weeks in advance so that I can get great last minute deals.

I'd give the name of a great website but I don't know if the forum allows that ??

Our best deal ever was just under $1000 total for 5 nights for two people. It included airfare, hotel transfer, and food and drink.

[genmed]

My best "frugal" vacations are the ones where we go camping and just spend the days hiking around whatever area we go to. Having no set "schedule" has been very relaxing. We've been able to go where no one else does, just simply because we have the whole day. We take a lunch with us, come back to a campfire and just heat up food we brough with us - raviolis, etc.

We hope to take a "large" vacation about once evey 5 years.

[humandraydel]

Gotta agree with camping/hiking vacations! 2 years ago (after graduation) I spent 3 weeks hitchhiking in the PacNW. Total cost? The cost of food! Less than $100. I suppose this type of vacation isn't for everyone though!

[Snoopy2645]

Well we havent had a frugal vacation dh either goes all out or not at all but I would be super happy just camping on a lake somewhere barbqueing & having campfires all week. Well I guess I have slept in a tent once & it wasnt so bad. Well since we always had a little one meaning like under 2 or I was pg one or the other we havent done this but hopefully we will start soon I think that would be the dream vacation!!

[Cheetahwoman7]

Hi Daylily,

If you could pm me the name of the site where you find your discount vacation packages, I would love to have it. I don't think there's a problem with posting a link here as long as it's not a referal where you make money off people clicking on it.

Thanks,
CJ

[PRICEPLUS]

Hiking and camping vacations are bery inexpensive. I used to do this when I was single.

[lrjohnson]

I think staying at home can be an underrated, delightful and very frugal vacation. See the local sites....where would you take visitors? Go there yourself! Sleep late (if you want), lounge, read. Pretend you'd be visiting your town/area, and figure out how you'd want to experience it as a visitor - the great outdoors, arts, etc. Since you are not spending travelling money for flights or lodging, you can spring for opera/football tickets, the flea market, day trips, whatever floats your boat.

Get the house tidy ahead of time, and do NOT allow yourself to focus on housecleaning. If you have a mate or kids, remember to be in a Vacation head space-make time for fun, romance, play.

[cschin4]

I think there are many local sites in our own state and area we haven't seen. My plan is to explore our State and see the sights here we have missed over the years. Today, instead of going to a professional sports game, we are going to the local college to root for their team. My kids are getting into basketball and the local college is 20 min away and it is cheap to get in, free parking, etc. Much cheaper than a pro game.
This summer we will go up to the lake and spend some time there. Only a 2 hour drive and less expensive than going to the ocean. But, my spouse does like to go to the ocean so we may go there as well. But, when we do, we book a condo for a week and then we can cook some of our own meals so that saves money since we don't have to eat every meal out. And, much more relaxed not to have to do that with 3 kids.

[shelbylovesmelby]

We don't do vacations..... we can't aford them & I'm not the outdoors type either (well ok I like the outdoors decor but that's it!)

We haven't gone on vacation on our own since our honey moon, otherwise we did take like 2 trips up north on the il's dime (other wise we couldn't aford to go).

[cicy33]

we go on vaction every year and while we dont' do the super cheap, we always try to find ways to cuts costs, like cooking most of the meals at the cabin or carrying a cooler of drinks with us.

[disneysteve]

I don't know that our vacations would necessarily be called frugal, but we've taken many trips for far less than others have spent for similar trips. For example, we go to Disney World every year. For 9 days (including travel days) for the 3 of us, we spend about $2,000 for everything. We rent a condo or timeshare offsite, we drive to FL from NJ, we eat breakfast in our room, cook dinner a couple of nites, drink tap water instead of sodas and bottled water, share meals and do various other things to cut costs. We have spent less for 7 nites accomodations than many people spend for one nite at an onsite Disney hotel.

[threebeansalad]

Combining a personal vacation with work travel is a good way to save on travel expenses and avoid using vacation days for the time you are en route. We actually did this for our honeymoon. DH had to go to Vancouver, BC for work meetings. We lived on the East Coast of the US, so we headed out 1.5 weeks in advance flew into Seattle (work paid for his RT ticket to / from Seattle), we spent a the 1.5 weeks in Seattle, Orcas Island, and Vacouver Island before making our way to the city of Vancouver. By the time the work meeting started, we had had a vacation, and then I just hung out in Vancouver while he was at the meeting. Some acquaintances were a little snarky that we were combining our honeymoon with a business trip, but I didn't care. It allowed us to take a long tripwithout creating a credit bomb.

[cicy33]

unfortunately we will be spending much much more on disney this year. we are flying we are about 16 hours away from there and with 4 kids there is no way I am driving! we are staying for 6 nights and probably total cost will be around 7,000. I am splurging this year. I do not want to work on my vacation for change. Usually I do the cooking, cleaning and the laundry, kinda like being at home.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by cicy33

I do not want to work on my vacation for change. Usually I do the cooking, cleaning and the laundry, kinda like being at home.

We're kind of odd that way. We actually prefer renting a home and being able to cook and do laundry. And we really dislike having maid service in hotels. I don't want some stranger coming into my room every day. I can make my own beds, thank you. Also, being able to do laundry means we can pack a lot lighter. Even when we stay in hotels, we'll still use the coin laundry during our stay, but it is much easier when we have the washer and dryer right in our condo. We can throw in clothes while we're having breakfast or winding down at nite, or while we're at the pool in the afternoon.

I see your point about driving with 4 kids, though. We only have one, so driving is no big deal for us. It is about 17 hours for us and we've done it numerous times since she was an infant - she's 11 now.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I'd like to sit at home and clean my house? Is that a vacation? I just came back from christmas "vacation" going home, DH and I seperately. He put in wood flooring for his PARENTS! And I took care of my mom after eye surgery. We came back to have to clean ou home and try to catch up on stuff. Yeah, I'd like a vacation of doing nothing.

[cicy33]

Normally it doesn't bother me to do the normal mom stuff but just this once I know that the vacation is going to be tiring enough so I really don't want to do any work! I want a break. and it is easy to do it for only 1, I know this cuz I did it for years with just one. Then I married my dh and got four step kids that are like my own, so now I have four children. 8, 9, 10 and 11. So just for one year I am taking the time off for me too. You know, disney is really for me!! I love MICKEY!

[Staceyy]

Dh and I went to Hawaii using airline points for the airfare and hotel points for the hotel.

[fairy74]

camping...there are so many beautiful places to stay for free or almost free, we love the outdoors so it is the ideal vacation for us...

[Fern]

Washington DC cus most of the attractions (museums, memorials, etc) are free.