Travel/vacation on a budget!

[Deleted]

We are looking to go away on vacation this august/september for our 3rd Year Anniversary Wedding. We do want to have fun/enjoy ourselves but not trying to go crazy price wise.

Any good places to start looking? Websites?
My wife is open to anyway, and so far I am thinking Vegas, Mexico or Puerto Rico.

[phil5185]

How about Mackinac Island MI? It's only about an 8 hour car drive from you so you wouldn't need to spend a lot of time/money on travel, about $150 for gas.

[swamp]

Phil, I think Cawiau is in the greater NYC area, it's a lot farther than 8 hours.


Cawiau, how about Cooperstown/Otsego lake or a Finger Lakes winery tour weekend? Or the Berkshires? All within driving distance and gorgeous scenery. I don't like to do tropical in the summer because I think where I live in NNY is paradise in the summer.

[Deleted]

Thanks guys... I am moving to Poughkeepsie, NY beginning of June.

Looking those destinantions as we speak ;D

[Cookies Galore]

Aren't you traveling for a wedding this year? You could always tack on an extra day or two and stay in the city you're attending the wedding or somewhere near and get all romantic and stuff. ;D

Cawiau, how about Cooperstown/Otsego lake or a Finger Lakes winery tour weekend? Or the Berkshires? All within driving distance and gorgeous scenery. I don't like to do tropical in the summer because I think where I live in NNY is paradise in the summer.

BF and I are actually going to Cooperstown in September! It's the week after my 30th birthday so I'm considering this my birthday trip. Yay! I haven't been since high school and BF has never been. I do remember how gorgeous the scenery is up there and we're staying at an awesome B&B. We're going to spend a day at the Baseball Hall of Fame ($40 for admission for two) and then we're going to visit Brewery Ommegang (free). We also are planning on visiting wineries and canoe on the lake. I admit we are splurging for our room (I really, really wanted this specific room!), but it will be worth it, especially since the rest of the trip can be done on a budget. It's a 4.5 hour drive for us (Philly), so I imagine it would be better for you!

[Deleted]

August and September you're getting into hurricane season which can affect Puerto Rico and Mexico. Sorry, I work for an insurance company so that's off the top of my head!

A lot depends on what you like. Philadelphia and Boston are both reasonable drives for you if you're into history. There are also casinos in your area (Foxwood and the ones in AC) if you're into casinos and Mohonk Mountain House is good if you're outdoorsy types. You're also within driving distance of Montreal.

I recommend Tripadvisor.com for choosing hotels. They can help you find good non-chain hotels, many of which are excellent and cheaper than the chains. I've got almost 100 reviews on there myself.

I'd automatically exclude flying; DH and I go to Europe once a year and planes are hard to avoid for that but the rest of the time we drive. Late planes, inflexible schedules, long TSA lines, always getting groped or having something confiscated (most recebtly a corkscrew I'd carried on for at least 20 previous trips), limits as to what you can carry on and/or check... it all adds friction.

[Deleted]

May 15, 2011 18:42:26 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

Aren't you traveling for a wedding this year? You could always tack on an extra day or two and stay in the city you're attending the wedding or somewhere near and get all romantic and stuff. ;D

Yes it was for my wife best friend wedding.
It was supposed to be a destination wedding to the Dominican Republic, but they decided to change it to NY last minute due to grooms father's health (cannot travel).

So both wedding we have in september (my wife bridesmaid in one, me best man in the other) are in Long Island, NY and NJ... so driving distance.

THANK YOU GOD for small favors/miracles

But yes the plan at first was to make the destination wedding our vacation.

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

How about Niagara Falls/toronto? That area is beautiful and would be relatively low cost.

[Deleted]

May 15, 2011 23:19:42 GMT -5 Mardi Gras Audrey said:

How about Niagara Falls/toronto? That area is beautiful and would be relatively low cost.

Funny you posted that because my wife mentioned Niagara falls this afternoon when we were talking about the locations we can go for our vacation.

It is definitely on the list.

[skubikky]

May 16, 2011 0:08:51 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

May 15, 2011 23:19:42 GMT -5 Mardi Gras Audrey said:

How about Niagara Falls/toronto? That area is beautiful and would be relatively low cost.

Funny you posted that because my wife mentioned Niagara falls this afternoon when we were talking about the locations we can go for our vacation.

It is definitely on the list.

You could go to Belhurst castle in Geneva, NY(Seneca Lake), enjoy the wineries south of there and then go on to Niagara Falls.

www.belhurst.com/

[ssdawood]

Cawiau I have found some pretty good deals on cruise.com for bahamas during the month of october. 500 dollars per person inside stateroom, or 747 for a balcony.

[swasat]

cawiau, we took a Disney cruise to Bahamas last October. It was 500 some dollars for adults. Even though it was a Disney cruise (think lots of family and kid activities) they had clearly demarcated areas/lounges/bars/activities which were adults only. The service was awesome and there was so much do on board.

I don't know what your budget is, but if you willing to spend around $1000, I highly recommend cruising.

Are you both the adventurous types? Have you tried water rafting in WV?

www.aceraft.com/

[jitterbug]

I vote for Vegas because it can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be! Vegas is one of the cheapest places to fly to (check out Southwest and all the off-brand airlines like Spirit or Allegiant because Vegas is always one of their destinations), you can stay at a decent cheap hotel or a nice fancy one, you can eat at McDonalds or at a 5 star restaurant - and there are LOTS of great things to see and do that don't involve gambling! We are low rollers and get lots of offers to stay for free...so if we have a good week of gambling, all we pay for is our airfare and food.

[Deleted]

If things are tight, go with a "stay-cation"

[Deleted]

May 16, 2011 7:14:45 GMT -5 @ssdawood said:

Cawiau I have found some pretty good deals on cruise.com for bahamas during the month of october. 500 dollars per person inside stateroom, or 747 for a balcony.

Disclosure- never been on a cruise in my life, don't want to. But the sticker price for a cruise is only the beginning. Nearly every cruise line tacks on a mandatory gratuity which you can have removed only if you insist that you got sub-par service. Depending on the cruise line, there are extra charges for alcohol and, in some cases, soft drinks. Some of the ship restaurants can also carry surcharges. Shore excursions are extra. So, while a cruise may be in their budget, they need to get a good estimate of the final cost. It's not $500 per person!

[dancinmama]

May 16, 2011 7:14:45 GMT -5 @ssdawood said:

Cawiau I have found some pretty good deals on cruise.com for bahamas during the month of october. 500 dollars per person inside stateroom, or 747 for a balcony.

OMG, my absolute favorite vacation EVER!! You can do as little or as much as you want to. You can stay to yourself or meet a bunch of interesting people. You can get off the ship and see the sites or stay on the ship and relax. I've never been on a bad cruise.

We always go for the balcony. Cruises have always given us a lot of bang for our buck.

[dancinmama]

May 16, 2011 12:14:03 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

May 16, 2011 7:14:45 GMT -5 @ssdawood said:

Cawiau I have found some pretty good deals on cruise.com for bahamas during the month of october. 500 dollars per person inside stateroom, or 747 for a balcony.

Disclosure- never been on a cruise in my life, don't want to. But the sticker price for a cruise is only the beginning. Nearly every cruise line tacks on a mandatory gratuity which you can have removed only if you insist that you got sub-par service. Depending on the cruise line, there are extra charges for alcohol and, in some cases, soft drinks. Some of the ship restaurants can also carry surcharges. Shore excursions are extra. So, while a cruise may be in their budget, they need to get a good estimate of the final cost. It's not $500 per person!

Yep, I totally agree. They need to add up all the costs - flight to and from the port of embarkation, tipping, parking, etc. There is plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available that are free - just not soda or bottled water. We have ALWAYS smuggled a bar on board, so our bar tabs have always been minimal. Depending on the ports of call, you can strike out on your own with a local cabbie who will happy to be your personal tour guide for the day for a lot less than the cost of booking a similar excursion through the ship. It all really depends on where you're going and what there is to see.

When we cruised Mexico, we did not book any excursions through the ship. When we cruised the Caribbean, we booked one excursion (a day trip out on a catamaran that included snorkeling), but the rest of the time we went out on our own. When we cruised the Mediterranean, almost every excursion was booked through the ship and it was very expensive; but my folks gave us $800 as a gift for excursions because they did not want us to hold back on seeing all the historical sites. It really made a HUGE difference in our trip and I will be forever grateful to them.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"We do want to have fun/enjoy ourselves but not trying to go crazy price wise.":::...

Everyone says this, but when the two goals conflict, you have to choose which one is a priority. I think you should split your funds and take separate vacations. Otherwise you'll resent every penny your wife wastes, and she'll complain that your cheapness means you can never have fun.

...:::"THANK YOU GOD for small favors/miracles":::...

You could take the money you were planning on spending on flying to these weddings, and use it to get the CC debt paid off even earlier. When you are free of that noose, you'll have a much better reason to celebrate. Seriously, if you are setting the bar at trips for a 3 year anniversary, you are SCREWED when you hit 5 and 10. If you are looking at a cruise or whatever now, then what will you be on the hook for in 2 years?

[rmtvbrooks]

Niagara Falls is really gorgeous from the Toronto side. Toronto also has the Pantages Theater, which shows Broadway-quality shows (we saw Phantom of the Opera there years ago-not sure what they're playing now). You can probably find a reasonable hotel or B-and-B there. Toronto has some great places to see, too.

[swamp]

May 16, 2011 13:24:04 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

Seriously, if you are setting the bar at trips for a 3 year anniversary, you are SCREWED when you hit 5 and 10. If you are looking at a cruise or whatever now, then what will you be on the hook for in 2 years?

I see it differently. They plan on having kids in a few years, and travel opportunities are pretty limited with little kids. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know someone out there traveled the Himalayas with 2 toddlers and then spent a week on safari, but I think traveling with little kids is a huge PITA. I'm glad DH and I got some good trips in pre kids. But we also paid cash/didn't have consumer debt.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

May 16, 2011 7:14:45 GMT -5 @ssdawood said:

Cawiau I have found some pretty good deals on cruise.com for bahamas during the month of october. 500 dollars per person inside stateroom, or 747 for a balcony.

I would caution that October is still the rainy season in the Caribbean. It's better than June, but daily rain and the odd strong storms are still possible.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"They plan on having kids in a few years, and travel opportunities are pretty limited with little kids.":::...

An excellent point for most people, but my bet is that Mrs. Cawiau would not allow details like kids to stand in the way of her rewards. If past posts are anything to go by, a quick call to Mommy would yield not only free babysitting, but probably a stipend to make sure she could buy something nice in spite of her "cheap" husband's protests.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Oh, but I guess you'd know that. Sorry- forgot who the OP was for a sec...

[swamp]

May 17, 2011 15:41:18 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

...:::"They plan on having kids in a few years, and travel opportunities are pretty limited with little kids.":::...

An excellent point for most people, but my bet is that Mrs. Cawiau would not allow details like kids to stand in the way of her rewards. If past posts are anything to go by, a quick call to Mommy would yield not only free babysitting, but probably a stipend to make sure she could buy something nice in spite of her "cheap" husband's protests.

LOL! Yeah, I could see asking my mom for a week of free babysitting and money for travel. Yeah, that would go over like a turd in a punchbowl................

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

And travel opportunities with little kids are as limited as the parent's imagination. As long as you learn to pair down the ridiculous load of "essentials" kids allegedly "need" these days-- the stroller with the curb weight of a UPS truck, the Marine Corps sized rucksack of a diaper bag complete with the entire dry goods section of a small grocery store, and 1 toy for every half hour you plan to be gone...then you can go just about anywhere, and do just about anything.

[swamp]

May 17, 2011 15:50:00 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

And travel opportunities with little kids are as limited as the parent's imagination. As long as you learn to pair down the ridiculous load of "essentials" kids allegedly "need" these days-- the stroller with the curb weight of a UPS truck, the Marine Corps sized rucksack of a diaper bag complete with the entire dry goods section of a small grocery store, and 1 toy for every half hour you plan to be gone...then you can go just about anywhere, and do just about anything.

You had one really little one at a time. Travel with one was a piece of cake. Two 17 months apart got really hairy. Somehow, going from 1 kid to 2 tripled the work load. Diapers for 2, a few snacks, baby food, wipes (which scan as explosives at the airport), a stroller, bottles, formula, bottled water for the formula that you have to buy at the airport, and a toy for each was a lot of crap to carry.

Now that they're 3 and 5, it's much better, but traveling the past couple of years was not fun.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

I really try not to fly. Especially now that the government has it working like a combination of the IRS, the Post Office, and the DMV. But yeah, I can see your point.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

The stuff I was thinking we did with kids were mostly road trips- Michigan, Chattanooga, Indiapolis (Children's Museum), Wisconsin-- a lot of which was camping, hiking, or hanging out at a random hotel with a pool. Hotel pools-- really pools, rivers, lakes, ponds-- swimming of any kind-- is one of the greatest things you can do with kids. They learn a vital life skill, they have fun, and they get nice and tired and that leaves the parents with some time for...movies, adult conversation, or other adult activities.

[swamp]

My kids are getting to the fun stage now because they can talk about where we're going and actually do stuff when we get there, but that's pretty recent development.

all our air travel previously has been to Florida to stay with my parents. They would do a grocery store run and have stuff ready for us, and would pick us up in one of my sister's extra cars with the car seats already installed. If we weren't doing that, I wouldn't have taken them anywhere.

This past November, we took them to Disney, and it went pretty well, but partly because they're now used to flying.

Oh, and I live on the water. My kids can swim, and it's a great way to tire them out..

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"LOL! Yeah, I could see asking my mom for a week of free babysitting and money for travel. Yeah, that would go over like a turd in a punchbowl...":::...

I am going based on things cawiau has said previously about his culture in general, and his MIL specifically. I can only imagine how that will multiply once there is a grandkid to dote on.