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Travel on the Cheap
How to Cut Costs on This Year's Vacation
By Cara J. Stevens
Outdoor travel can also be cost-saving as well as fun. For the adventurous family, campouts are a great way to encourage cooperation and commune with nature. But don't dismiss a camping vacation just because your family isn't "outdoorsy." Camping vacations run the gamut from pitching tents in the wilderness to all-out resorts which offer swimming pools, cabins and even spa amenities. These allow you to still enjoy many of the relative comforts of vacation travel without being subjected to a resort price tag.
If your family is set on a trip to a more highly-priced locale, it can still be done for less, with a little planning.
Even if you're dreaming of Disney World, you still have less expensive options. "Consider camping in Fort Wilderness," says Teresa Plowright, About.com Guide to Family Travel. "It's lots of fun, has great on-property activities, the price is right and you get all the benefits of staying at a Disney resort. Also if it looks like you could visit Orlando next summer too, then buy a year pass – the cost is not that much more than a multi-day Park Hopper, and if you visit twice within 52 weeks, you've definitely saved bucks."
If your family is set on a theme park adventure, but could do without The Mouse, there are wonderful local parks across the country. "Six Flags, for example, has more than 25 parks in North America which offer a lot of great thrill rides," says Ziff. "Whenever going to a theme park, look for ways to get discounts on tickets at local businesses with your student ID or AAA membership or a season pass for locals."
