Yahoo Finance Tips to save big money on your summer travel
We all know that Memorial Day weekend is a big time for travel, but if you’re already looking ahead to summer vacation, you’re not alone.
According to American Express, 80% of Americans, or about 196 million people, plan to travel in the next couple of months — and plan to spend an average of $941 per person on travel.
With cost and safety consistently ranking as top travel concerns, 72% of Americans also revealed they plan to travel domestically this summer, compared with 15% who plan on traveling abroad.
Throwing down nearly $1,000 on a getaway is no small expense, so to ensure vacation success, here are summer travel tips to get the most bang for your buck.
Beaches
After a long slog of winter, a beach vacation is a no-brainer. So it’s no surprise that 40% of Americans plan on taking a beach vacation this summer, according to the American Express survey.
Cost:
If you’re planning a laid-back beach holiday, it’s often cheaper to rent a home on Airbnb or VRBO for your family. You can also do a home exchange and swap houses with another family looking for a vacation home. Staying in a hotel means you’ll end up paying more for meals, but if you rent a home, you can prepare meals in the kitchen or on the grill. It’s also a great idea to buy a cooler to fill with ice, drinks and snacks so you don’t end up spending $6 for a bottle for water on the beach.
Where to go:
While everyone else flocks to Miami to party on South Beach, consider Tampa.
Tampa is rarely at the top of the list for summer destinations, but the central Florida city has great beaches and is more affordable than its southern neighbor. When it comes to airfare, plane tickets are typically a tad cheaper into Tampa than they are to Miami, and with hotels starting at just $115 a night, accommodations are also more budget-friendly. The area is home to Clearwater Beach, which was named #1 on Trip Advisor’s list of top 25 beaches.
Over on the West Coast, sun-seekers often head to San Diego’s Coronado Beach, but San Diego isn’t exactly affordable: the average plane ticket costs $360. Instead, fly into Long Beach, Calif., where the average airfare is $267. From there you can hit up a local beach or drive about an hour to enjoy beaches in Los Angeles.
Road trips
Cost:
We’ve got some good news and some bad news.
The bad news is gas prices are on the rise, and have hit their highest point for the year as we head into Memorial Day weekend. The good news is that the average price of gas – $2.31 a gallon – is still cheaper than it was five years ago. That’s probably why 31% of Americans surveyed by American Express say that they plan to take a road trip this summer, and 38% said they’d rather drive than fly in order to save money.
As you drive across the U.S., use the app Gas Buddy, which highlights gas stations with the cheapest gas in every state. Use these stations to map out your route to ensure you’re getting the best deal at the pump.
Where to go:
If you’re making your way up the East Coast, don’t forget to hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This 469-mile road connects the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Enjoy the stunning views, especially while driving on the Linn Cove Viaduct, a concrete bridge that winds high above the treetops.
If you’re driving from the East Coast to the West Coast, chances are you’ll spend some time on Route 66. The famous 2,451-mile road starts in Chicago and ends at the beautiful Santa Monica Pier in California. While some stretches of the road are perfect for a snooze, there are also some can’t-miss landmarks along the way. Make sure you stop by Abraham Lincoln’s tomb in Springfield, Ill., and Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, where classic cars are painted in funky colors and buried halfway in the ground. When you make it to Arizona, catch some zzz’s at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook before heading over to nearby Winslow to snap a photo of the huge 550-foot deep crater made by a meteor 50,000 years ago.
National Parks
This year marks the National Park Service Centennial, and 21% of people surveyed said they plan to head visit a park this summer.
Cost:
Most national parks will be free from Aug. 25-28 for the National Park Service Birthday weekend. There will definitely be crowds, but at $0, the price is right.
It’s also important to note that the National Park Service has free annual passes for certain groups. Current US military members can get a free pass that lets them and three adults over 16 into parks for free.
If your child is in fourth grade, they can get an “Annual 4th Grade Pass” for free admission into national parks. If you’re 62 or older, you can obtain a $10 “senior pass” for lifetime admission to national parks. There’s also an access pass for visitors with disabilities.
Where to go:
Of the 58 national parks, the Great Smoky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, Yosemite and Yellowstone are the most popular. These are obviously beautiful and memorable destinations, but they’ll also be more crowded. Instead, explore some lesser-visited parks that are just as impressive.
For instance, Biscayne National Park in Florida is entirely covered in water, which allows visitors to kayak or snorkel around ship wrecks. If you’d rather stay dry, visit Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado and explore the archeological sites and cliff dwellings left behind by the Pueblo people.
Do you have questions about how to save money during summer travel? Email us at yfmoneymailbag@yahoo.com.
