10 Cheap Vacations

Short on cash? Try one of the ten cheap vacations listed below. Unlike with televisions and shoes, vacations are not better according to price. You can have even more fun, and still spend less.

Visit A Friend

The key to this one is to have friends with spare beds in interesting places. If you've ever had friends tell you to come and stay a while, why not take them up on it? Personally, I encourage my friends to move away to nice locales.

Cheap Caretaking Vacations

Somebody in Hawaii, Costa Rica or Colorado is just waiting for you to come and stay in their house while they are away. You may have to water the plants, and even get the mail for them, but you get to stay in a beautiful home in a sunny place. Sometimes you even get paid for these vacations. To learn more about caretaking opportunities, visit the Caretaker Gazette at http://www.caretaker.org.

Hot Spring Vacations

There are hotsprings in many parts of the United States, and they are often free or very inexpensive to use. You'll have to camp in an R.V. or tent to keep it really cheap, of course, but there's nothing more relaxing than nights around the campfire and days soaking in hot water. Our personal favorite is a beautiful place in Arizona with hotsprings, hiking trails and $3-per-night accomodations (We stayed there for eight days in our conversion van one winter).

Treasure Hunting

Plan a trip to the nearest ghost towns, beaches and old mines with a metal detector. The page Arrowhead Hunting In Arizona tells how an old Mayan Indian showed us where to look for arrowheads, semi-precious stones, and ancient pottery. The desert is a great place to escape to in the winter, and treasure hunting is cheap vacation as well.

Beach Combing Vacations

Think of those Corona ads on TV. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting on the beach with a drink. When you get restless, start collecting seashells and driftwood up and down the shoreline. Bring a metal detector and who knows what you'll find. There are beaches in Florida and many other places where you can camp in your RV. In Michigan and other Great Lake states, you can even find cheap motels on or near the beach.

Home - Based Vacations

List all the sights you would like to see, and all the things you've always wanted to do that are within an hour or so of home. Then spend a weekend or a week relaxing and checking off your list. No expensive hotels or long-distance gasoline bills.

Shopping

Shopping does not usually make for cheap vacations, but it can. Just drive around some corner of the country going to all the flea markets and rummage sales. Have a shopping adveture for less than half the cost of a day at the mall.

Cheap Camping Vacations

If you're willing to live in a tent for a few days, or have an RV, camping can be the cheapest of cheap vacations. We stayed at Williams Landing in Florida for eight days one winter. We stalked alligators, watched armadillos walk through camp, saw a dozen other forms of wildlife, and sat around the fire with new friends from England and Texas every night. The cost, including the hot showers: zero. For more information on this opportunity, go to the page "Cheap Florida Vacations." For more information on how to find cheap or free campgrounds, go to the page "Free Camping Catalog."

Greyhound Bus Adventures

Wherever you go on Greyhound, the trip itself is sure to be an adventure. It can also be an alternative to expensive gasoline, especially if you are traveling alone. Leave the driving to them. Just pick a nice place within a days ride, pack a bag and go. For more on the good and bad of Greyhound bus travel, visit the page; Cheap Bus Travel.

Outdoor Vacations Near Home

Outdoor adventure doesn't have to be expensive. Stay close to home to keep the cost down, and use your imagination. We used to park the car at the nearest large river, hike upstream a couple hours, then build a raft from dead trees to float on back to the car. It was more fun, and much cheaper, than any guided river trip could be. Where can you take your bicycle or go hiking for free?

More Cheap Vacation Resources

To keep all your vacations cheaper be sure to visit the pages:

Cheap Travel Tips
Cheap Family Vacations
Cheap International Travel
Really Cheap Plane Tickets