Travel Bargains

Travel bargains come in two basic types. The first the special deals that show up from time to time on travel to popular destinations. For example, if you are flexible and pay attention, you can often find a great package deal to Disney World. Or keep three trips in mind that you might enjoy (a cruise, a trip to Hawaii and a Vegas weekend, for example), and you can wait for a special offer on one of them. This will increase your odds of a bargain trip.

The other travel bargains are the "deals" that are always there. These are the affordable places to go and inexpensive things to do. You can take advantage of these without waiting for a special promotion or sale. Let's look at a few examples.

Travel Bargains - Places

Look at a map and use the internet to do a bit of research. There are probably many inexpensive places you can go within a couple hours of you. Look for places where you can afford to stay, and with activities that you will enjoy. If you are traveling with kids and live near Michigan, for example, you could go to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes near Empire, Michigan, and then enjoy the Lake Michigan beach at South Bar Lake nearby.

An hour from there is a casino (near Suttons Bay), where they have reasonably-priced shows. Afterwards you can drive down Highway 22 and take in the views of Grand Traverse Bay. Once in Traverse City you can go to one of the water parks or hit the malls for shopping. Hotels are very reasonable here, especially in the off-season (September to June).

In Montana, you could visit Anaconda, a great little mountain town at the east end of the Anaconda-Pintler wilderness area. The hotels are under $100, (or just $140 for the entire week at the Harp and Thistle Inn) and there is a reasonably priced Jack Nicholas-designed golf course right in town. Every one of the dozen casinos has nickel slot machines, and a movie at the beautiful Washoe Theater costs just $4 per person, and 90 cents for a small popcorn.

Somewhere near you there are travel destinations that have what you need for entertainment and relaxation. Some of these are expensive perhaps, but others are cheap enough to be considered travel bargains. You just need to get out a map, get on the internet, and make a list!

Travel Bargains - Activities

Then there are the trips and vacations that are travel bargains because they are based on cheap activities that you enjoy. Make a list of all the things that you might like to do. Now just pick from among the least expensive activities on that list and design a trip that will be everything you want it to be, including inexpensive.

You might enjoy treasure hunting with your metal detector, for example, so head for the nearest beaches or ghost towns. Do you like bicycling or hiking? Find a new place to go and load up that bike or backpack. Want to relax on the beach? If you live in the north, and its summer, skip the expensive ocean destinations and head for the Great Lakes. Bring a cooler with food and drinks.

For the more expensive dream trips you can wait and watch for the great travel promotions that show up from time to time in the newspaper and online. In the meantime, plan for inexpensive destinations and activities. You might find that you have even more fun on the trips that cost half as much money, and that's a travel bargain.