There are times when we do not have enough vacation time or just not enough funds to take a full blown vacation but we still need to get away. Have you ever been in this situation where work and life has gotten the best of you and need a little break? Chances are if you are like me it has; well have you ever thought of a weekend getaway or cheap city breaks?
Traveling on a budget is one of the ways that I love to travel the most. My wife and I rarely stay at the same place twice when we go anywhere. We like to scour the internet to find deals and find new places to stay. The one place that always comes to mind is Expedia dooottttt com. I know you have seen the commercial and know what I am talking about. If not Youtube it!
My initial search for low rates involves going to Google and typing in the destination what we would like to go to. I use this to try and locate some hotels around the area then I kind of back track. I log onto a site like Expedia and query something like cheap hotels London.
Expedia has always been one of my go to sites when looking for travel reservations, currently they have localized sites for over 22 countries they are one of the largest internet based travel websites. Originally founded in 1996 by Microsoft as a division, they spun off in 1999 and went on their own.
When looking for hotel reservations what do you look for? We have 2 children now so having a room with 2 beds is essential. When it was my wife and I we always tried to find a place that was hopping and had a good downtown life. Times have changed for the better and we look at the reviews extensively to see about the family atmosphere and amenities for kids.
Our essentials in a room for a cheap fun family trip/ weekend getaway/ city break:
Budget friendly, since we tend to spend a small amount of time in the room and would rather be out exploring. If we have to worry about how much it cost us we probably shouldn’t be going.
Location. Location. Location. It seems as though when we are looking most the cheaper hotels are near air ports, but the destination we are looking to visit is usually a good hour or so away. If you don’t mind the drive you may consider one of the ones that are further from your destination.
Amenities- Certain hotels in larger cities you will have to pay a premium to park your vehicle. Typically when you are going on a city break it is for a shorter time and likely somewhere that you have driven too. Having to worry about what you are going to do with your car while you are there is one headache you don’t need. An avid fitness guru may want a hotel with a workout room.
The most important part is to have fun and de-stress for a little bit!!!
Photo by: LeaMarzloff
We have a AAA roadside membership, and whenever we stay at a hotel we ask if there is a AAA discount available. More often than not, there is. They’ll just ask to see the card when you check in to confirm that you really do qualify, and that can save a few extra bucks per night.
In my opinion vacations are key to keeping your sanity. There’s actually something I stumbled on many years ago to get the best prices possible for a vacation, whether it’s for a couple of days or longer. I use a local travel agent and they always have access to all sorts of unfilled bookings that need to be sold cheap. The problem is that you have literally only have a day or so to get them. I normally call into the travel agent and tell them that I’m looking to travel some place warm. They do their searches and get back to a few days later and give me all the details. I’m not sure how it will work with kids and schedules, but I’m sure you can work something out that saves you a lot of cash, if you don’t mind visiting new places. 🙂
@ Amy – I completely agree they are needed to keep sanity, the weekends are just not enough. That probably works great when you do not have any kids, but coordinating them can be a pain… 🙂