ABC News: Americans Still Traveling Despite High Prices - I'm still going are you? ABC News says yes.
AAA says 1 million more Americans will travel this coming weekend, the unofficial start of the summer vacation season.
Check out the ABC travel article above for a few of their tips that are decent, but DO take advantage of these:
Stay at a vacation rental instead of a hotel. You'll save and save again. You can choose from coastal cottages, Caribbean villas, to condos in resort settings.
Eat at Least One Meal a Day Out of a Restaurant - buy a cheap cooler that you can throw away or leave behind if one isn't supplied with your rental. Stock up on local specialties and bring along a picnic, or eat cereal and fruit on the patio. Your waist and wallet will thank you and you can spend your money on local fun, or save it for another vacation.
Search for Coupons and Deals Online. Before you go, pick up an Entertainment Guide for your destination or check out the special attractions online. Do a search for "attraction discounts" and see what local stores might have well priced tickets. Costco and other warehouse memberships are famous for this.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Save Hundreds of Dollars With a Summer Rental
ABC News: Save Hundreds of Dollars With a Summer Rental -great headline, misleading and superficial article. As someone in the vacation rental business I am thankful that the reporter chose to publicize the opportunities for vacationers by staying in homes rather than hotels. At the same time, I am terribly disappointed that she neglected to really research and portray the situation realistically. Her tips are in italics:
Save 20 Percent to 50 Percent - verses a hotel stay. She got this right. Typically the guest will get 2 or more bedrooms and more for the price of one. The cost savings grow exponentially when you figure in eating at the rental for at least 1 meal a day. We like to eat breakfast at home, pack a lunch for our activity of the day, and splurge on dinner.
Come and Go as You Please - this holds true for off season, and shoulder season rentals, but in many many desirable summer vacation spots, owners and agencies dictate a specific weekly stay, with most being Saturday afternoon to Saturday morning. Why? The peak season pretty much pays the bills for many folks, and owners cannot afford to leave a few days vacant. Why Saturday to Saturday? When you figure it out let me know!
It Pays to Wait - well maybe, but probably not for the nicest places. Remember this: the best places usually fill up very quickly. Waiting until 2 weeks before your vacation is VERY risky. Many owners do not negotiate on prices; but if they will it will be last minute. I recommend picking out your favorite place, and emailing the owner or agent to let you know about last minute cancellations or specials for the time of travel, but be prepared to do something else. My summer weeks can book up as early as a year in advance on both the West Coast and the East Coast. You can sign up for last minute specials for all of my places...
Size Matters - if you have more than 6 people, start looking a year in advance, or rent more than one vacation rental. The easiest groups to accommodate are 2-4. Don't wait if you have a larger or extended family.
Barbara's Top 3 Vacation Destinations include Tybee Island, GA; Treasure Beach, Jamaica; and Lake Ouichita, AR - I'm sure these are great places, but since I haven't been I cannot judge. I would like to try out Tybee Island myself though. My usual picks would of course be my own coastal places in Maine and California(though I don't get to vacation much at them because they are booked all summer...) those aside, I'd highly recommend Martha's vineyard or Cape Cod, Southern Oregon along the Rogue River, and out of the box: a New York City vacation rental (our pick for this summer). You would be hard pressed to find much for July or the first 2 weeks in August now. So look for something out of the way or non traditional.
A Great Deal Is Just a Click Away - oh how true... The author names a few good sites, but there are many. Start with a Google (or other)search using the terms "Your Dream Location" Vacation Rental. See what pops up for vacation rental listing sites, or even owners (though they will probably be found deeper in the search results.) You can also just start at any of these: vacationrentals.com; greatfamilyrentals.com; petfriendlyrentals.com; or even craigslist.com. I'm biased, but I wouldn't bother with a rental agency or property manager. They take a 10-50% cut, and leave the owner with less money to keep your vacation rental nice.
Most of all - enjoy your vacation this summer!
Save 20 Percent to 50 Percent - verses a hotel stay. She got this right. Typically the guest will get 2 or more bedrooms and more for the price of one. The cost savings grow exponentially when you figure in eating at the rental for at least 1 meal a day. We like to eat breakfast at home, pack a lunch for our activity of the day, and splurge on dinner.
Come and Go as You Please - this holds true for off season, and shoulder season rentals, but in many many desirable summer vacation spots, owners and agencies dictate a specific weekly stay, with most being Saturday afternoon to Saturday morning. Why? The peak season pretty much pays the bills for many folks, and owners cannot afford to leave a few days vacant. Why Saturday to Saturday? When you figure it out let me know!
It Pays to Wait - well maybe, but probably not for the nicest places. Remember this: the best places usually fill up very quickly. Waiting until 2 weeks before your vacation is VERY risky. Many owners do not negotiate on prices; but if they will it will be last minute. I recommend picking out your favorite place, and emailing the owner or agent to let you know about last minute cancellations or specials for the time of travel, but be prepared to do something else. My summer weeks can book up as early as a year in advance on both the West Coast and the East Coast. You can sign up for last minute specials for all of my places...
Size Matters - if you have more than 6 people, start looking a year in advance, or rent more than one vacation rental. The easiest groups to accommodate are 2-4. Don't wait if you have a larger or extended family.
Barbara's Top 3 Vacation Destinations include Tybee Island, GA; Treasure Beach, Jamaica; and Lake Ouichita, AR - I'm sure these are great places, but since I haven't been I cannot judge. I would like to try out Tybee Island myself though. My usual picks would of course be my own coastal places in Maine and California(though I don't get to vacation much at them because they are booked all summer...) those aside, I'd highly recommend Martha's vineyard or Cape Cod, Southern Oregon along the Rogue River, and out of the box: a New York City vacation rental (our pick for this summer). You would be hard pressed to find much for July or the first 2 weeks in August now. So look for something out of the way or non traditional.
A Great Deal Is Just a Click Away - oh how true... The author names a few good sites, but there are many. Start with a Google (or other)search using the terms "Your Dream Location" Vacation Rental. See what pops up for vacation rental listing sites, or even owners (though they will probably be found deeper in the search results.) You can also just start at any of these: vacationrentals.com; greatfamilyrentals.com; petfriendlyrentals.com; or even craigslist.com. I'm biased, but I wouldn't bother with a rental agency or property manager. They take a 10-50% cut, and leave the owner with less money to keep your vacation rental nice.
Most of all - enjoy your vacation this summer!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Fodor's Travel Wire | 6 Tips for Wrinkle-Free Packing
Do you hate to iron? Do you hate it even more when you are on vacation? I just learned a few tips from Fodor's Travel Wire | 6 Tips for Wrinkle-Free Packing. As a former frequent flier and business warrior, I thought I knew all the tricks to keeping clothes wrinkle free or at least only minorly wrinkled. Tips #2, about the plastic is news to me. Try it, and let us all know if it really works on your next vacation.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Summer Rentals Hot in New England this Year
According to MA real estate offices and property managers interviewed for this article: Lowell Sun Online - Home summer rentals on the Cape, NH, and north (like myGeorgetown Maine cottage) are filling up fast for summer. I would concur that this has been the earliest booking season I've experienced since 1999, though my coastal cottage always fills up for summer by April or May. What is different this year, is that we are filled for June and half of September too, already. Personally, September and October are my favorite times in New England.
Still want to come up to the midcoast? Check out my friend's new cottage on Robinhood Cove and ask for Howard. His cottage is just like mine, but newer, and on a long tidal cove, which is famous for its Robinhood Marina. He's still got some summer availablity, but not for long I'm sure.
Looking for something smaller, or a little less expensive? Try the Back River Bend Cottages on the Back River in Georgetown and ask for Ruth.
Want to be closer to Five Islands Wharf? Then check out the cottages on Gott's Cove run by Sonya. Her husband even runs fishing charters.
Wherever you stay, have fun, and may the sun be shining! There is no place like a cottage in New England. Coastal Maine, NH Lakes, Cape Cod - you choose and you can't lose!
Still want to come up to the midcoast? Check out my friend's new cottage on Robinhood Cove and ask for Howard. His cottage is just like mine, but newer, and on a long tidal cove, which is famous for its Robinhood Marina. He's still got some summer availablity, but not for long I'm sure.
Looking for something smaller, or a little less expensive? Try the Back River Bend Cottages on the Back River in Georgetown and ask for Ruth.
Want to be closer to Five Islands Wharf? Then check out the cottages on Gott's Cove run by Sonya. Her husband even runs fishing charters.
Wherever you stay, have fun, and may the sun be shining! There is no place like a cottage in New England. Coastal Maine, NH Lakes, Cape Cod - you choose and you can't lose!
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Lake Tahoe Here We Come
Imagine my delight when 6 hours into our drive from OC to Tahoe, my husband reminds me that I can access high speed internet from one of the laptops in the back seat. He borrowed someone's with a Verizon Broadband Wi Fi card (or whatever it is called), and now I'm blogging while he's driving up the I5!
Lucky for me, when I checked my RSS feed from Bloglines, the second article was about there still being time to ski at Lake Tahoe, our destination for today.
I put our ski gear away in January, and thought we wouldn't get it out again until next year. Luckily for me, I received an inquiry a few weeks ago from a fellow vacation rental owner via Great Rentals. I'll be staying at her cabin near Northstar, and she'll use my vacation rental in Palm Desert at a later date!
I'll give you my own review on her Enchanted Cottage and Northstar at Tahoe in a few days.
One week later...
I hadn't been to Lake Tahoe in nearly 15 years. I really can't figure out why I hadn't been back?! The lake is clear and beautiful. The skiing is good and reasonably uncrowded...now with a great place to stay, I've got no excuse.
Our hostess, Marci, made her North Lake Tahoe cottage truly enchanted. The cottage was thoughtfully appointed, appropriately themed and decorated, and perfectly cleaned and stocked. We loved the fireplace, the outdoor hot tub, and the in house washer & dryer. She even had snacks stocked for us after the long drive. I found myself envious of her ability to personalize and welcome each guest uniquely, that comes with living nearby her vacation rentals.
Our skiing at Northstar at Tahoe was typical spring skiing. The top third of the mountain was great packed powder, which turned to mashed potatoes as we moved lower. Northstart has great potential, but the infrastructure just wasn't quite there. It took more than an hour to get from the skiier dropoff to the top of the mountain. The mountain was crowded and the staff was short. Though we enjoyed the mountain, it was certainly evident that they were closing in a few weeks. Regardless, we viewed this trip as a gift! Skiing in mid April - I'll take it.
Unfortunately you won't see us buying and renting out a vacation condo at Northstart any time soon. We took a serious look, but at 1.6 million for one of the least expensive 3 bedroom village units - well, it's out of our league! Let us know if you buy one, we'll stay next time.
Lucky for me, when I checked my RSS feed from Bloglines, the second article was about there still being time to ski at Lake Tahoe, our destination for today.
I put our ski gear away in January, and thought we wouldn't get it out again until next year. Luckily for me, I received an inquiry a few weeks ago from a fellow vacation rental owner via Great Rentals. I'll be staying at her cabin near Northstar, and she'll use my vacation rental in Palm Desert at a later date!
I'll give you my own review on her Enchanted Cottage and Northstar at Tahoe in a few days.
One week later...
I hadn't been to Lake Tahoe in nearly 15 years. I really can't figure out why I hadn't been back?! The lake is clear and beautiful. The skiing is good and reasonably uncrowded...now with a great place to stay, I've got no excuse.
Our hostess, Marci, made her North Lake Tahoe cottage truly enchanted. The cottage was thoughtfully appointed, appropriately themed and decorated, and perfectly cleaned and stocked. We loved the fireplace, the outdoor hot tub, and the in house washer & dryer. She even had snacks stocked for us after the long drive. I found myself envious of her ability to personalize and welcome each guest uniquely, that comes with living nearby her vacation rentals.
Our skiing at Northstar at Tahoe was typical spring skiing. The top third of the mountain was great packed powder, which turned to mashed potatoes as we moved lower. Northstart has great potential, but the infrastructure just wasn't quite there. It took more than an hour to get from the skiier dropoff to the top of the mountain. The mountain was crowded and the staff was short. Though we enjoyed the mountain, it was certainly evident that they were closing in a few weeks. Regardless, we viewed this trip as a gift! Skiing in mid April - I'll take it.
Unfortunately you won't see us buying and renting out a vacation condo at Northstart any time soon. We took a serious look, but at 1.6 million for one of the least expensive 3 bedroom village units - well, it's out of our league! Let us know if you buy one, we'll stay next time.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Travel: Intrepid Traveler: Fun sleeps that don't cost a fortune
I don't usually blog about real cheap vacations - getting the most for your dollar, yes; good value, yes, but really cheap - no! That said, my 22 year old, recent college graduate, nephew has been staying with us for a few weeks now, while he gains some work experience courtesy of my husband's company, and while he looks for something more permanent. I had nearly forgotten what it was like to truly have no money. Not no money in my pocket, not no money in my checking account, but really no money...that doesn't come from benevolent family members...
I'm starting to remember, and as I recall those times coincided not only with a strong desire to see and do everything, but also with a willingness to bunk with friends, sleep on the floor, share bathrooms, and stay in apartments on top of the train tracks, just to experience life. Along comes this article: Fun sleeps that don't cost a fortune. The article points out and gives you contact information for several US hostels or hostel type accomodations (which are a common way to travel on the cheap in Europe) in great locations. On this little list alone you can find cheap places to sleep in Redwood National Park, Breckenridge Colorado, Cape Cod, and NYC! Too bad I've grown old and cranky and like luxury beds, and private baths too much :)
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Hershey Park in April!
I cannot believe Hershey Park is open in April! We visited the great place:Family Vacation idea: Hersheypark in April in July of 2003 as part of 9 week RV adventure from California, to Maine, to California. This was my older daughter's favorite man made stop, by a landslide! Great Park - must go! Ther are fun rides, and something special about that ride through the "Hershey Plant" even if it ends it the biggest chocolate store ever. Have fun and eat a Reese's or two for me. What would it be like to relax in chocolate? Tell me if you stay at the Hotel Hershey!
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