Travel in Budget

Stuart S. Travel asked:


Of course you can travel just about anywhere with your kids on a budget. Like any travel experience on a budget you need to research and plan well to make the most of your travel dollar. Many places, however, are family or kid friendly and will throw in added extras for the children. So whether you intend traveling at home or abroad, look for places that will cater to your family’s needs.

 

RV trips are a great way to travel on a budget. In fact, traveling with a car is almost essential for families. It is usually cheaper than buying rail passes or catching taxis everywhere. But more importantly, it gives you that ‘door to door’ freedom that is necessary when traveling with kids.

 

If you are traveling overseas, have you considered staying in a hostel with your family? This is a much cheaper option than staying in hotels and many hostels are family friendly and have no age limit (except in Bavaria where you can’t be older than twenty six). You can request a room with enough bunk beds to accommodate your family and you can cook your meals in the communal kitchen. Huge savings to be made!

 

In the USA there are many places to travel with your family on a budget. Consider these options:

1. Camping. The cheapest option around for any travel adventure. Many campsites have activities for kids and if you don’t like the idea of staying in a tent, many places have cabins to rent that are still cheaper than a hotel room. Camping gets you up close and personal with nature and gets the kids outside and running around.

2. What about spending some time at a Working Farm or Dude Ranch? Look around for reasonably priced holidays at these destinations and you will find plenty of activities and atmosphere for kids and adults alike.

3. Head to Disneyland in off peak season for big savings.

4. The same can be said for traveling to Hawaii. Check the packages available in low season and see how affordable it is.

5. You’ll also find some excellent deals in traveling to Mexico. Go for all-inclusive resorts, especially in the low season.

 

What about if you want to travel overseas? Where are some good places to take the kids on a budget?

* Although Australia is a long way away and can be a bit pricey to get there, it is a very child-friendly place with lots of cost saving adventures to be had for the kids. Australian off peak is different from North America so do some research. 

* Europe can be done on a budget with kids. Pick your destinations with the kids in mind. Get them involved in your itinerary. Stay in hostels and travel by car. You’ll be amazed at how much you save and how much you see.

* Some island resorts are very child friendly. In Fiji there are resorts where children under twelve stay and eat for free. Do your research!

* How about a family cruise? Cruises are great because they are all-inclusive, cater for families and you get to explore lots of places. There are some good family package deals to be found with most cruise companies.

 

So get planning and get packed. Plan your family vacation and check out the deals available. Going off peak is the best way to save money. If you are going to take the kids out of school buy them a journal so they can record their experiences. It’s amazing how much they’ll learn by traveling with their family.

 

This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru

www.stuartstravel.com



Caffeinated Content

Paul Hata asked:


Hostelling was once thought of as the exclusive province of college kids traveling through Europe for the first time. However, hostelling has grow to include all ages, and all types of people. When traveling on a budget, staying at a hostel can be a great experience for the traveler with a sense of adventure.

Of course, hostel travel is not for everyone, and some travelers would rather spend extra money for solo accommodations. In general, hostel traveling is best suited to solo travelers, or to groups of young people traveling together.

Hostel stays are generally not recommended for families traveling with young children, and many hostels do not accept children under a certain age.

Most hostels are set up as dormitory style rooms, with a number of bunk beds arranged throughout the room. The number of bunk beds in a single room varies, with the average from four to ten bunks per room. Each traveler is assigned a specific bunk upon check-in.

Almost all hostels in the United States divide their accommodations according to gender, with the female guests in one block of rooms and the male guests in another. In multi-floor hostels, each gender is often assigned a specific floor or group of floors.

In many European locations and elsewhere around the world, however, many hostel rooms have mixed genders sharing a room. If this is a concern, be sure to ask about it.

Many woman traveling alone found no problem with these arrangements, and many have stayed in hostels throughout Europe, including Rome, London and Amsterdam. Some visitors, however, are surprised at these arrangements.

The bathroom accommodations at hostels vary as well, with some rooms containing a shared bathroom and shower, while other hostels will have shower and bathroom facilities located in the hallway. If this is an important consideration, you should make sure to ask about bathroom facilities when making the reservation.

And reservations are becoming increasingly important at hostels, especially during the summer months in popular locations.

Where once it was common for travelers simply to drop by the hostel and get a bed, it is now not at all unusual for hostels in popular tourist destinations to be booked solid for months.

The main appeal of staying at hostels, of course, is the price. The nightly rate for a hostel rarely rises above $25 or $30 per night, with most hostel accommodations costing far less.

With the average hotel room hovering around $100 to $150 in many locations, it is easy to see why hostels are becoming so popular.

In addition, the staff at most hostels are extremely accommodating and knowledgeable about the local area. Unlike many staff members of some luxury hotels, who travel in from the suburbs and rarely see the city in which the live, hostel staff tend to live in their city, and they have an intimate knowledge of the local attractions, including which attractions are can’t miss and which ones are a waste of money.

In addition, hostels often have access to discounts and coupons for local area attractions and restaurants, and they can provide valuable information on the best, lowest priced restaurants in the area.

While staying at a hostel is not for everyone, and the local hostel will never be mistaken for a Ritz Carlton, hostels can be wonderful budget accommodations for the budget minded traveler.

After all, the goal of travel is to get out and see the world, and hostel travel lets you spend your limited travel dollars doing just that.



Website content