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FRUGAL CITIES FOR SUMMER VACATIONS

  • July 3, 2022 3:56 pm

If you’re watching your budget and think that a “stay-cation” is your only option this summer, you’re in for a surprise. Kiplinger.com researched large and midsize cities for low, average round-trip airfare, affordable hotel costs, and cheap meals in order to compile a list of the top ten fun, but financially frugal cities to consider for your summer vacation. 

kidslovetravel.com
  1. Riverside, CA
  2. Phoenix, AZ
  3. Atlanta, GA (re: KIDS LOVE GEORGIA, NORTHWEST CHAPTER)
  4. Charlotte, NC (re: KIDS LOVE THE CAROLINAS, SOUTH CENTRAL CHAPTER)
  5. Columbus, OH (re: KIDS LOVE OHIO, CENTRAL CHAPTER)
  6. Jacksonville, FL (re: KIDS LOVE FLORIDA, NORTHEAST CHAPTER)
  7. Birmingham, AL
  8. Raleigh, NC (re: KIDS LOVE THE CAROLINAS, CENTRAL EAST CHAPTER)
  9. Richmond, VA (re: KIDS LOVE VIRGINIA, SOUTHEAST CHAPTER)
  10. Tampa, FL (re: KIDS LOVE FLORIDA, CENTRAL WEST CHAPTER)

As you can tell, www.kidslovetravel.com/travel-books/ guidebooks know a lot of places on the cheap. Explore one of our guidebooks soon…

HOLIDAY FAMILY TRAVEL IDEA: TRY SOMETHING NEW

  • December 7, 2021 10:57 am

Try SOMETHING NEW

Some examples: Reindeer Ranch, Potato Chip Factory, Dog Sledding, Dune Buggies, Indoor SkyDiving, Duck Boating, Pizza Factories, Toy Factories, Recording Studios, Covered Wagons, Skipjack Boating, Dairy or Fish Farms, Making Baskets, Boats, and Carousel Creatures, Air Boating, Crabbing, Money Making, Cheese Making, Pretzels, Pottery, Baseball Bats & Bees, Ice Cream Factories and all the Candy Factory sampling you can bear. Where are the best burgers? the biggest toasted cheese sandwiches? The sweetest peaches or the greatest “foamed” root beer?

HAVE A TRAVELING MOM/DAD, TEACHER OR FRIEND ON YOUR GIFT GIVING LIST?

If they like exploring hidden gems near large cities – that’s what KIDS LOVE TRAVEL is all about

– hundreds of fun stops and unique spots around favorite destinations.

In each KIDS LOVE TRAVEL guide, you get ORGANIZED ideas for EASY family travel —from no hassle quick trips to unique vacation add-ons...with FREE things mixed in! 

FAMILIES LOVE TRAVEL – ON THE CHEAP

  • May 18, 2020 9:12 am

Take a Vacation without Breaking the Bank

-notes from Michele Z, the Family Travel Mom

Here are some tips to help you put together a trip that they will all enjoy…on a tight budget:

  1. Simplify your lodgings. Either join a rewards club or, if you can, plan to visit areas of the country where you can stay with friends or relatives.  Another option- vacation homes and campgrounds – using a grill or fully equipped kitchen and washer/dryer facility yourself saves money. Of course, the best way to save on hotels is to not use them. Plan day trips to sights and attractions within driving distance instead.
  2. Attractions. Buying tickets in advance online can save not only money, but time as well. Go in a group for shows and fee-paid attractions at a group discount. Get more value from historical places by: re-enactments, history mysteries, state history workbooks.
  3. Babysitting. When planning a road trip with young children, ask grandparents or another close relative to come along to watch the kids. This allows you and your spouse some time alone without paying for resort babysitting services.
  4. Discount or Membership Card. Buy a discount attractions pass for large cities like Chicago, Orlando, New York – especially if you know you’re going to visit four or more sites around town. You can also save up to $500.00 with free discount cards provided by local CVBs.  Some supermarket chains offer great discount tickets to major attractions in the area by just signing up for their Customer Card. If you already have family memberships to your local Children’s Museum, Science Center, Zoo or Aquarium, find out which places offer Free or Discounted Reciprocal Admission.
  5. Economize on meals.  Plan to splurge on one meal, but make the other meals less expensive. Staying at a hotel with a complimentary continental breakfast is our favorite option.  Pay attention to three magic words, “Kids Eat Free,” especially at hotel and chain restaurants. Look for Extra Value Meals or Early Bird specials, too. Often, historic taverns offer better value deals for lunch vs. dinner menus so maybe consider making lunch your main meal of the day.
  6. Freebies. (Yes, they still exist!) Keep the little ones entertained without opening the wallet at upscale mall stores like a Lego Store or Discovery Stores. Many upscale hotels now have live, caged animals in their lobby such as exotic birds.  Once or twice a day the management offers public programs with a naturalist or you can chance upon a feeding time.  Another freebie – free admission special events or festivals. Best of all, though, are the attractions that are still FREE admission.  One-quarter to one-third of all Kids Love Travel series guidebooks offer reviews on attractions that never, or hardly ever, charge to get in!
  7. Getting Around. Dad did all that driving to get there, now he just wants to get out of the van and take a nap, but the family is ready to see the sites. Most every tourist town has a trolley service and most every trolley has on/off privileges. To save even more money, opt out of actually visiting the historic museums (probably boring for kids anyway) and just absorb the views and snipits from the trolley guide.  Walking is free, too. Some historic towns are very walkable (ex. Alexandria, St. Augustine, Fredericksburg, DC, Lexington, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, etc.)
  8. Giving In.  Moms say “yes” to kids more often and to more requests on vacation. So, give in moms, but cheaply. The number one request of kids on vacation: Staying up late and Sleeping in – so let them, no cost here. Next on kids’ list was treats. Most “treats” like ice cream cones are little cost compared to sit-down meals so splurge on that cone or candy but save on dinner because the kids won’t be that hungry!
  9. Go off season.  Not only will the crowds be reduced, but hotels offer deep discounts and gift shops run clearance sales during off-peak times of year.
  10. Pack to Save.  A last minute purchase or rental of certain items out of necessity can add up quickly. If you have the room, bring your own stroller or bicycles. If you like to theme park or bike/hike, we have suggestions at our workshops and in the KIDS LOVE FLORIDA BOOK about what to pack in your backpack.

Kids grow up fast.  Enjoy time with them (inexpensively) while they’re young. Remember, this year may offer the best travel deals ever!  2020 – Michele Zavatsky

Want more ideas about how to plan your next family trip – and, maybe learn some tricks on how to get the most value? Michele Z, the Family Travel Mom, has been to 5,000 places and shares her journals in her KIDS LOVE TRAVEL GUIDEBOOKS – Family Travel Guides.

Visit www.KidsLoveTravel.com and let YOUR next family adventure begin!

HIDDEN MAGIC IN FLORIDA

  • May 22, 2012 4:14 pm

The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner: A Complete Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake for Your Unforgettable Vacation (April 2012) By Susan Veness and Simon Veness (ORLANDO). This guide is more than just a place to keep your important phone numbers and schedules. This all-the-fun-in-one journal is a celebration of the happiest place on earth—and a peek inside its magic!

Once you have a copy in your hands, it’s hard not to open it and explore its sections. I like to be organized when I travel so the pocketed folder pages placed strategically throughout the book caught my eye. Large text and spiral notebook style publishing were next. What mom doesn’t need to work on last minute plans while driving down to Disney? Readable text and a “workbook” that can grow in size work nicely on the road.

More about the book:

With the help of this planner, you’ll make exciting discoveries like where in Epcot to find Mickey-shaped tomatoes and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it eerie surprise on the Tower of Terror. In addition to these never-before-revealed secrets, you’ll also discover:

  • The best places to stay and eat for every budget
  • Scheduling strategies to cut your waiting time in long lines
  • Prime viewing spots for parades
  • And hundreds more money- and time-saving (and fun-maximizing) tips! 

Complete with journal pages to record your memories, fold-out maps to help you find your way, and pockets to hold your keepsakes, The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner helps you step into your own “Once Upon a Time” and make your Disney dreams come true!

BUT, we all know there’s more magic to Florida than just Disney. Want to read reviews about the family-friendliness (on a budget) of the other 599 things to do in Florida?

Check this out (NEW! EDITION): KIDS LOVE FLORIDA