Weekend getaways

**scfr** · 08-06-2014, 07:07 AM

We just took a 3-day/2-night trip to Dallas (we live in Austin) and spent $375, car use (gasoline and wear & tear) not included. We wanted to make the most of the time and we wanted to eat out at some nice restaurants that serve DH's native cuisine (better options in Dallas than here in Austin), so we did not make much of an effort to economize besides the things that just come naturally to us (having only water at restaurants, for example).

Cost breakdown:
Hotels $143 for 2 nights, breakfasts included (didn't use any free nights but did EARN some as a result of this trip)
Eating out $138 for 5 meals out for 2 adults (and worth every penny)
Admission Fees $72 (again, worth every penny)
Parking and Tolls $22

I had budgeted $425 for the trip so we came in $50 under budget.
Oh, and our car turned over 160K miles while we were cruising I35, so DH and I got to share a fist-bump for that little milestone.

Next on our list? Corpus Christi and Houston

**disneysteve** · 08-06-2014, 07:50 AM

Originally posted by Weird Tolkienish Figure View Post

My wife and I would like to budget in a weekend once a month to get away, this will include the cost of a hotel room for one night (or two, depending) and dinner, and fun activities. We live in the Northeast so there are lots of options for nice relaxing getaways. My concern is the price now, is anyone able to do this without breaking the bank? It seems like the best getaways are booked ahead of time and cost a lot of $$.

My wife and I love those weekend getaways too. One problem is that Saturday night is typically the most expensive hotel rates. Try and focus on properties that cater to business travelers as they are more likely to drop rates on the weekend.

Check TripAdvisor to search for hotels at your destination. They list rates from various sources.

If not already a member, sign up for all of the hotel reward clubs. First, you'll earn points toward free stays. Second, they will send regular emails with specials.

Join Groupon and Living Social. They always have travel specials.

And try to pick hotels a bit off the beaten track, on the outskirts of town rather than right in the middle of the action. Sometimes a hotel that is a 15 or 20 minute drive from where you really want to be can save you $30 or $40 per night which more than makes up for the travel time and parking cost.

I'm not sure where in the Northeast you are, but we're in southern NJ and some of our favorites are NYC; National Harbor, MD; Atlantic City, NJ; Lancaster, PA; Baltimore, MD to name a few.

**disneysteve** · 08-06-2014, 09:14 AM

Another thing to keep in mind is less popular locales. I don't know what you guys are into but there are a lot of places that have nice hotels, decent restaurants, and interesting attractions but aren't commonly thought of as destinations. They may not be places that you would go to for a week, but for a day or two they are just fine. Hotel prices are usually lower as a result.

**Weird Tolkienish Figure** · 08-06-2014, 12:00 PM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

My wife and I love those weekend getaways too. One problem is that Saturday night is typically the most expensive hotel rates. Try and focus on properties that cater to business travelers as they are more likely to drop rates on the weekend.

Check TripAdvisor to search for hotels at your destination. They list rates from various sources.

If not already a member, sign up for all of the hotel reward clubs. First, you'll earn points toward free stays. Second, they will send regular emails with specials.

Join Groupon and Living Social. They always have travel specials.

And try to pick hotels a bit off the beaten track, on the outskirts of town rather than right in the middle of the action. Sometimes a hotel that is a 15 or 20 minute drive from where you really want to be can save you $30 or $40 per night which more than makes up for the travel time and parking cost.

I'm not sure where in the Northeast you are, but we're in southern NJ and some of our favorites are NYC; National Harbor, MD; Atlantic City, NJ; Lancaster, PA; Baltimore, MD to name a few.

Thanks for the advice. We live in a major city already, so we're looking to get out of the city.

I searched around and found that AAA has a good program for hotel discounts.

**isaac** · 08-08-2014, 05:10 AM

My $0.02 on booking a hotel. After you've searched your hotels.com or AAA Travel or Trip Advisor or any of the other many ways to find "deals" and you settle on a hotel. Before booking through any other service, simply call the hotel desk and check their rates. I've found the hotel itself is always cheaper than any "discount" services or travel sites (after AAA or Military Discount).

If they're not cheaper you might be able to ask them to beat the price of the other service, they should still come out ahead skipping the middle man.

**isaac** · 08-08-2014, 05:16 AM

One more $0.02. Booking a hotel over the phone requires a credit card ... over the phone. I've had my card compromised twice now. Luckily USAA customer service is absolutely amazing and put my money back in my account within hours of the fraudulent charges. So if you go this route, definitely definitely use a brand name card that will protect you, and one you can do without for a week while they mail you a new one.

**MarkInCA** · 08-08-2014, 03:28 PM

My GF and I do short weekend trips all the time! At least once a month.

Like some have mentioned already, focus maybe on less-popular destinations. Places that have things to do, but that most wouldn't think of as a vacation hotspot.

The websites I use the most often to find cheaper hotel rooms are kayak, hotwire (if you don't have a specific preference about which hotel you'll be staying in), and booking.com.

Make sure you have the 'Honey' extension installed in your web browser. This extension automatically looks for coupon codes to use when you check out (go to joinhoney.com to install). I've saved quite a bit of money on this extension alone.

Good luck!

**creditcardfree** · 08-08-2014, 04:18 PM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

My wife and I love those weekend getaways too. One problem is that Saturday night is typically the most expensive hotel rates. Try and focus on properties that cater to business travelers as they are more likely to drop rates on the weekend.

I can attest to this. Marriott Courtyard often offers Friday and Saturday nights at $80 or less in the midwest. If you are using Marriott rewards, the points needed are far less for this type of night.

**Gailete** · 08-08-2014, 06:48 PM

f not already a member, sign up for all of the hotel reward clubs. First, you'll earn points toward free stays. Second, they will send regular emails with specials.

I second this very much. While I was still working at my last job I had a lot of hotel stays and was racking up some points that allowed me to take a couple free overnight trips. When we got married I had a few free stays on my cards. We used one for our honeymoon a couple of nights after we got married. Went to a hotel-decided we didn't like the bed but the Jacuzzi was nice so we packed up and drove back home about 40 miles away

. When my son got married I used the last free nights for him so he could get free rooms for his honeymoon. I had gotten sick 3 weeks after we got married and never have been out to work again, so I don't get free rooms anymore or travel, but they are a great way to save when traveling. Even some times it is worth paying a bit more for a better place than cheap out to save $5-10 and you can continue earning points. If you are doing this to be fun you don't want to be staying at a cockroach motel!

Something that might save on gas, etc. is if you live in a big city and something neat is happening on the other side of it on a weekend, book a hotel on the other side of town so you will be close to events and can be a tourist in your own city, but still make it special by trying out the restaurants that you usually don't get to, etc. and no exhaustion from driving for hours to get somewhere.

**kork13** · 08-09-2014, 06:13 AM

In addition to Groupon & Living Social, Amazon Local also has travel deals... Normally for hotel/B&B stays, but also for sightseeing/tourism type things as well. Obviously, doing things within a day's drive will save you alot in travel expenses. An underutilized travel aid is one of those visitor guides for a state/region/country. They tend to have alot of the less common locales & events that you can go see/participate in.

**snafu** · 08-09-2014, 08:08 AM

DH and I like to go to events in other communities. You've had wonderful suggestions. We've found it helpful to use a one page calendar and block out events of interest for the year and then check against commitments that keep us home. Mostly we avoid the really busy long weekends since traffic and driving conditions in our area is really awful. We're not big on restaurants but I check TravelAdvisor for specialities or exceptionally favourable comments and we'll do lunch since the menu is similar and typically less expensive. I prefer lunch as the heavier meal of the day as we then walk it off. The exception is the church dinners around our [October] Thanksgiving. What a hoot! The people are welcoming and wonderful, the food is mostly home grown. Entertainment is a concert by the kiddies.

I've not done this but lots of people look for short term accommodation on Kijiji or FB ads. You get room in someone's house like an unlicensed B&B. It's very popular in our city because hotel rates are ridiculously expensive and they double for even the smaller events.

**disneysteve** · 08-09-2014, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by snafu View Post

I've not done this but lots of people look for short term accommodation on Kijiji or FB ads. You get room in someone's house like an unlicensed B&B. It's very popular in our city because hotel rates are ridiculously expensive and they double for even the smaller events.

Something a lot more official is renting through a site like VRBO.com. These are typically places that are being rented formally (and legally). In fact, as I type this message, we're staying in a condo in Florida that we rented that way. We've never used them for a weekend getaway but I'm sure you can as long as you find an owner willing to rent just for a night or two. They usually prefer week-long rentals but if the place is vacant, they'd probably rather rent two or three days than none.

**My English Castle** · 08-11-2014, 10:57 AM

Hotel Discounters

I use Hotwire a lot for booking hotels. There are Hotwire and Price Line "cheat" sites that tell you which hotels you're likely to get, based on amenities. I can frequently book a favorite Minneapolis hotel for under $100. And sometimes they throw in breakfast or a cocktail voucher.

I also really like the Kimpton hotels. They can be pricey but often have sales and a very nice wine hour we enjoy before dinner--frequently with appetizers at some of them.

**TheKayla** · 08-15-2014, 11:05 AM

Theres some places you can stay where people rent out duplexes or an extra bedroom for a night for super cheap, it's generally safe and pleasant, and there are sites that have reviews for these types of places. I've never tried it myself, but it's on my list of to-dos. Otherwise, have weekend getaways consist of local activities, rather than tourist activities, and that can keep the price down.

Depending on your interests, you can always travel by staying at friends' places across the country too. It's a great way to catch up and snatch a cheap/free place to stay.

Weekend getaways