Cheapest Vacation to Anywhere?
 

Grown D. and I want to ago anywhere in late May! Has to be cheap!! About $1000 total per week for 3-4 weeks. We live in Houston, Texas. We want to see beautiful nature, do some good hiking, be very active, eat simple foods, and stay in simple accomodations (but not a tent). We can drive if not too far, or fly to anywhere if cheap. Please, Fodorites, lend me your wisdom and creativity!

I don't mean to sound crass but "are you dreaming"? That's not a realistic budget. $1,000 for 4 weeks comes to about $35 per day and only $48 per day if you go for 3 weeks. That type of budget won't even pay for a stay at your local Motel 6 let alone leave you anything for food, transportation and other incidentals. There's nothing wrong with budget travel but you have to realistic in your expectations.

With your limited budget why don't you shorten your trip to no more than a week and visit someplace close to Houston. That way you'll have some money for other than your accomodations.

Perhaps you can drive down to the Galveston area and stay in a guest house a few blocks from the beach so you can walk there. Another suggestion is finding an inexpensive guest house in the "Hill Country". Reconsider the camping idea, you can save lots by not having to pay for a motel.

Roams, wrong calculation. $1,000 per week, not for 4 weeks, which is
$1,000 : 7 = 142.86 per day.

Not much, but... doable perhaps?

How about New Mexico and southern Colorado? Southwest flies into Albuquerque. You can rent a car and see Santa Fe, Taos, Abiquiu, Four Corners, etc. Mesa Verde NP is in southern Colorado and is well worth a visit.

It will be warm, but at least it won't be humid! :-)

Lee Ann

Mexico?

Puerto Vallarta Mexico

$870 (2 tickets on US Air)
$1050 (21 days x $50/night hotel)
$51 (per day food & transpo)

3 weeks = $3000

3 to 4 weeks is a long time to stay at a cheap motels, and even that you're talking about $40-50 a day, eating up at least 1/3 of your budget.

I don't know much about it, but you may want to think about renting a small RV...

OK on your other thread you say 2 weeks and now you are talking 3-4 weeks??

$1000 per week is only $500 per person. You are not being realistic AT ALL. $70 per day per person for accommodations, food, transportation AND spa/weight loss tuition. You can do a road trip for that staying in cheap motels. But flying anywhere will eat up half of your entire budget.

Many spas (and not the most expensive ones by any means) will cost $500 for a day or two when you add in transport costs.

Stay home - join the YWCA, get in shape, and then spend the $$ you saved on a nice vacation next year.

You can occasionally find real bargains in hotels, or even small resorts if you troll the internet. Find someplace off-season. Spas would not be in that budget, but joslin wasn't asking about them. Seems to have been a side-line. We are going to someplace in Maine for labor day that is costing about $170 a person with meals. A week in summer can be had for about $300. They are not open in May, so I'm not suggesting it. My parent's favorite (on Cape Cod) is only a little more expensive. They can't be the only two left. Look for something small and family run, where they fill the place cheaply and are making money of the bar (and sometimes greens fees, etc.) Anyplace that includes meals (or lets you pre-pay them) is always a plus for a budget traveler.

Sorry, off the bar.

Motels... $65 * 7 = $455 (Motel6 / Red Roof / Day's Inn)
Breakfest... $10 * 7 = $70
Lunch... $15 * 7 = $105
Diner... $50 * 7 = $350
Other shoppings (drinks / snacks) $10 * 7 = $70
Gas money ? let's say $200 a week

Totals $1.250

If you don't eat out too much and search for motel bargains, $1.000 per week is doable.
Not much room for extra's thou.

If you don't mind for luxury then you can try heading for New Mexico or even The Grand Canyon.
(Houston - Flagstaff is about 1.200 mls)

Go for it and have fun i'd say !

joslin
You can have a great vacation on your budget if you drive. For instance, the panhandle of Florida is not a bad drive from Houston. You could even make a stop at New Orleans overnight if you want or drive straight thru. Go to VRBO.com, click on Florida panhandle and have fun researching weekly rentals! Some will even give monthly rentals for a better rate. Here's just one that I pulled up for you. It's close to beaches and parks withs nature at your fingertips! http://www.vrbo.com/29258
You can do your own cooking and eat for the same price you would if staying at home. Hiking, swimming, walking the beach cost nothing, OF COURSE you can do it for $1000.00 a week! I don't necessarily think that's cheap.

I'm with cd, you can do it, just drive and do a weekly or monthly rental through VRBO.com. My suggestion would be to go to Colorado, especially if you are trying to beat the summer heat in Houston.

Forget the RV idea, between the rental; low MPG and high fuel prices; and campground fees it would be way more $$$$.

You can rent a beachfront house PRE-MEMORIAL DAY week at Topsail Island, NC for less than $ 1000 a week.

Yes - one can find nice rentals all over the country for less than $1000 a week - and sometimes 1/2 that. But - when you add in the gas or airfares, food, spa-like activities (from info on the OP's other thread), it will add up to more substantially more than $1000. Now - IF you find a condo on special and the resort has the leisure activities you want - and have ff miles for your flights - you can easily have a wonderful break for less than $1000.

Fun, cheap vacations are definitely possible - but if you travel far from home, pay for the transport - and want a weight loss program - you'll really have to do your homework. The chance of finding a condo for 3 or 4 weeks at this point is pretty slim.

joslin2,

When I read your post I thought of 2 very different kind of vacations as possibilities.

You could drive from Houston to East Texas, stopping in East Texas for 2 or 3 days. Visit Caddo Lake and the area, quite interesting. Maybe spend a day or two in Shreveport. Then on to Arkansas, "The Natural State". Visit Lake Ouachita and hike in the Lake Ouachita State Park. Then on to Hot Springs for a few days. Then possibly take a canoe trip on the Buffalo River or somewhere else. Then on to the Ozarks. There are inexpensive hotels such as Best Western, Comfort Inn, etc. throughout the region. Visit Petit Jean State Park. Then maybe on to visit Blanchard Springs Caverns. Arkansas has a travel kit you can order online with lots of info on their state parks, etc. This would be a lot of driving, but if you have 3 or 4 weeks you have a lot of time. Gas would be a factor though at today's prices.

The other thing I thought of was a trip to Cancun and the Riviera Maya. Out of Houston you can still get airfare pretty cheap to that area. It's a short flight. There are a number of all-inclusive resorts to choose from. I don't know much about which ones as I'm just now starting to research this for our family. It sounds like a fun vacation though, you can visit the Mayan ruins, cenotes, go to the beach and more.

I'm sure you can find something on that budget. Good luck and let us know what you come up with!

You CAN meet this budget in Mexico, flying from Houston. And have a MUCH nicer hotel for 50 bucks a night btw.

Or do you want to only stay in the United States?

Here's my suggestion: keep the budget but shorten the trip.

Since you say 4 weeks at $1000 per week. I'll assume you have $4000 to spent. Just go for two weeks, voila... now you have $2000 per week to spend. Same amount of cash outlay, but a much nicer vacation. That opens up ALL kinds of possibilities.

Agree with Suze - Mexico is where you want to go on that budget if you can get a cheap flight. I can't comment on the west coast, but you can certainly stick to that budget if you can do without A/C and stick to smaller towns (Tulum, Isla Mujeres) and stay out of the bigger ones (Cancun, Playa del Carmen). Should have no problem finding places to stay for less than $50. Public transportation is readily available, cheap, and surprisingly comfortable. Food & drink is cheap. Damn, I wanna go.

Oops, meant to say I was referring to the Yucatan Pennisula (fly to Cancun).

The New Mexico idea is great, andn now days driving might be not much cheaper than flying.

However, if you do want to drive, you could stop in Marfa to see the mysterious lights and explore the town, which is apparently pretty trendy now. You could also see McDonald Observatory and maybe catch a star gazing show and hike in the Davis Mountains. Then you could check out the Guadalupe and maybe visit Carlsbad Caverns and even Santa Fe. Yes, lodging is high there, but if you are comfortable with Pricline's "Name Your Own Price" feature and can plan ahead, you could probably score a good deal. You can eat cheap (and well) in Santa Fe if you want to.

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions! I am surprised there were no ideas for camping, hostels, ymca's, etc as I have heard those can be great options for budget travel. I am not sure why I cannot find hiking packages for less than $3000 per week pp. Even the "volunteer" vacations where you work are expensive. I just don't see how people can afford to travel! I'l keep working on it though and look into a few of your ideas, and keep thinking!

If you go to www.cheapcaribbean.com, you can find airfare + lodgings for 3 weeks in Acapulco for average $1,600 per person. This doesn't involve meals, so that might be more expensive.

Alternatively, you can buy tickets to Athens, Greece for $1,200 a person, and stay in hostels for $25 a night, eat for $10 a day, and still have money left over for boat ride out to see Mykonos Island. Travel doesn't have to be expensive, if you want to go for the experience of being someplace new as opposed to a luxury getaway.

Well, no one suggested camping because you said you didn't want to be in a tent!

Why do you need a hiking "package"? Go anywhere people have suggested (New Mexico, Colorado) or others (Utah, Arizona), and you can find a cheap hotel and then hike for free!

Maybe I need to find your other post, because I'm not sure why people are bringing up weight loss....

I had a very active yet relaxing vacation in Costa Rica, and it was one of the cheapest trips I have ever taken. Go on VRBO and look at apartment rentals. Even car rental is reasonable. You could cover a good part of the country in 3 to 4 weeks. Plenty of hiking to be had. Food is dirt cheap. That would be my choice.

cheapest vacation to anywhere?

hmmm..a couple of ideas come to mind.

local park (free, has scenic beauty, maybe a gazebo or duck pond depending on the park)

your own backyard...go to walmart.. buy some wooden tiki torches, a barbecue grill, some chicken & hotdogs, some beer, charcoal & lighter fluid, a hammock, an ice chest...total bill should be under $150

ok,..ok..seriously..umm..id say Las Vegas. You can find outstanding deals that include RT airfare and hotel.

id start with priceline, orbitz, or expedia

kaudrey:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35127906

>>We just want to double our bang for the buck and loose weight, refresh and come back with a sense of newness and health!<<

and

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35127032

>>Daughter and I have searched for many, many hours on every weight loss, fitness, hiking and spa website possible! We cannot find an affordable way to get away, loose weight, be active, and clear our very, very stressed minds and souls.<<

Oh Boy, I can't believe I misread the original post and thought $1,000 for 4 weeks.

Regardless, $1,000 per week for 2 people, while doable, is still a very tight budget. Assuming you have a total of something between $3,000 and $4,000 to actually spend I go along with those suggesting a shorter trip. Staying in barebones motels, eating "simple foods like home-made sandwiches and soups, etc. gets "old" pretty quickly. By shortening the trip you give yourself a bit extra to spend on activities. Think about it, going on vacation having only enough for very modest lodging, basic modest meals for subsistance and not much else is almost like staying at home. Set your sights realistically and you should be able to find something in your budget range that will appeal to you. Good Luck!

So, I take it you're not intersted in Mexico then? It offers everything you said you wanted.

1. We didn't mention camping because you specifically said you don't want to stay in a tent!!

2. We didn't mention YMCA and hosteling because they are usually located in major cities and you said you want a nature and hiking vacation.

Why you are finding things expensive (imo) is because you are looking at "packages".

If you want a cheap hiking vacation, simply book a cabin in the nearest state park, buy some food at the grocery store, go on your own, get a map, and start hiking.

I had this same problem a couple of years ago - I wanted to do a very cheap vaction. I ended up volunteering for the Trail Crew on the Appalachian Trail.

I had a great time - and it was free. Of course this isn't most people's idea of a relaxing vacation, but for a very select few - it's wonderful.

It was completely free - all I had to do was get myself there. They fed you and even provided most of the heavy duty camping equipment.

This was camping - and you mentioned that you didn't want to do that. I ended up getting a book from the library on "volunteer vactions" and I'm sure there are references on the internet now.

Some of them require a small fee, but most put you up in basic accomadations.....

There were lots of different types of trips when I was looking - some where helping people or helping animals. The ones that looked really cool were the ones where you did wildlife counts....

A help with rental car and
hotels would be priceline.
Go to betterbidding.com and
biddingfortravel.com to see
what people pay in different
areas. My economy Hertz car
was $13 per day in San Francisco.
Hotels tend to be about the
same for 3* (Marriott about
55-60) when bidding on Priceline
as our local Red Roof.

You might want to check out
lonelyplanet.com for real
budget ideas (often student
submissions).

I also didn't mention camping because you said "not a tent."

Hostels - check www.hostelworld.com or www.hihostels.com

Lee Ann

Since generally the key to losing weight and getting healthier is to get out and be active - I'd rent a cabin in or near a park with some good hiking, biking, etc. Since you've got a pretty good chunk of time, pick a few locations.

My husband and I spent a few days in cajun country in Louisiana last summer - we had an incredibly good time. I can give you some details if that interests you.

<<I am not sure why I cannot find hiking packages for less than $3000 per week pp

If I can be honest with truly no mean intent - I am amazed that people (Americans) even sign up for certain package tours of US national parks. They are so easy to visit with a minimum of research. Find a decent place to stay nearby and there are a ton of travel guidebooks that give lots of hiking options. (These can help with lodging, too).

All national parks have Visitors Centers where rangers can give you lots of info on hikes of varying degrees of length and difficulty. National park trails are extremely well maintained and marked - I don't think we've ever gotten lost on a national park trail.

I don't see how you can fly anywhere today on the budget you have. Likewise, gas prices are going to eat up a lot of your travel budget if you drive very far.

<I don't see how you can fly anywhere today on the budget you have>

Well you CAN, I checked Expedia yesterday before I posted the current cost for flights to Mexico.

$344.90 in US Dollars
1 adult @ $344.90


Airport legend:

IAH: Houston George Bush Intercontinental
MEM: Memphis Int'l
CUN: Cancun

Houston, TX to Cancun, Mexico: 1453 miles 5 hrs 10 min
Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Flight NW632 on a DC-9 (jet) in coach class
Departs Houston, TX (IAH) Thur, May 29 11:50a 1 hr 43 min
Arrives Memphis, TN (MEM) 1:33p
Layover in Memphis 57 min
Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Flight NW662 on an Airbus A320 (jet) in coach class
(food for purchase)
Departs Memphis, TN (MEM) Thur, May 29 2:30p 2 hrs 30 min
Arrives Cancun, Mexico (CUN) 5:00p

Cancun, Mexico to Houston, TX: 1453 miles 5 hrs 38 min
Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Flight NW663 on an Airbus A320 (jet) in coach class
(food for purchase)
Departs Cancun, Mexico (CUN) Thur, June 19 9:57a 2 hrs 41 min
Arrives Memphis, TN (MEM) 12:38p
Layover in Memphis 1 hr 7 min
Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Flight NW5950 on a Canadair Reg. Jet (jet) in coach class
(operated by Pinnacle Airlines Inc.)
Departs Memphis, TN (MEM) Thur, June 19 1:45p 1 hr 50 min
Arrives Houston, TX (IAH) 3:35p

SO...The total airfare for two people is $688

Once you arrive in Cancun, take a 30 minute ferry ride to Isla Mujeres. It's an inland that is beautiful, has excellent outdoor activities, and simple delicious food that is dirt cheap.



A $50/night Isla Mujeres hotel will be VERY nice. You could go even less if you want really simple.

A $75/night Isla Mujeres oceanfront condo will be comparable to a $250/night condo in the states.

Two people can eat very well for $30 day in the village (oceanfront restaurants charge more). Eating costs will be much less if you go condo.

Resist the temptation to stay in Cancun, it's about 3 times as expensive and NOT a budget vacation.

Spend a little time looking through this website - not just the lodgings, dining, but the PHOTOS.

This puts your entire 3 week vacation in at under $2500. Adjust upward to $3000 and you can include "luxuries" like a splurge meals, day trips (like Cancun or, even better, Tulum) and souveniers.

I consider this part of Mexico the most bang for the buck.

Parts of Mexico fits exactly what you seek and are within your budget. I know this is true on the west coast (Vallarta) from personal experience of a dozen+ trips and sounds like it's true outside Cancun as well.

I posted this yesterday on the thread you started in the lounge:

Given your financial restrictions, I don't think you're going to find a spa experience per se. What I would do would be to drive to New Mexico and stay here:

http://www.abiquiuinn.com/

If you are considering staying a month (I read your other posts), or even 1 week (as opposed to 3 or 4 days) then I would contact them and ask for a rate for an extended stay. But as it is, the rate for a budget room is $80.

Or check out this casita from vrbo:

http://www.vrbo.com/96356

Stay 7 nights for the price of 6, works out to about $107, no cleaning fees. Has full kitchen and breakfast provisions are provided. Not available last week in May but is available first week in June.

Keep in mind it's a little late in the day to be seeking accomodations for a month starting at the end of May.


There is a ton of hiking in the area, as well as short day trips that you could take. You don't have to do a hiking trip at $3000; that's insane.

Yes, you guys are right, it IS possible. Maybe for me it's just not a trip I would want to take given the OP's parameters.

I wasn't impressed with Isle Majeres and I don't think it's a great place to hike and exercise. Yes, there are water activities like snorkeling and stuff, but those trips cost $$. And I know you can bring your own snorkeling gear, but I don't think snorkeling is a great way to lose weight, as per the posters wishes.

I'm still not sure of the budget - is it $1000 per week for both people for 3-4 weeks? I would go 2 weeks and double the budget.