When getting there is less than half the fun and staying there is most of the expense
May 9, 2011 7:44 AM Subscribe
What are some of the great cheap vacation spots? Criteria inside.
I am looking for destinations that don't need to be cheap to get to/stay at but, once there, provide great value for your dollar.
The best example I could give of what I'm looking for is Washington D.C. All those free museums and monuments, the zoo ... it's a great place to put together a vacation for the whole family while limiting the bulk of your expenses to food/hotel. Las Vegas sounds like another example, although I've never been there.
Another great cheap destination is Rome. You could spend a little money to see the standby sites and spend the rest of your time gaping at churches. Paris isn't bad either; the attractions can add up, but you could choose to just walk the streets and never be bored. Right now, however, I'm shopping for a U.S. vacation.
If anyone's interested in tailoring an answer to our interests, we're three generations, youngest 6 years old. We don't need to be entertained constantly, Disney-style, but want to keep the little guy interested. A day at the beach is fine, a week at the beach too much. And we're open to someplace that's nothing special on its own but central to a lot of good stuff, day trip-style -- like if Cape Cod were a little closer to both Boston and Newport while not getting any farther away from Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
Thanks for any suggestions.
I am looking for destinations that don't need to be cheap to get to/stay at but, once there, provide great value for your dollar.
The best example I could give of what I'm looking for is Washington D.C. All those free museums and monuments, the zoo ... it's a great place to put together a vacation for the whole family while limiting the bulk of your expenses to food/hotel. Las Vegas sounds like another example, although I've never been there.
Another great cheap destination is Rome. You could spend a little money to see the standby sites and spend the rest of your time gaping at churches. Paris isn't bad either; the attractions can add up, but you could choose to just walk the streets and never be bored. Right now, however, I'm shopping for a U.S. vacation.
If anyone's interested in tailoring an answer to our interests, we're three generations, youngest 6 years old. We don't need to be entertained constantly, Disney-style, but want to keep the little guy interested. A day at the beach is fine, a week at the beach too much. And we're open to someplace that's nothing special on its own but central to a lot of good stuff, day trip-style -- like if Cape Cod were a little closer to both Boston and Newport while not getting any farther away from Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Best answer: Although it is a beach, the Outer Banks of NC offer plenty to do that doesn't necessarily involve sitting on the beach. If you can go off season (after Labor Day) it is quite affordable. We've dis that vacation 3 or 4 times when the kids were between 6-12 and boredom was never, ever a problem.
posted by COD at 8:30 AM on May 9, 2011
posted by COD at 8:30 AM on May 9, 2011
lMontreal and Quebec City (I know you said US only ... but sometime people forget about the Great White North, you do need passports to re-enter the US though) are both pretty amazing places to visit because there is so much history to gawp at, cheap cafe's to eat at/people watch and children are very welcomed. It feels really European, especially to a child, but most Quebecers are bilingual and you can get by with just English.
posted by saucysault at 9:04 AM on May 9, 2011
posted by saucysault at 9:04 AM on May 9, 2011
No idea if they're too expensive to get to. But India and Indonesia are both very cheap once you're there.
posted by rhymer at 9:14 AM on May 9, 2011
posted by rhymer at 9:14 AM on May 9, 2011
New York City. The Metropolitan Museum is free. All the Galleries around Chelsea are free. Beaches are a subway or cheap train ride away. Pizza, Jewish Delis, and street food is not only cheap, but an experience not to be missed. Central Park makes for a great walk / picnic. It's only a short, cheap ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty. Simply walking around, like Paris, is interesting and fun. The entire city is pretty much walkable. You can walk a rail line through the city for free. Cheap (or even free) theatre is often listed in TimeOut magazine. You can even get to the beach by subway or train.
posted by xammerboy at 9:39 AM on May 9, 2011
posted by xammerboy at 9:39 AM on May 9, 2011
Laos. Once you're there everything is astonishingly inexpensive.
posted by pompomtom at 5:25 PM on May 9, 2011
posted by pompomtom at 5:25 PM on May 9, 2011
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Vegas is the opposite of what you're looking for. They make it cheap to get there and sleep, and then you dump a bunch of loot at tables, eating, on shows. There's a lot to walk around and see for free, but stuff is constantly calling out from all angles for you to spend money on and unless you're made of wood you'll give in here and there and it gets pricey quick.
posted by Straw Cab at 7:56 AM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]