Issue Index

Full-Time Dads;

The Magazine for Caregiver Fathers

Issue 24

Low Cost Family Vacation Ideas

By Patricia Gallagher

People often way there is no place like home, but there are times that home is the last place you want to be. The following suggestions are low-stress because you will not need a passport, you can skip the fancy wardrobe for those poolside cocktail parties, and you won't have to worry about converting currency...since our vacation ideas are of the no-frills variety and affordably priced. You'll find a lot of fun suggestions and money-saving ideas.

Here are some sources of information helpful when planning a vacation:

• Have the kids help you address postcards requesting information from the state tourist bureaus, chambers of commerce, AAA motor clubs, and the travel magazine of the state you would like to visit. you can find this address and telephone information quickly by spending a little time with the reference librarian. As the descriptive brochures arrive, let the kids help you decide what are "must sees."

• Send a postcard to the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 or call (202) 783-3238 and ask for a list of helpful booklets for travelers. There may be a small fee for some booklets and pamphlets to cover the cost of printing and mailing.

• Investigate guided wilderness trips, pack trips by horse, backpacking, river float trips, canoeing, windjammer cruises, mountaineering, cattle drives, covered wagon treks, cycling, scuba diving trips, trips for teens and other adventures. How do you find such things? Contact various clubs and associations that specialize in conservation or adventurous trips. To name a few organizations: American Forestry Association, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club and Wilderness Society.

• Discount travel clubs advertise that they sell unsold seats on airlines and have special block rates on hotel and meal accommodations. You usually pay a membership fee and then you are informed of the specials offered. Check travel magazines and the Sunday newspaper travel section for listings of travel clubs. Check references.

• Read travel magazines to find information suited to your interests concerning travel tips, places to stay and a variety of vacation information.

• Visit the library before the trip and check out books about your vacation destination.

Here are some general tips for traveling:

• Consider traveling off season for better rates and look into vacation spots that are not in the tourist mainstream. A good source of information is a book, Blue Highways, that highlights off-the-beaten-track jaunts. The rates will be lower, the tourist traps nonexistent. you can enjoy the privacy of secluded beaches, the sounds of nature and moonlit walks, instead of crowded board walks. If you go to a seashore state park, the kids an enjoy playing on the beach, catching crabs and riding on a raft at a well-run facility. Just think, it might not even seem like a vacation because the kids won't be hanging on your leg, begging you to buy key chains, coffee mugs, T-shirts and pennants from the overpriced souvenir shops. They may be satisfied with a map you picked up at a gas station or newfound shells or stones from a morning walk on the beach-just make sure the shells are rinsed and checked.

• Be aware of scams in all travel arrangements, such as fraudulent charter flights that have left many tourists stranded at an airport, ticket in hand and no flight in the air. If something appears too good to be true, it probably is. Check the references of all travel groups and clubs. Be sure that former clients have been satisfied with all aspects of the service. Be aware of any limitations and restrictions involved.

• College students should carry identification cards from their schools for special admittance prices available for students at museums, musical events, hostels and theaters.

• If a college or church group is sponsoring a charter flight, it is possible that your family can join the group if space is available. The rates on a charter are discounted. We joined a group going to Europe and saved a bundle over the commercial rate.

• Also consider going on vacation with a family member or friend with whom you are compatible. Splitting vacation expenses on a villa with six bedrooms is a great way to save money. To make multifamily vacations enjoyable for all, give everyone their space, don't overcrowd and select a vacation spot that offers something for everyone.

From Raising Happy Kids on a Reasonable Budget
published by Betterway Books