When it comes to finding a great vacation that is also friendly to your budget, everyone has their own opinion. There really isn’t that much consensus on the best vacation spots because, let’s face it, no single person has been to all of the spots. That’s why it’s important to ask around to find out the best and most affordable spots.
And often the vacation spots that you hear about the most are the one’s that have become popular recently. Popular vacation spots are almost always more expensive. To help you find some great spots at reasonable prices, we’ve done our own searching around. We’ve identified several different types of vacations and then found a recommendation for each. If you’re interested in finding more locations to consider, you can read more of the posts that we highlighted. You can also read our post about budgeting for a vacation.
Let’s get started by looking at beach destinations.
An Inexpensive Beach Destination
Personally, I’ve been to quite a few beaches and really liked Costa Rica. It is not very expensive there and it is a very tropical climate. When we searched around the web to see what others were recommending for cheap beach vacations, we came across an article by Steve Jermanok at Away.com. He listed his top ten favorites and since his number one pick was in Oregon, we decided to show his number two pick, since it is at least somewhere warm. Here’s what he had to say about Tulum, Mexico:
2. Tulum, Mexico An hour drive south of Cancun, Playa del Carmen was a haven for the backpacking sect back in the ’70s and ’80s. Then large all-inclusive resorts started gobbling up all the real estate along the pearly white sands of Playacar and the budget traveler was pushed out. In actuality, they only headed south a wee bit to the town of Tulum. Best known for its Mayan ruins, Tulum has that same beachfront view at budget prices. For food, head to Charlie’s, an affordable Mexican joint on Main Street. If all you want is a clean room with a shower on the beach, opt for Cabanas Tulum (984.879.7395), which runs as low as $60 a night. Posada Dos Ceibas is more upscale, with its own restaurant and daily yoga on the beach, but prices remain as low as $70 a night.
Read about the other nine beach vacations at top ten cheap beach vacations.
A Reasonably Priced Nature Vacation
When it comes to finding a great place to vacation where you don’t have to spend a lot of money and you can be surrounded by nature, there are a lot of options. Every state has state parks that are worthy of your vacation. However, if you want to take that special vacation to a world renowned nature getaway, there are not as many spots. Of course you can consider the Grand Canyon or Yosemite National Park, but the best according to US News is Yellowstone. Here’s what they have to say about it:
YellowstoneWhy go: A one-time meager fee ensures entry into Yellowstone National Park (and the nearby Grand Teton National Park) for seven days. That’s plenty of time to enjoy the best of Yellowstone’s majesty, including Old Faithful or the Mammoth Hot Springs. Hotel rates are reasonable all summer long, but you might want to come in June before the summer tourist season really picks up. Also consider saving on lodging by bringing your own, as the park is filled with campground facilities.
Find more cheap vacation spots at Best Cheap Summer Vacations.
Best Foreign Budget Vacation
Dominican Republic
Let’s say you want to go someplace foreign. In my opinion, almost every single country that you’ve never visited would be worth a visit. However, not all places are budget friendly. It seems that the poorer the nation, the cheaper it is to travel there. Luckily, there are lots of countries to choose from. Nick Clarke at AskMen.com created a list of the top ten spots and named the Dominican Republic as the number one spot. Here’s what he had to say about it:
Dominican Republic
Known for its picturesque setting straight out of a Malibu ad — with tropical forests, mountain ranges that look like the Evian logo, transparent waters, and silky beaches — you could certainly do worse on a tight budget than a trip to the Dominican Republic. Go in February and November, when there’s less crowds and minimal chance of a hurricane. Sprawl yourself on the beach during the day — preferably, the super-chic ones that line Punta Cana — and dance the night away to the seductive beat of the merengue and bachata at one of the weekly street parties. Food prices on the island vary, but budget travelers can find mouthwatering Spanish-inspired dishes that cost between $2 and $10. In fact, meals in even the most expensive restaurant on the island cost little more than $50. Make sure you try the national dish of La Bandera while you’re there, which is a mixture of stewed meat, rice, red beans, fried plantains, and salad. When it comes to accommodation, many of the hotels and resorts in the Dominican Republic are all-inclusive, meaning you have complete control of your expenditure. However, if you just want cheap ‘n’ cheerful pay-per-night accommodation, the $40 per night Natura Park Beach Eco Resort & Spa offers five-star quality at hostel prices.
Read the rest of this list at Top 10 Cheap Vacations.
Top US City for a Low Cost Vacation
If you want to stay in the US and maybe even drive to your vacation destination, then you could choose a US city that is interesting and reasonably priced to visit. There are lots of economical vacation cities in Florida, California and all over the map, however, Kayla Baxter, Alice Handley and Jill Hare at Excelle came up with a list of their top US cities for low cost vacations. They chose Pheonix as the number one city for the following reasons:
#1 Pheonix, AZ. For the sports fan, there aren’t many better places to get your fix than Phoenix. The area is not only home to all four major professional sports, but also houses more niche events and large annual contests such as professional lacrosse, MLB spring training, two NASCAR events as well as both boat and drag races.
With its warm, dry weather, Phoenix is the perfect setting for water parks such as Big Surf, Waterworld Safari and the Oasis Water Park. The Desert Botanical Garden is also an must see, with 50 acres that house the world’s finest collection of desert plants mixed with incredible blown glass sculpture (pictured). It’s not just cacti, we swear!
Many also take advantage of being able to drive the Apache Trail, stopping along the scenic route to visit a number of historic sites such as the Lost Dutchman State Park, Goldfield Ghost Town, and Theodore Roosevelt Dam.
See the other 24 low cost US vacations at best us vacation cities on the cheap.
It goes to show that finding a good vacation is really a matter of personal taste. Most people recommend what they know or where they’ve been, so asking around is often a great way to find good places and good prices.
Do you have a favorite low cost vacation spot? Please share it by leaving us a comment.
