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Fill ’er Up: This summer, many families are choosing smaller cars over gas guzzlers or driving shorter distances
May 26, 2008 issue
By Linda Stern
Amy and Adam Geurden of Hollandtown, Wis., had planned a long summer of short, fun getaways with their kids, Eric, 6, Holly, 3, and Jake, 2. In the works were water-park visits, roller-coaster rides, hiking adventures and a whirlwind weekend in Chicago. Then Amy did the math: their Chevy Suburban gets 17 miles to the gallon and, with gas prices topping $4, the family would have spent about $320 on fill-ups alone. They’ve since scrapped their plans in favor of a “staycation” around the backyard swimming pool. “I’m really disappointed,” she says.
So is almost everyone else. Nearly 60 percent of Americans are cutting back their vacation plans because of gas prices, according to a survey by Discover Financial Services. Here’s how to squeeze in a little bit of travel fun without breaking the bank.
GETTING THERE: Budget exactly how much you’ll spend on gas by entering your destination and your car into the calculator at the American Automobile Association Web site (aaafuelcostcalculator.com). A family can save significantly by squeezing into the smaller car, or even renting a fuel-efficient car. (Hertz is offering a free tank of gas with a car rental through the end of June.) Embrace all those fuel-saving behaviors like driving under the speed limit and keeping tires properly inflated. And check gasbuddy.com or your GPS system to find the cheapest prices on gas along your way. Alternatively, leave the car at home. Competitive pricing on long-distance buses and decent train fares are making mass transit a solid choice for the summer of 2008. Companies like BoltBus (boltbus.com) and Megabus (megabus.com) offer some seats as low as a dollar. Plus, it’s an adventure.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: Don’t go far. “Everyone has places they’ve always wanted to go in their home state and region,” says Tim Leffel, author of “Make Your Travel Dollars Worth a Fortune” (Travelers’ Tales. $12.95). “This might be the best summer ever to do that.” Draw a circle on the map at 200 miles around your house, and choose a vacation spot within the circle. Alternatively, you can head way out of your circle. Instead of driving to the beach that’s 400 miles away, fly to the Caribbean or Latin America for about the same amount of money. They’ve got off-season rates in the summer and have currencies pegged to the dollar, so they’re not getting expensive, as the euro countries are. Leffel likes the beaches in Honduras, where prices are “cheap, cheap, cheap”: a top hotel room and gourmet dinner for two will come in under $100. For more destinations, see travel.booklocker.com.
CREATIVE LODGING: Travelers swear by the rates at priceline .com and hotwire.com. But before booking online, call the individual hotel directly and ask for its best rate. Pull out everything you’ve got—AAA membership, senior status, company affiliations, job title —to see if they’ve got a discount for you. Or seek unusual lodging: kids love tent camping, and with all the RVs in the garage because of high fuel costs, the campgrounds might be quieter than usual. You can arrange to swap homes with a like-minded family who lives where you want to travel. (Try home-swap.com or intervac usa.com.) Or follow the time-honored tradition of freeloading off friends.
SAVING ALONG THE WAY: It’s the little things that will drain your vacation budget, so control them. Travel with a cooler, some ice, your favorite snacks and drinks. Make lunch, not dinner, your fancy restaurant meal of the day. Bring your own bottle of bourbon (in the trunk, not the front seat) and have a drink in the hotel room before you go to dinner. Use coupons for attractions, and if you’re staying put in a city, buy a book of passes (citypass .com) or restaurant discounts (entertainment.com). Plan museum visits in advance, so you can catch their free or reduced-price days. And skip the souvenirs: nobody really wants those shot glasses and snow globes anyway. It will just make them crankier.
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