Family Vacation Ideas - Where to Take the Family This Year!

If you need some family vacation ideas, I've come up with a few tips for your next vacation. I love to travel and am always looking for new adventures.

Have you considered a camping trip? Not one of those trips where you stay in a tent, but with a camper that has electricity and a bathroom and so forth. I ask because when I was growing up my dad purchased a camper (called a "Nomad") and we used to go on trips to camping areas in the Central Florida area. It was so much fun, I just loved it. I looked forward to it so much and had a great time. One time we stayed at Fort Wilderness at Disney for 3 nights. They had cookouts, campfires, activities, boating, hiking, many family activities and of course you could visit the park. You'll be amazed how many places there are to visit if you have a camper, and it's many times cheaper than staying in a hotel.

Here's another idea, and this one is also cheaper than staying in a hotel. One of my favorite family vacation ideas is simply to take time off and spend time doing things at home in your own "back yard" so they say. Do the touristy things you never even think of. Get a guide book for your area and see what the locals never do. You might be surprised how much fun you can have not even going anywhere. And you'll have even more money to shop and spend on activities since you won't need to buy airfare or hotel or even a rental car. It's fun!

Cheap Vacation Ideas - How You Can Get the Best Deals on Airfare, Hotel, and Rental Cars

Do you ever feel that even though you know there are super good travel deals out there waiting for you, you just can't seem to find them? There are ways to find the best deals, and here are a few tips on how to travel cheap with some really helpful cheap vacation ideas for saving a lot of money on travel.

Not that many years ago the tried-and-true method for airplane tickets which was accepted by one and all was simply to book your tickets three weeks in advance at the travel agent or the airline company itself. That has all changed to the tune of too-numerous-to-count online discount travel sites that can make buying your tickets and reserving your rooms extremely chaotic.

But the good news is that all this chaos has created a bounty of discount opportunities for bargain hunters. It's almost like playing a slot machine sometimes to check for air ticket prices. Pull the handle and see what great deals come out. Nothing? Try again a few minutes later, it all could change. What good are cheap vacation ideas if you have to pay a fortune for airline tickets? Not a lot! What next then?

So your first step is to head over to the travel websites like Travelocity, Expedia, Hotwire, and Kayak (to name a very few). Check for prices or set up an email alert to let you know when bargain fares are available. You can book your hotel and rental car at the same time, often in a package deal to save you even more money.

Budget travel sites not your thing? Try the consolidators then. Consolidators buy tickets at low prices in bulk volume and then turn around and resell them to bargain-hunter travelers. Beware of the restrictions that come along with these low-price tickets though.

As for your hotel room and finding cheap vacation ideas for hotels, I have heard it said that the "quoted" price of your room is to be taken like the sticker price of a car, only a ballpark starting point. Not many people are aware of this though and they simply go with whatever rate is given to them at first. Hotels, just like planes, want to maximize occupancy, whether it's seats or rooms. If you are traveling in the off season you are in luck as you can find cheap prices for hotel rooms. Be flexible though, and do your research to find the best deals. Start by checking prices on the Internet but do thorough research before clicking "purchase" or "reserve room" because you may be hit with a hefty cancellation fee if you change your mind.

Also, when it comes to hotels, you should call the hotel directly before making your final decision. Often their prices are not completely up to date on their website and you might get a much better deal simply by picking up the phone. Ask about discounts, upgrades, or specials they have going on.

For rental cars I have had great luck with Travelocity. The rates fluctuate as the demand goes up and down so this is another thing you need to check on a daily basis. Once you see the rates have fallen a bit, that is the time to reserve your rental car.

I hope these very cheap vacation ideas will give you a good start for saving a bit of cash next time you are planning a family trip.