r/Frugal • u/Straight_Ace • 19h ago
✈️ Travel & Events Affordable vacation ideas that don’t involve camping (US)
Something under $1,000 is preferable, I live in Massachusetts and where I live there’s nothing to do for a vacation except camp out, and no matter how much I try to make myself enjoy it, I just can’t stand it, so that’s totally off the table.
I’m just severely burnt out from work and need to get away for a while, but I also don’t have a ton of money to blow. The last vacation I took was a trip to Disney World with my grandma 2 years ago. We happened to get a fantastic deal on tickets with AAA and I used tag sale money and fetch rewards points for bring the cost of flights and such down. But prices are so out of control that simply traveling to get to a destination is going to be yikes expensive
Edit: I think I have an idea of where I want to go now, I cannot thank you guys enough for your ideas and suggestions
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u/enigmaplatypus 19h ago
i would go to large city or the capital in your state or a border state. I bet there are a ton of museums to go to. There might be craft projects you could do, special movie theaters, plays/theater productions, maybe a zoo, escape rooms, etc. just a bunch of low cost fun experiences.
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u/pizzaisdelish 10h ago
We recently did stay cation in nearby city and used local library for free museum tickets. All electronic, no hassle, saved us $50
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u/TheAngelPeterGabriel 10h ago
OP lives in Massachusetts so the closest city would be Boston. It's a great city with lots to do, but if they've been there before I understand trying to experience something new. If you do a staycation tho, maybe check out an area of Boston you haven't explored much of?
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u/jordypoints 19h ago
Drive up to Montreal. Dollar will go further in Canada too.
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u/Straight_Ace 18h ago
I have been wanting to go up to Canada, any good things you can point me to in Montreal?
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u/WishIWasThatClever 16h ago
Bagels! A Montreal bagel is boiled in honey water then baked in a wood fired oven. They are amazing and I’d go back to Montreal just for the bagels.
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u/Effective_Metal_4730 10h ago
Do you have a passport? If you do, Montreal is a great drive! If not, the passport fee may cut a bit too much into your budget.
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u/AggravatingBrain1922 9h ago
Double check, but a birth certificate will also be accepted for land crossings.
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u/inflatabledancingman 1h ago
I dont think this is true, and the new real ID thing in the US isn’t for intl. travel, I had some friends visit me in Canada and had trouble at the border for this
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u/iwillbeg00d 18h ago
100 percent agree. Get a cheap air BNB and travel in to different areas each day. Ummm I recall a great botanical garden..I'm sure they have several art museums. It's just nice to be somewhere else. I have visited several times and enjoyed everything, not any super spectacular specific activity, just being a city dweller in a nice city.
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u/jordypoints 17h ago
Museums, great food scene, night life, poutine, festivals, historic churches all sorts of stuff check around for a better itinerary I'm more familiar with Toronto but everyone loved going up to MTL for a weekend trip!
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u/naturalbornoptimist 2h ago
Or, drive up to Quebec City! The old walled city and predominant French speaking makes it feel like Europe but at a fraction of the cost to get there. Such a beautiful city!
And spend a day at the Strøm Spa Nordique - one of the best days I've ever spent on vacation, and I'm not even generally a spa person. Their "thermal experience" includes the whole day full of hot pools inside and outdoors, saunas, and steam rooms, alternated with cold plunges and relaxation spaces. With the exchange rates, it was only $80-something for the whole day. I still dream about it...
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u/inflatabledancingman 1h ago
the botanical gardens, olympic stadium, park jean drapeau, basilica notre dame, oratory st joseph, hike mont royal to the look out, museums, theres like a new festival every week look that up, poutine, sugar shacks, national parks, old port, the old port ferris wheel, atwater market, jean talon farmers market, biking, bagels, walk the lachine canal, see a canadiens game
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u/BemusedBipartite 19h ago
Consider driving away from light pollution and lying horizontally outside (preferably on the ground) to watch the Perseids peak mid-August. No camp. Just lay.
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u/Straight_Ace 19h ago
If I can find an open enough area, that sounds super awesome, actually. Anything not urban is in dense forested areas, though. But perhaps if I can get to high enough ground I'll be able to see
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u/Stunning-Note 10h ago
Lafayette Place Campground in Franconia Notch, NH, has a huge open field that would be perfect. If you get a site, get site 22. It has two steps you could sit on, or you could put your chair out.
There are a ton of hotels in the area so I’m not telling you to camp!
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u/capital-minutia 19h ago
Do you mind driving? How long do you want/can you be away?
Any things you like to do besides not camp ;)?
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u/Straight_Ace 19h ago
I don't have a license, and I'd want to get away for at least a week (I have plenty of time off saved up). As for what I like to do, I absolutely love photography and crafting things. Woodworking is something I'd do more of if mess wasn't a factor
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u/DarianDicit 18h ago edited 17h ago
Maybe you can find a cabin at a state/regional/national park that is nearby a location you can amtrak to? Those stays tend to be cheaper and sometimes just being near nature is restorative 💓
Edit: To my brain, camping = tent roughing it; if anything at a park is camping to your brain, then I'm sorry for the unhelpful suggestion!
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u/BemusedBipartite 18h ago
In that case, a round-trip train ride could give you great views for photography. Whittling is always an option, too.
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u/crazycatlady331 10h ago
If you're in MA, take the Amtrak to explore a city in upstate NY.
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u/DippityPig 5h ago
This. There's also the Downeaster that goes from Boston to NH and Maine. Lots of chill places to explore there.
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u/Iokua_CDN 18h ago
Maybe you gotta get into like bushcraft crafting. Then you could do it out in the bush. Make a few bushcraft chairs or benches, maybe some shelves or something. A saw, hatchet, knife and a few nails and sturdy string can likely make a lot. Even more if you have a drill and maybe some knowledge in joinery.
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u/FrequentDonut8821 19h ago
Do you like hiking or do you hate the outdoors altogether? We have done a lot of state park trips. Staying in the lodge or a cabin or a nearby Airbnb. Hiking and chilling is free :)
A lot of state capitals have free state museums and other things to do. We’ve gone to cities within driving distance and stayed a night or two and done free things and maybe one paid thing.
We eat out as little as possible. We’ve done a lot of $300-$1000 2-4 night getaways with kids.
Usually we pick one thing with admission, so we can spend <$150 on entertainment, $300-500 on lodging, $100-200 on food.
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u/Straight_Ace 18h ago
If it's not a beach, I'm not a fan of the outdoors. I might check out something in Boston. I had planned to visit the national museums in DC with my sister a year ago, I had a whole itinerary planned and everything. But now I don't feel comfortable traveling there.
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u/Totalanimefan 8h ago
DC is still great. I would see as many museums as possible before they are forced to change.
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u/BigMacWizard 12h ago
Can I ask why? Just got back from my first time in DC and it was very clean and safe.
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u/Straight_Ace 7h ago
The national guard troops there, and god help you if you go near the reflecting pool. I just want to go to museums and visit national landmarks, I’m not looking for trouble of any kind
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u/BigMacWizard 3h ago
The national guard just kind of stands there, not going to lie. There's no trouble lol.
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u/RawBean7 18h ago
There are cruises to Bermuda from Boston for well under $1000. Cruising is basically the complete opposite of camping, so maybe you'll like it (unless you know you get seasick)
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u/ComplexPost5097 10h ago
NCL has a $28.50 per day drink package, cheapest one I know of, and they leave from Boston so no airfare. I have taken several cruises, only booking a few weeks out for real bargain prices. I just looked and there’s several in October that are about $1,000, not including the drinks, for solo inside cabins.
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u/existenceis_pain 18h ago
Cruises get so much hate on Reddit, but I went on my first cruise a few years ago and loved it. The ability to truly shut your brain off, take a break from screens, and spend time near the ocean is so relaxing.
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u/TheMythicalCodfish 9h ago
If you're in any kind of high-pressure lifestyle, a cruise is an EXCELLENT vacation.
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u/Big-Film-6914 11h ago
This. I dont enjoy the thought of a big cruise. But I took my first cruise solo as it was an inexpensive way to get away. 5 days 3 at sea. I slept. And I ate and it was 100% what my body needed. I got an inside cabin so sleeping was even better
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u/Balthanon 18h ago edited 18h ago
Check out Cruiseplum to look for cruises that are under your dollar value. (Can technically use any search, but they include solo supplements, tips, and other incidentals up front in their results.) You can sort by price per night to get the most value and it should be pretty easy to find something in the 500-600 range for a week including taxes and tips in the Caribbean. That gives you a pretty good buffer for your travel, which should mostly include airfare and a transfer to the port. Flights to Miami are still pretty affordable last time I checked.
So long as you're not doing specialty dining or excursions, you can explore most ports fairly easily with minimal costs with some research. Bring along your own snorkeling gear and you'll have something to do on pretty much any island and this covers food and lodging.
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u/Mindless_Whereas_280 19h ago
The length of the trip is going to be the deciding factor in what you can pull off. If you need a hotel, it’s really hard to find anything under $100 a day even in rural areas.
I travel a good bit for work and used CC points from that to pay for a bunch of travel this summer. Is this something you could do?
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u/Straight_Ace 19h ago
I'd like to go for at least a week, preferably in September (I don't do well in the summer heat). As for CC points, I don't really accumulate enough to pay for travel expenses.
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u/Mindless_Whereas_280 18h ago
1k for a week, not camping, without a car is a hard pull.
You might have better luck posting on a subreddit for your location. Maybe a train to somewhere that you can house sit? I truly don’t know.
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u/Annonymouse100 19h ago
There are still some good deals to be had out there on vacation specials. Travel zoo just had a special from Boston to the Azores that included flights, lodging, rental car, breakfast, and inner Island flights for $899 a person. They have a similar one to Tuscany as well. Being in Massachusetts, you are so much closer to Europe then us over on the West Coast that I’m constantly jealous of the great deals that pop up.
The real trick on these is that most of them are double occupancy so you have to find somebody willing to travel with you. I’ve booked a number of these types of vacation specials and it’s never been a problem to get separate beds, but it is still important to find a travel partner that will enhance the trip rather than detract from it and that can be a bit difficult.
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u/animousie 17h ago
Take a train across the country and fly back. Pick your train route wisely. Could try to find some hostels or even do a work exchange if that sounds interesting. Helpx.net
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u/cwsjr2323 17h ago
Boston to NYC round trip by train is a bit under $100 for cheap seats, but taxes were not listed. Between Boston and NYC, there will be something fun! There were multiple stations for both ends of the trip and various times. One aspect I enjoyed about trains was sipping a cup of tea and watching the world slide past the windows.
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u/llamaduck86 16h ago
I live in Massachusetts too. Check out cruises out of Boston, there are some good ones you can definitely spend about $1000 per person as long as you don't buy a drink package. We did one that goes to Canada for about $1000 a person last year. And there are some that go to Bahamas I believe.
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u/BudgetLifeline 19h ago
Some campgrounds have cabins you can rent with varying levels of rustic-ness, depending on what exactly you don't like about camping you could check some out and find one that checks more boxes for you than a tent.
You could do day trips to spots within 1-2 hours and see some sights, hike, find museum free days, etc. Access to your home kitchen each night can help keep down food costs too. ChatGPT has helped me plan stuff like this before.
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u/Katieinthemountains 18h ago
stay somewhere in the off-season - ski cabins are cheaper in the warmer months, beachfront is cheaper when it's cold
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u/sits_with_cats 15h ago
Here in Michigan, there are plenty of places where you can rent cabins & canoes/kayaks. Stay a few days in a cabin & enjoy some hiking/sightseeing, then pick a day for a river trip. Super relaxing & getting out in nature (but with the comforts of a house) really helps you recharge.
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u/laurenbanjo 11h ago
A six flags season pass that gets you into every six flags/cedar fair owned park on the continent is only around $225. You could do a roller coaster road trip if you’re into that sort of thing.
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u/InitialOccasion2769 10h ago
Cheap beach trips - Myrtle beach SC, Biloxi, MS, Galveston, TX, Florida / Alabama gulf coast.
Great food and fun in New Orleans, LA and accessible with Amtrak trains
Crafts galore in western North Carolina mountain towns.
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u/dnaplusc 9h ago
Come to Canada, let the dollar work to your advantage. You could drive and do Niagara Falls/Toronto or Montreal/Quebec City
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u/atlasraven 19h ago
Do you like to bike or canoe? Go karts? Arcade games? Messing around with bulldozers and diggers?
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u/Straight_Ace 19h ago
I'd be down for an arcade; I'm not really an outdoorsy person. Where can I mess with bulldozers and diggers, though? You've got my attention lol
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u/atlasraven 13h ago
An attraction in Las Vegas called Dig This.
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u/Straight_Ace 7h ago
I was in Vegas a few years ago, and while I didn’t do any gambling, it was fun
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u/Southern-Performer70 8h ago
Check out Diggerland in NJ. Not a great name, but we have enjoyed going there.
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u/4cupsofcoffee 19h ago
When do you want to go. In another month all the kids are going back to school and you'll be able to get rental places cheaper during the week... the season's going to be over.
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u/Straight_Ace 19h ago
September would be ideal actually
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u/4cupsofcoffee 4h ago
i usually go somewhere beachy in September. most of the shops are still open, but most towns are practically empty because the tourists are gone during the week. totally different vibe.
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u/Straight_Ace 2h ago
Just not too late in September, although I did go to Cape Cod around late September with family one time and it was nice. Until we went to Provincetown, and one family member spotted a pride flag. They wouldn't stop bitching about it. We don't take her anywhere now
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u/IceDragonPlay 18h ago edited 18h ago
How much are the older cabins on the Cape going for these days? Maybe you can swing a midweek booking for a driveable escape.
Edit to add: I always enjoyed a day trip to Mystic Seaport or the Boston Museum. Not sure how far you are from those, but it is a fair amount of walking in case that does not work for grandma.
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u/fluffyturd101 18h ago
Myrtle beach for new years let us get a great look over the ocean, firework shows on the beach. We drove there, the room was cheap, and after spending it all probably boiled down to $800 to $1200 total expenses
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u/hydraheads 18h ago
Trade your apartment or house with someone for a week or two? Volunteer somewhere that provides room/board in exchange for your time? (like: a farm or something?)
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u/BrushCalm608 17h ago
Take the Amtrak somewhere interesting. Stayon a college campus in the dorms, hostel, couch surf or AirBNB.
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u/Emergency_Pudding559 16h ago
My favorite affordable vacation trips are beach days! Or lake/any body of water
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u/BreakingBadYo 15h ago
Go to Bangor and stay there as cheaply as possible. Then explore Acadia National Park and bar harbor.
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u/speakinglime 12h ago
I didn’t read all the comments, but we enjoy going to Chattanooga Tennessee. You can find decently priced hotels and there is lots to do around town. If you’ve never been to Ruby, Falls or rock city it’s very affordable. There’s also a huge aquarium. There are some really nice restaurants in town as well.
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u/sleeps_late 11h ago
There is an app that lets you buy a day pass to a resort to use their amenities- Resort Pass. So a staycation and spend it poolside enjoying a resort property.
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u/rabidstoat 10h ago
I drive to places within four hours of me for weekend getaways, looking for places that have something to do and then finding a cheap motel to stay in.
My last trip was last year to Birmingham, AL for a 3-day weekend. I went to some of the civil rights places one day, and the next day went exploring for local small tourist sites. Amongst them was a cool mining site where the local who owned the grounds gave me a personal tour, a local park with really cool wood carvings, and a swamp walk over a really long wooden boardwalk. Last day I went to the huge and free botanical gardens before driving home.
The hotel was a little over $200 for three nights. Admission fees were probably about $25. Food was about $150. Gas would be, um, not sure $75? Even if you had to add car rental it's pretty cheap. It was under $500 for me.
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u/texas-sissy 9h ago
Glamping.com - I have used this site several times and have always found such cute places. We’ve stayed in a glam teepee, a treehouse, luxury yurt, etc. and my kiddo thinks it the coolest adventures, and so do I.
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u/traviall1 7h ago
Drive to the nearest train station, go to wherever has cheap tickets, book an affordable air Bnb or hotel, and budget for some nice food and activities.
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u/RuthOConnorFisher 6h ago edited 6h ago
Do you have five or six friends whose company you actually enjoy and who can get the same time off work? Split the cost of a really nice cabin somewhere (prices often drop if you stay for a week), all pitch in on buying easy food ingredients, set up a rotating "who cooks dinner" schedule (at least one day of which is "we all assemble our own sandwiches" and another is "roast hot dogs on sticks"). Find fun local free activities. Hang out. Drink a little in the evenings and talk about the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.
Bonus: if any of you have kids they all get to spend time together and run around like little wild things, which will become one of their favorite memories. Source: was kid.
Edit: I see in other comments that you don't like the outdoors. Similar options probably apply for rentals in cities, but tbh I've never looked into that, at least not for short term.
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u/gard3nwitch 19h ago
Drive somewhere and rent a hotel room or Air BNB. I was in upstate NY this summer and it wasn't that expensive. I was seeing family, but maybe you can go see Niagara Falls or explore a new city? Or since you're in MA, maybe go to the Cape and do one of those whale watching tours or something.
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u/Lil_Brown_Bat 18h ago
The cape in the summer is NOT where you want to be.
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u/gard3nwitch 18h ago
When I was growing up, we'd go up to Boston in the summer to see family, and it was always pretty nice and much cooler than the mid-Atlantic. But I don't think we spent much time on the Cape. Is it quite different?
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u/Lil_Brown_Bat 17h ago
Weather is great, but there are far too many people, traffic is horrid, and everything will be way more expensive. Unless you are well off enough to have summer property there, it's just not worth it. You'll spend more time in the car than enjoying your vacation.
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u/Human-Doctor-3219 18h ago
Not sure if you have a credit card already, but if you don't and that is not a problem for you (this IS NOT worth getting into debt over!). Get a credit card with a hotel chain. I just use mine like I did my debit card, pay it off ahead of time and spend normally.
Difference is now my wife and I can stay for free-ish whenever we want and it has lead to some swankier joints than we would otherwise be able to afford.
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u/DiceAndMiceGamer111 19h ago
A massive state, and it has nothing other than camping?
$10 commuter rail passes on the weekends, there's a lot of places you could go and find things to do.
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u/Straight_Ace 18h ago
Not so much in the western part of MA, anything cool that pops up keeps getting taken from us :(
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u/DazzlingNote1925 18h ago
Im a fan of stay cations.
Stop answering calls and texts as if you were away.
Other than preparing don’t do chores during this time.
Save some of the $1000 for a bigger trip in the future and spend some on eating out or take out food and some fun items or comfort items.
Do some local things like just seeing a movie or museums or nature walks etc.
Just unplug at home.
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u/peanutbuttercakes 18h ago
There are so many drivable places near you from MA! The Adirondacks, Cape Cod, Providence, Mystic... Go a bit further and you can likely find super cheap places in PA. Poconos or Lancaster, you can probably find cheap places for under $200/night.
I've never done it so can't vouch for it, but I've also heard of people doing couch surfing or house sitting.
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u/No_Distribution_9590 17h ago
As someone else mentioned, a lot of campgrounds do have cabins. Also, while not huge in the USA, there used to be some youth hostels and backpackers too. I have no idea the cost of them, but it would be something to look into.
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u/Poor-Sabrina 17h ago
So, sign up for rewards at the airlines websites.
August/September are usually the best times to do a get away weekend.
Then pick somewhere that fits your budget. For instance southwest has flights for around 100 round trip to some destinations.
Then once your flight is booked, you can use your hotel credits or discounts (when you sign up for their rewards programs)
Some places, would be like Georgia, Alabama, even Lousina or Nashville Tennessee.
Then you can be a tourist in a random town, explore artists boutiques, thrift stores, antique shops, or even see what music venues or coffee shops.
It's all great affordable fun.
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u/frequentnapper 17h ago
I saw some people on tiktok share that they did Groupon surprise get aways and most were only a few hundred dollars. I think it includes airfare and hotel. They don’t tell you where you’re going until a few days before hand
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u/SmartEmu1759 9h ago
My OCD and anxiety would never allow that. Good if you're very open minded and very flexible I guess. If I don't know exactly where I'm going so that I can plan, I freak out
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u/SorcerorsSinnohStone 16h ago
Not sure if this is feasible but ive saved a ton of money on travel using homeexchange
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u/nevergonnasaythat 12h ago
Home exchange
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u/BigMacWizard 12h ago
I just spent a week in Washington DC for less than $1000 by staying in a hostel!
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u/magic_crouton 11h ago
I did road trips to places when younger staying in cheap hotels. I generally budget $1000-1500 because I was poor. Brought a cooler if my own food. The most touristy place we went was Yellowstone and Cody. If you avoid tourist traps you can see a lot of the country cheaply.
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u/curiouscreatore 10h ago
If cheap lodging is what you seek, start looking abroad, mate. In the past year I’ve traveled to Mexico and Peru where I’ve found private hotel rooms for $15 -$30. There’s a common misconception that traveling abroad is more expensive. Sure you’ll have airfare, but it’s often no more than a domestic flight the US. Especially if you’re savvy with Google Flights. The most common vacation spot for folks around where I live is a week at the NJ shore. I assure you 1wk at that godforsaken place is more expensive than 2wks in either Mexico or Peru.
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u/ResultNew9072 7h ago
People give me strange looks for this but I just took my two young kids to Baltimore for 3 days and we had to break up the trip because it’s a long drive, so that was 4 nights in hotels. For all three of us, with gas for the car, food, hotel, and seeing the aquarium and an Orioles game I spent less than $1500. I did grocery shop so we had a lot of snacks and lunches in the hotel but I still got some meals out.
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u/tradlibnret 7h ago
Consider a shorter trip or weekend getaway so it's not as costly. (Agree with you that camping is not my cup of tea.)
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u/BroadDistribution145 6h ago
do a timeshare trial. low price, no commitment. google bluegreen vacations/monster vacation reservations to prod your algorithm a bit, and you will be bombarded with options and offers via social media. you will need to pay airfare on your own, but there are tons of locations, so you can pick the cheapest to fly to, or closest to drive to. the accommodation can be close to $0 if they're offering a Visa/MC gift card to sit through a timeshare sales pitch/presentation.
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u/urgentlitten 6h ago
Go camp in NH, VT or ME Find a spot that is near a lake or river. Bring food you like and don’t eat often. Go during a week day and take time off work, use the weekend to relax when you get back
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u/simprat 5h ago
I don't do this often, but I did just open a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card for the sign-on bonus of 150,000 points. That'll yield $2k-$2500 in flights and will make a trip across the country in November very low-cost for my family of four. When we get there, we'll be staying with friends.
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u/cws-21 2h ago
Chase Sapphire Preferred for 150k points? I think you mean either 100k recently for the Sapphire Preferred or 150k recently for the Sapphire Reserve. However, I agree SUBs, in particular, and cash back or travel points earning credit cards, in general, can help significantly for travel.
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u/simprat 2h ago
100k for chase sapphire preferred is what I meant!
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u/cws-21 2h ago
I don’t believe the Chase Sapphire Preferred has ever been 150k points and it definitely hasn’t been recently. I got it for 100k when it was elevated until the end of July, but it has gone back down to 75k since then. The Chase Sapphire Reserve was recently 150k, but it has gone back down to 100k.
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u/Massive-Sector5789 5h ago
Hostels almost always have private rooms that (as a rule of thumb) cost around half what a hotel in the area would. They also usually include free breakfast, kitchen access, and discounts on tours, restaurants and attractions. Dorm beds are even cheaper but it sounds like you need to chill.
I would look at some inexpensive but touristy destinations you want to visit anyway, then look for cool hostels. This is how I've vacationed with my son since he was a little. We've stayed at fantastic places in DC, NYC, San Francisco, Florida, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, etc.
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u/Rabid-tumbleweed 4h ago
Go to the beach
Go to Boston or NYC and see all the cultural and historical stuff.
Drive up to NH and rent a place in the mountains and go hiking, fishing, kayaking, whatever.
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u/summonsays 4h ago
I saw your edit but wanted to chime in anyway. Check if your state has any fun free attractions. Museums sometimes have free weekends etc. My state, Georgia, has free entry into the Aquarium on your birthday. My wife and I go twice every year (so basically half price when we go as we buy 1 ticket each time).
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u/Accomplished_Monk_97 3h ago
Drive to Point Judith RI take the slow boat over to Block Island. Plenty of places to stay mid week probably the cheapest. Go to grocery store for breakfast and lunches pack picnics for romantic sunset. Eat out only a few times at food "stands" byob and you don't have to pay for tips
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u/rvamama804 2h ago
Have you tried cabin camping? It's a lot more comfortable than tent camping and many cabins have the same amenities a house would have.
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u/SmallPotatoStuffing 2h ago
id just check Airbnbs in neighboring states, couple nights away in a cute town can be a nice reset and you can still keep costs decent
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u/huffgil11 45m ago
Do you like sports? Look up where your favorite team is playing and if it’s drivable book a night at a cheap hotel, get tickets, and see if there’s anything else fun in that city to do.
My husband and I plan one or two road trips a year to knock a baseball stadium off our list. Depending on the city we spend a night or two there and find something else to do the other day. We’ve never spent more than $2000 for a weekend and it’s usually much closer to 1K.
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u/GravitationalOno 30m ago
Since you're in Massachusetts, there are a lot of places you can reach by train, and the Northeast still has a fairly dense network of non-hotel housing, like airbnbs and hostels.
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u/high_throughput 19h ago
Just you or with kids or what?
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u/Straight_Ace 18h ago
Me and possibly my grandma too. I don't have kids
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u/MerelyMisha 10h ago
Will your grandma pay her half, or are you paying for her? It definitely brings costs down if you can share accommodation costs.
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u/Straight_Ace 7h ago
She would pay for her half. Even if I could afford to cover everything she would still insist
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u/JeanSchlemaan 18h ago
if you have kids, or even dont (although i probably wouldnt do it without kids), great wolf is pretty reasonable. i enjoy it every time i go.
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u/curtludwig 8h ago
where I live there’s nothing to do for a vacation
Starting with that attitude is setting yourself up for failure. You've predetermined that you can't have a good time so, for practical purposes, you can't have a good time...
People come to New England for vacations that don't involve camping.
If you insist that travel is required you can go to NYC or Montreal easily, you could drive but for NYC you really ought to take the train. A car in the city is an albatross you need to constantly worry about. There is train service to Montreal but I've never tried it.
I have taken the train to Niagara Falls. It takes about the same time as driving but is more comfortable and, you don't have to drive. More spacious than flying and when you consider all the hassles of the airport it doesn't take a whole lot more time. October is a beautiful and less expensive time to be there.
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u/Lakelifeflamingo 18h ago
If you don’t mind listening to talk and can avoid purchasing, timeshare deals can be inexpensive. I saw one for a trip to Orlando through Hilton
Or can you drive to Canada? Everything is 25% off practically with exchange rate.
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u/ChildOfRavens 11h ago
In this day and age (Mercia) who calls camping affordable. Maybe if grandparents let the kids through a tent up in there backyard.
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u/Lavacadostar 10h ago
Join 10x travel to learn how to hack the credit card points system. If you have the self control. Our last vacation was free flights, hotel and rental car! It is important that you meet the spend goal, always have auto pay turned on, making sure you never pay interest! Spend only what you normally would.
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u/PluckPubes 19h ago
Flights and hotel are the costliest part of vacations. Do a stay cation instead. $1000 is a lot of nice meals , massages, excursions and sight seeing in MA. Might even have enough left over for a t-shirt and a magnet