With the recent increase in gas prices, the question remains whether families can still take an affordable family vacation. Travel expert and blogger Amy Graff tackled that topic on her recent road trip down the “Great River Road” with her husband and two children, and she shared all the details in her blog onthegowithamy.com.
Her verdict? An affordable getaway is within every family’s grasp if they’re flexible and plan ahead. Amy and her family successfully met their budget goal of $150 a day.
“Savings aren’t spontaneous,” said Amy Graff, travel expert for Best Western International. “A lot of planning went into making this trip work within our means. Before I even finalized the trip, I made sure that all the hotels along our route would cost $100 or less a night—and then I made our reservations.”
Amy and her family traced the Mississippi River, from the headwaters in Minnesota to the mouth in New Orleans in a hybrid Mercury Mariner, which allowed them to save more than $120 in fuel throughout the two-and-a-half week journey. But this isn’t the only way the family of four saved on the road. Amy says they cut costs in three key areas: food, lodging, and fuel.
FOOD | ||||
| 1. | Follow the locals. When it comes to saving on food, there is no faster way to burn a hole in your pocket than by dining at tourist traps. Instead, chat with locals about their favorite watering holes, and enjoy a true example of the local flavor. RoadFood.com and Chow.com also provide great recommendations. | |||
| 2. | Water – good for the body and the wallet. One of easiest ways to cut back on food costs is by ordering water at restaurants—that means no iced teas for mom or apple juice for the kids. Another tip: purchase eco-friendly metal canteens before hitting the road and refill them along the way. A family of four can easily spend $20 a day on bottled water. | |||
| 3. | Saving = sharing. Teaching kids to compromise and share isn’t always the easiest task. Why not start on the road? Amy and her family often split entrees and shared dessert and everyone left full. | |||
LODGING | ||||
| 1. | Be loyal. One way that Amy and her family met their budget was by signing up with Best Western’s loyalty program and taking advantage of its Summer Promotion that rewards travelers who complete two separate stays at its hotels by August 16, 2009, a free room night voucher. Staying true with one brand always pays off. | |||
| 2. | Soak up the free entertainment. Swimming pools offer some of the best entertainment for kids and time for parents to relax. And the best part is that they’re free! Be sure to double check that your hotel offers one. It’s one place where you won’t spend a dime. | |||
| 3. | Look for value. Seek out accommodations that offer free breakfast, free parking and free Internet, among other amenities important to a great stay. Breakfast for a family of four alone can easily equal $30 a day. | |||
FUEL | ||||
| 1. | Pack light. Extra weight cuts fuel economy so pack light. Carrying 100 pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car’s fuel efficiency by one to two percent. If you have cargo to haul, stick it in the trunk instead of the roof rack, as using these can decrease mileage by as much as five percent, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). | |||
| 2. | Get a tune up. A dirty air filter can reduce mileage by up to 10 percent and you can improve your gas mileage by around three percent by keeping tires inflated to the proper pressure. | |||
| 3. | Plan ahead. With some careful planning, road trippers can decrease their gas budget by using AAA’s fuel cost calculator to determine how much gas will be needed for the trip and GasBuddy.com can help to find the cheapest price on the route. | |||
More tips, highlights and photos from Amy’s trip can be found at www.onthegowithamy.com.
ABOUT AMY GRAFF
With more than a dozen years of experience as a travel editor and writer, Amy most recently served as a senior editor at VIA, a travel magazine that reaches more than 3 million members of the American Automobile Association. Today, in addition to serving as a contributing columnist for Best Western, Amy freelances for Sunset Custom Publishing and BabyCenter, and writes The “Mommy Files,” a daily parenting column for SFGate, the online version of the San Francisco Chronicle.
ABOUT BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL
Best Western International is THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN®, providing marketing, reservations and operational support to over 4,000* independently owned and operated member hotels in 80* countries and territories worldwide. An industry pioneer since 1946, Best Western has grown into an iconic brand that hosts 400,000* worldwide guests each night. Best Western's diverse property portfolio, its greatest strength, stems from a business model designed to give owners maximum flexibility to address market-specific needs. Equally committed to the business and leisure traveler, Best Western recently embarked on a mission to lead the hotel industry in customer care. World Vision is the charity of choice for Best Western in building the world's largest family, as our hotels and staff sponsor children in need around the globe. Since 2004, Best Western has served as the Official Hotel of NASCAR®. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit www.bestwestern.com.
*Numbers are approximate and can fluctuate.
Contacts:
Heather Wright, 602-957-5752
heather.wright@bestwestern.com
or
Allison
& Partners
Jennifer Nichols, 415-794-0868
jnichols@allisonpr.com
