Nearly Summertime . . .
© Diane Goldberg under the original topic name
By the sea, by the sea . . . by the somewhat over-priced and slightly dangerous sea. . .
Ms Budget Travel is nothing if not consistently neurotic. And, lately dire statistics about how much most folks spend for a bit of sun and sand have left her feeling somewhat enervated, in fact she can barely lift her aching head to sip her Pina Colada.
I'll spare you the horrible data about how other folks throw away thousands joining the bucket and shovel brigade and tell you a bit about beaches on the cheap.
Transportation Before spreading out a map for a long distance jaunt, Americans should take into account rising gas prices. This year's beach odyssey is best accomplished close to home. If you live in the Carolina's it's time for a trek to Myrtle Beach. If you call Georgia home, head for Jekyll Island. New Yorkers may want to pull off the interstate at Virginia Beach and forget Florida this year. However, if you are headed out of the Midwest of northeast depending on the size of your party, it is worth your while to research airfare at sites such as http://www.trip.com for value fares to the coast.
Lodging Ms Budget Travel gets downright depressed when she researches oceanfront hotels. Mix me another Pina Colada, please. Prices along the sea rise with the summer tide and a room that's reasonable in April can be astronomically priced by July. She suggests a couple of cost cutting alternatives to sleeping in your car, which can result in the added expense of being bailed out of jail.
As opposed to two long weekends, try for a weeklong one-shot stay. Many hotels discount nightly rates for tourists staying and entire week. If you are doing a short stay consider a midweek break as many hotels charge a tad more on weekends.
Check with http://www.lodging.com Ms Budget Traveler's preferred Internet booking service for US domestic travel. Last season Ms Budget Travel found a beachfront room that offered an added 10% discount during prime time at the beach for people who booked via the Internet. Additionally all Lodging.com bookings come with a nifty discount offered by the site.
British based sun seekers should check with http://www.cheaperholidays.com. They really do offer cheaper holidays. This agency books almost all the usual gang of suspects in the holiday industry and offers a wide range of choices.
