Advice for a budget family beach vacation please

MaryM

Hi! My DH and I would like to book a beach vacation this summer with our 4 and 5 yr old.  Dates and places flexible- our priority is that it is a good bargain, as we are suffering due to the economy.  Any recs on how to do this? We live in pittsburgh, pa and prefer to fly. Totally overwhelmed by Just googling so I wanted to ask for advice from fellow seasoned bargain vacationers.  Thank you so much!!!

MrsLee04

If you're truly suffering I think the 1st thing to do is give up on flying.  I'm with you, I'd prefer to fly, but for a family of 4 most destinations are going to cost at least $800 to fly, and most likely you'll need a rental car at your destination, so really you're looking at least $1000 in travel costs.  Many beach vacations (lodging) cost around $1000+, so with flying you're looking at $2000+.  We're planning a beach vacation ourselves and I would love to fly, but that added travel cost doesn't make sense, so unless a major deal comes up we're planning to drive to our destination.  Not my preference, but it's the easiest way to save the most money. 

LibraryMom

MrsLee04:

If you're truly suffering I think the 1st thing to do is give up on flying.  I'm with you, I'd prefer to fly, but for a family of 4 most destinations are going to cost at least $800 to fly, and most likely you'll need a rental car at your destination, so really you're looking at least $1000 in travel costs.  Many beach vacations (lodging) cost around $1000+, so with flying you're looking at $2000+.  We're planning a beach vacation ourselves and I would love to fly, but that added travel cost doesn't make sense, so unless a major deal comes up we're planning to drive to our destination.  Not my preference, but it's the easiest way to save the most money. 

also when you drive, you can bring more from home,  beach chairs, beach toys, towels, etc.

 

from Pittsburgh, I would look at Maryland shore.  I have heard great things about southern New Jersey shore too. 

kayjay10

I agree with PP and I would give up flying.  Look at the coastal states close to you and pick a beach town you haven't been to.  Then go to vrbo or homeaway and find a condo/house rental.  This way you will have a kitchen and can cook at least one meal a day at the condo and spend less eating out.  The kids will love playing on the beach.

We try to do two budget vacations a year, but if one is a big one, the other has to be a very tight budget.  Usually those are the best ones because we actually get to relax and enjoy the beach (or wherever) instead of always on the go.

MaryM

Great advice from you all... Thank you so much!!

you are right- flying is going to have to go!

 

amyelise25

The outer banks is usually a little more cost-friendly than going to the beaches in Jersey, MD, DE, or VA.  It's a little farther, but the beaches are really nice and much less crowded. 

You might be able to find something nice in Delaware.  

I don't know if Jersey prices are going to go up because of Sandy.  My family lives in Philly and they always talk about how it costs so much to spend a week down there (maybe $2000 for a small condo).  Ocean City, NJ is a really nice kid-friendly shore town.  It's also dry (which is why so many families go there). 

Ocean City, MD is a fun area as well, but still pricey.

Good luck!

 

 

alithebride

are you set on an ocean beach? if not upstate new york has a ton of lakes and resorts on those lakes that you can drive to. but then again if you're suffering economically perhaps a vacay should be skipped.....

MaryM

Thanks for all the replies!! I appreciate it

 

lasposa425

Northern Michigan is driveable and has goregous lake beaches and tons of family-friendly activities.

kac

If you want to fly you can fly direct to Ft. Meyers, FL.  If you are going to drive, Rehobeth, DE, Bethany Beach, DE, Ocean City, MD, Virginia Beach, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, SC, Outer Banks, NC, Emerald Isle, NC are all options where you can rent a house or condo.  When I was a kid, my parents would rent a condo on Lake Chatagua in New York because my brother and I were too miserable to travel with for over 4 hours.  I have great memories of those vacations.

 

SuperMMom98

No advice on location, but I would definitely rent a vacation property vs. staying in a hotel.  You can cook your own food, have more room (and privacy) and it is often cheaper than a hotel/resort anyway.  Have fun whatever you decide! 

avaross09

As a girl on a budget and a love of travel, I'm always trying to find awesome deals. I've found that if you go to the state website for somewhere you'd like to visit, they will often have a ton of great deals for you. For example, I wanted to take a weekend trip to Boston for St. Patrick's Day with DD. I went onto massvacations.com (run by Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism) and checked out their "50 Under $50" section. With that and the deals section, which got us a couple free lunches and tickets to the Heritage Museum, we only ended up spending about $200 for the whole weekend! If you just want to do a beach trip, this should be even less expensive. Have a good trip and happy savings!