Summer Vacation Free Travel Resources

I was at the deli of my local Publix supermarket the other day. The woman behind the counter struck up a conversation with another customer and asked her with the school year ending soon are they planning a summer vacation somewhere. The customer said that they were going to Colorado for three weeks because that's where her mother lived.

That got me to thinking about how exactly Americans will manage to pay for their summer vacation escapes this year. During the worst of the recession, a popular idea emerged called the "staycation". Here are some "staycation" tips.

Great America Road Trip
The staycation idea has played itself out and Americans are ready to bust out after a few years of hardship. Although not many of us can afford glamorous vacations to Europe, the good ol' American road trip is due for a major comeback this summer. You might think we are crazy to say that given gas prices hovering around four dollars per gallon, but it's true. Given the options of flying somewhere, staying home or driving somewhere, the first two options are off the table for most people.

The roadtrip may be just an hour or two away to keep the gas spend down, but sometimes that's all you need to travel to find some interesting distractions. Choosing a destination where a family member lives (like the customer at the deli counter) is a great way to control travel costs. When my family went to Washington D.C. a couple of years ago we stayed with family and had a blast getting to know them better. They really helped us out with some transportation (rides to the train station for example) and we took turns cooking on nights we ate in.

Hotels Are Offering Incentives Like Gas Cards
Hotels realize that gas prices are a challenge and are responding with special money saving promotions. For example, Marriott has a deal where you stay two or more nights at participating Florida hotels and get a 50 USD gas credit per stay. Finding a better deal on a hotel, like one that includes breakfast, is a good strategy to help offset the extra money you spend on gas.

Travel Guides are Online Now
FACT: Two thirds of all internet users made travel plans online in 2009; that is more than 63 million people! In addition, approximately 80% of online trip planning consists of searching for travel directions. Whether you are planning a drive, a weekend road trip, flying abroad or sailing to an island paradise, you will navigate with ease after consulting a travel guide online.

Free Travel Stuff
In addition to useful travel guides, you might even visit the maps.com Free Stuff page. From here you can access Online Mapping, the World Reference Atlas and a whole bunch of Map Games (great idea to help keep the kids busy while in the car). Also, download iPhone applications such as:

iPad Atlas
GeoQuiz Lite
GeoQuiz Premium
U.S. Flash Cards