Took my vacation in April - would rather travel when it's not so hot.

Pick up a copy of "Best Tent Camping" for your region and start taking weekend trips. Not only a great way to get in touch with nature, but also support and experience modern day Main Street America.

We go camping quite a bit in the summer, and save hotel trips for the winter. I have found that I always have an overwhelming urge to clean and declutter whenever I return from a camping trip, which is always a good thing!

I live in a coastal community but am not a big beach lover...this summer, instead of traveling to far away places, I've been enjoying the waves, sand and sun right here in my town. I'll never be a total beach babe, but it's been a fun change!

I'm still traveling but I'm not going too far. This weekend I'm headed to Baltimore (found a great deal on an Inner Harbor hotel) and in September I'm headed to Pittsburgh and Mill Run, PA (Fallingwater!). I'm saving my money for a trip this winter--somewhere warm.

if you can afford to do so, head to europe. especially in september. flights are the lowest they've been in years. heading to greece this august. last years plans were squashed when the price of flights crept up to almost $1500. this year - $800.

No funds to travel to visit my Dad, which is what I SHOULd do (but the flights are almost $600 for just a few days...). "Staycationing" suggests taking time to relax -- not even doing that. Just work, except for a 3-day local art "retreat" over a weekend. I have to let that be enough this year.

We are living in Germany and have been to Istanbul over Easter, to Romania in May (very nice and slightly off the beaten track, also not very costly, except for the flight) and are planning a two weeks vacation in Crete during September. Oh, and maybe a weekend in Copenhagen in November to brighten up this dull month. Nevertheless, although we travel comparably much, we take the cheapest flights and simple (not cheap!) accomodations. Travelling self-organized, we sometimes feel, we could save more going all-inclusive. But this would take all the fun out of it!

i contribute monthly to my travel fund so i'm able to work around economic anxieties and i never carry any debt from a trip... pay as i go. went to central europe (budapest, vienna, prague) for a whirlwind 10 days last month. planning trips to a friend's nebraska farm in october and new year's in oaxaca... other than that, just long weekends visiting my family in maryland and a friend in delaware (my "country" get-away :)!

I live in Chicago. Summer is when you WANT to be in Chicago. Heading to Beirut in November. Probably go somewhere in February, too, as by then I'm so sick of winter I'll need the escape...

I'm not taking a vacation in summer. Instead I'm taking my vacation in October to go to NYC for the first time!!! I'm so excited I'm already planning everything! I am looking for some PT work for a few months to make extra money for the trip.

My friends and I are trying to find an apartment to rent in the city (we've been checking out craigslist) to save money since it's cheaper than a hotel & we can cook breakfast. It's a little scary cuz some seem fishy, so if anyone knows anyone legit who does this, please let me know!

Also, since this is the NY thread, how is the weather usually in mid-October? Here (Houston) it's usually still in the 80s unless we are lucky enough to get an unusually cool fall.

I would really love to go to Japan this summer...maybe start in a rural area then move my way to Kyoto or Japan. I could finally put all those years of Japanese language learning to use!

I'm going to the Adirondacks tomorrow to camp at a lake, camping in an NYS State Park is the best deal around. Heading to Cape Hatteras in September (technically still summer) for a rental on the ocean after the crowds have gone.

We're heading for a full-blown vacation this summer, but we chose our destination based on the economy. We really wanted to ride trains around Europe, but instead we're going to Nicaragua. I really recommend traveling to south or central America, were you can have a great experience for less cash (unless you go to Costa Rica, which is more touristy and thus more expensive). Traveling off the beaten path is a great way to save and have a more genuine experience.

(reads posts and grumps)

Yes, my family and I are doing an Alaskan Cruisetour - Fairbanks to Anchorage by Train, then on to Vancouver by ship, and a couple days in Seattle w/ friends before returning home.

I'm not traveling this summer *sob*! Instead I used my miles and am flying a friend out to see me and I've been doing more around my city than I usually do and going to local festivals, museums, etc.

drunkn--

There's really no way to start a Japanese tour in a rural area since the international airport, Narita, is just outside Tokyo.

You're better off starting in Tokyo, going to rural areas & Kyoto or Sapporo by train - then back to Tokyo to fly home.

http://www.japantravelinfo.com/top/index.php
http://www.japan-guide.com/

Yes - starting TOMORROW! We're in Chicago and for a week every summer we rent a cottage in Michigan right on the Lake. It's only an hour and a half away from home but it's a major change of scenery. Fishing and picking fruit and catching fireflies... it's like living in a country western song for a week. We love it.

Just taking a few longer weekends to travel from LA to the states that neighbor our north.

HeyNowTex - October in NYC will probably be cool (50-60s), but not too cold or snowy yet. Really depends on when in October and what the weather gods decide to throw our way. Pack a jacket, sweaters, and/or long sleeve shirts for layering.

bepsf - the alaska/vancouver vaca sounds fantastic... maybe i'll do something like that one day!

I spent some time in Mexico in late Feb/Early March with my family, but sans my man. Now he's about 2/3 through a month long trip to Kenya and Tanzania (I'm so jealous!). But in August we finally get to travel together--we're honeymooning in Amsterdam.

flights to Australia are suuuuper cheap at the moment (thanks to airline competition and time of year) and from there you can get direct flights to Thailand, Bali, Fiji, etc etc. We're headed to Sydney and then off to Bali for 3 weeks in August and spent a fraction of what we would have spent last year.

Went to Breckenridge, CO in June with my family. The laughs and good times we had were worth every penny!

Traveled to St. Thomas in April. In August, simply visiting various family members who have migrated to South Florida and the Gulf Coast for various reasons, and look forward to catching up, and even meeting a new baby.

@HeyNowTex: October is typically mid sixties and crisp nites maybe in the mid to high 50s. Sunny blue sky days are the norm.

Going to Barcelona in August with my husband. We like to travel in May, but couldn't this year because of work schedules, so we had to settle for August. I save up year-round to be able to go to a new place each year; traveling is really important to me because I didn't get to do it at all growing up. So I make it a priority, but we're saving money by not bringing the kids with us on this trip (while also celebrating our 15th anniversary) - first time we haven't taken them with us.

I agree with vertigo - fares to Europe seem lower this year. Last year, a trip to Hawaii was cheaper than a trip to Germany (and I live on the east coast).

Just bought a house so well be working on that this summer, moved from a chicago suburb to a milwaukee suburb- so not a huge move but we still don't know the area so we will be doing things locally and enjoying lake michigan.

We got bumped from our Delta flight and they gave us travel credits - and then we found tickets to Australia from SFO for $483 and snatched them up. The flights (for two) ended up costing us $21 dollars. TO AUSTRALIA! We leave at the end of October...I can't wait!
Until then we are using FF miles to travel to Seattle and Vermont, and have already been to Michigan for a wedding. That;s just how it is when you have family all over and a two year old everyone wants to see.

i'm only going 4 hours away to my grandmother's 90th birthday party next weekend. fortunately, 2 of my very dear friends live near her, so i will get some R&R combined with the family reunion.

We just moved to Vermont, so we are also mostly enjoying the new locale. However, we are also going to visit Australia! The bf is out there on business for a couple of weeks, and then I'm flying out (on miles) to stay with him and see Sydney while he finishes up his last few days of work. Then we're flying up to Cairns (also on miles), where we're staying on a liveaboard scuba diving boat on the Great Barrier Reef. It was a great deal... $120/person/night includes accommodations, all meals, and 4 dives per day. I can't wait!

I am taking a trip soon and I started thinking of things I always make sure to have when I travel. What are the few things you make sure to always have packed in your carry on? Here is my list:

-Gum-helps adjust to cabin pressure
-Book-in case I can't sleep
-Hand Sanitizer- Bathrooms don't always have soap
-Sweatshirt-It is always freezing on planes
-Kleenex anti-viral-since it kills germs right in the tissue - especially since they only pick up garbage at the end of most flights

What is your list?