Our theme of discounted vacations continues, with yesterday highlighting the opportunity to score 100 hotels for under $100 each and today bringing car rental deals.
Hotwire is now hosting a sale on vehicle rentals across the board, from as low as $8.95 per day in Minneapolis to over $20 near New York City. Combine that with a dirt cheap hotel and discount plane ticket and you’ve got yourself a short little vacay that’s only a shade more expensive than that exotic STAYcay that you were planning. Just make sure you book early because availability is limited, and this deal could expire.
Don’t forget to loop back to AOL’s top five travel deals if you haven’t gotten your daily fill of discount mayhem.
In rough times like these, it’s important to save money on every facet of your travel, whether it’s business or personal. Airfares are controlled pretty tightly by the industry, but hotels are a great way in which you can cut a few costs.
Short of camping in the park or staying at a youth hostel, there are plenty of hotels that you can find at reasonable rates, especially in this economy. To that end, AOL travel has compiled a list of 100 great hotels for under $100, separated by domestic region and international destinations.
It’s a handy check during your hotel scouring to see if there are any super steals for your destination.
Check out the list of 100 hotels for under $100 here, and make sure you swing back to the hot deals section for any up to the second updates. And remember, inventory is limited so travelers should act quickly to take advantage.
I know, I half-promised someone that I wouldn’t write about the stupid movement any more, but the travel news has been slower lately than I’d hoped. So, you get to deal with another BS story about “staycations.” At least, I’ve kicked in a video this time.
For those of you with addresses beneath rocks, a “staycation” is a euphemism for “the financial crisis has left me too broke or too petrified to spend money on travel.” The concern is real. Anyone who sees a silver lining to our current economic situation probably does so through the lens of LSD.
It’s no secret that fewer people are traveling. Instead of conducting its small “Twitter poll,” CNN could just as easily have come to Gadling, where we’ve hit up a large group of real people to understand their travel plans – or lack thereof.
Well, the slow news days of late affecting the travel industry hit CNN as it hit me. So, they interviewed Matt Wixon, author of The Great American Staycation about how to make the most of very little. His prime example is to look at your hometown the way a tourist would … a total rehash of the boilerplate staycation story.
But, how would a tourist view some bland suburb? Sure, you could always head over to the nearest city, which could provide some relief.
Ultimately, a successful staycation is really nothing other than the command your mother gave you when you spent too much time in front of the television: use your imagination. Since you are responsible for the fun you have on your non-trip vacation, you are ultimately on the hook for making the experience satisfying.
Duh.
A great staycation, therefore, is just finding ways to amuse yourself at home.
One of the few great advantages of a smaller tourism market this year is that markets that rely heavily on vacationers are slashing prices. Many hotels and casinos in Vegas are hurting for business, which means that when you and I show up on the strip we can reap the profits.
The Excalibur in Las Vegas is a prime example. Prices for this three star property just dipped to as low as $31/night, some of the lowest prices that we’ve ever seen on Gadling. $31 isn’t for a crummy motel five miles off the strip either — The Excalibur is attached to the MGM Grand and nestled among all of the Vegas greats.
Find out more about the deal at Hotels.com, where you can also check out photos and take a virtual tour of the property.
Swing back to AOL’s discount travel for more fancy deals including the Hot 5.
According to tourism officials, advance bookings at Yellowstone National Park are down 13% this year which means that this summer would be a great time to put gas into a vehicle and head west. Gas prices are half of what they were last year and lodging is not particularly expensive anyway. With less crowds waiting for Old Faithful or the other geysers to do their shows or seeking out wildlife along the park’s miles and miles of roads, a vacation to Wyoming and Montana sounds more relaxing than ever.
When we went to Yellowstone six years ago, I don’t remember having to fight off that many crowds or search forever for a parking lot, although we made reservations to stay at the Rough Rider cabins in February even though our trip wasn’t until July. We weren’t able to get spots on the horseback ride that included a steak dinner, but my daughter and I were able to snag a two-hour trail ride for the day we were leaving. The day we hiked on a trail leading from the back of the Roosevelt Lodge, we only saw a couple other hikers.
With the numbers being down, I imagine that taking advantage of Yellowstone’s beauty will be easier than ever, and probably cheaper as various tourist spots vie for your dollars. [Jackson Hole Daily]