Well, we're back from our vacation visiting my sister and her family, so I should be back to my regular posting schedule.
However, I had a long 2-day drive each way (with a 5 and 3 year old!) to think about ways to save money on vacation this summer. I plan on writing a 3-part travel series:
- Deciding which mode of transportation to use on vacation
- Saving money when traveling by car
- Saving money on flights
As I stated earlier, I chose to drive for 4 days total with my boys to visit my sister. But, why would I make such a crazy decision? It comes down to money, basically (and I was delusional about how a 5 and 3 year old would like a car trip 🙂 ). But, what factors did I take into account?
Determine the Cost of Each Mode of Transportation
- Travel by Car - I used Mapquest to determine the number of miles between destinations. Then, I divided the number of miles by the average miles per gallon that I get on my vehicle and multiplied it by the average price for a gallon of gas. I calculated that it would cost me about $100 each way for gas, plus 2 nights in a hotel. You should also add some number in for the wear and tear on your car, but this is not very scientific.
- Travel by Plane - I checked the airline prices, and it would cost about $250 per ticket at the very least. Plus, very few of the flights (especially on the lower end) were direct flights, so I would have spent 4-5 hours in the airport and on planes herding 2 little kids through security with car seats.
- Travel by Train - I did actually look into the prices for taking Amtrak. I travelled by train many times when I lived in Belgium and Germany, plus my kids are obsessed with trains, so I thought it might be fun. Plus, we'd be able to stretch our legs during the trip rather than be confined to our seats the entire time like in the car. However, since it was such a long distance the main portion of the trip would take place overnight. The cost of a sleeping compartment on the train was about $450 alone one-way. So, it would cost about $700 each way to take the train...and we would be stranded in a major city overnight, since both the connecting trains left before the night train arrived.
- Travel by Bus - I did not look into this option, but many years ago my mom, sister, and I took a Greyhound bus from Tulsa to Winnipeg, Canada, so it's an option for some. If I remember correctly, the bus left us in major cities in the wee hours of the morning, and I wasn't willing to do that by myself with 2 little boys. It might work for a shorter trip, though.
I ultimately chose to drive because it was the less expensive option by far, and I wasn't constrained by time (since I don't work outside the home and my boys were out of school). We were there for a week, so we got to visit for longer than we were driving. I am definitely never going to drive to FL for DisneyWorld, though. We will just have to save up for plane tickets :-).
How do you decide how to get to your vacation destination? How do you balance money vs. time? For more frugal ideas, please visit Life as Mom.
anil
According to e Bus and Train are best for travelling while a vacation...