Combating Your Vacation Rage 11.3.10

I can't be the only one who gets what I call "Vacation Rage". One day of my vacation, I find myself cranky and hating my travel companion and myself and maybe even having a good cry over something completely trivial. It could be from lack of sleep, jet lag, or being in a new environment. Generally, you can find me eating chocolate cake and probably buying something I don't need that I will wonder why I bought when I get home. One of the best ways I've found to combat Vacation Rage is to have some "you" time. It can get to be too much traveling closely with someone for a week or more. At home, you can go in another room, but when you're traveling you rarely get that opportunity. My suggestion: rent an apartment, house or condo. 

Find me on Facebook! Join our growing community for daily tips and travel deals. The first 500 members will be entered to win one of two travel bags, courtesy of Travelon. You don't have to live in the U.S. to win, so anyone is eligible! Make sure to suggest all your travel-loving friends join as well, because if they win and you referred them, you'll win a great travel prize, too! See the fun bags below...and click on the Facebook logo to check out our page!

                                               

                                             

Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against hotels. I love them and stay in a lot of them. Sometimes, renting a house, apartment or condo is simply more practical. I've come up with my top reasons why I would choose to rent:

• You are spending a week or more in a destination. Prices on vacation rentals are cheaper if you rent by the week. 
• You are traveling as a family or a group. Unlike hotels, vacation rentals are booked per night/week, not by occupants. They don't care if 2 or 10 people stay there (providing you don't trash the place and the rental can accommodate that many people), the rate is the rate. 
• You have more space. Most rentals have separate sleeping, dining and sitting spaces, so even if it's not a big place, you don't have to be right on top of your traveling companion(s). Unless you book a suite in a hotel where you have more room to spread out, you are basically stuck with one room and the bathroom, which is generally tiny. Plus, hotel suites can run twice as much as a vacation rental, and you don't even get as much for your money.
• Cook your own meals in the kitchen provided. Cooking on vacation doesn't always sound like a fun idea, but if you know you don't HAVE to, it becomes less of a chore. It also saves you money, because dining out can cost an arm and a leg. For the price of one meal out at a restaurant, you can make a trip to a local grocer and pick up food for breakfast...for the week. Even if you end up buying several different things (i.e. eggs, oatmeal, cereal, bagels, fruit), you still end up saving a lot. While I''m at the store, I also pick up some sandwich stuff and snacks (if I want something different than what I've brought with me), so we don't have to go out after dinner when we feel like munching on something and also to take with me during a long day out sightseeing. 
• You don't have to clean up after yourself each morning, to make sure all your belongings are out of the way. (For those of you who don't do this, shame on you!) You can wait until the night before you leave when you're packing up to wash dishes and hang up towels. 
• You're less likely to have noisy neighbors and you're guaranteed to not have children running up and down the hallway screaming at the top of their lungs at all hours...unless they're yours.
• You can come and go as you please. Sure, you can do this if you're staying in a hotel, but many hotels lock the doors at a certain time of night, or you have to give your key to them every time you leave (this is common in the UK). 
• Feel like a native. This is one of my favorite feelings. You aren't going back to a hotel, but a home. It's like you're actually living there during your travels, making it easier to feel at home in your new surroundings. 
• If you're renting a car, you almost always get free parking! Many hotels will charge $15+ a day to park in their lot/garage. That's money in your pocket!

Follow Shereen Travels Cheap on Twitter. You'll get the same great budget tips and travel deals as you do here and on Facebook, just in a "shorter" package. Twitter followers aren't eligible for Facebook prizes, though, so if you want to win, you have to also join me on Facebook.  

Try these Great websites for vacation rental listings:

• VRBO.com - By far the largest vacation rental website on the net, so you may have to do a bit of searching to find a really good deal amongst them. You will get to see many pictures, the location and rates. Then you can email the owner for more information right from their website.
• FlipKey.com - Run by TripAdvisor, this site lists many vacation rentals by owner. You will get detailed information about the property, previous renter reviews and pictures. There is a calendar with available dates and rates. You contact the owner directly by email through the site to ask any questions, request more pictures and to make your reservation.
• ResortQuest.com - You can book a variety of rentals through them, including vacation homes, hotel, condos and resorts. With over 100,000 rentals to choose from in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and now Europe, you’re sure to find one that suits your needs.
• HomeAway.com - Sponsored by companies like Travel + Leisure and Virgin American, you can't go wrong booking with HomeAway. It boasts over 230,000 listings at reasonable costs.

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog to keep up-to-date on all my posts. You can do that on the right! If you own a Kindle, you can also subscribe to Shereen Travels Cheap via Amazon. Take Shereen Travels Cheap everywhere you go and get instant updates as soon as new posts are published!

It's true! In my "spare time", I've been working on getting my foot in the (blogging) door by doing some guest posts on other blogs and websites. Not only do I feel like it will get my work out to a wider audience, but will look nice on my "author's resume" and have more people traveling better with the budgets they have. My book is still trying to find a home with the right publishing house, but in the meantime I'm keeping my fingers busy. Check out some of my current ventures:

Kimberly Fisher of Jetsetera was nice enough to let me contribute an article I've been wanting to write for a while on traveling to and around London for less. If you are interested in visiting London, or just want to see more of my writing, check out my article HERE.

While you're getting some awesome deals on everyday products from TheSavalots, you can also find my guest post letting you know which lesser-known hotel booking sites have the best ways for you to book your current vacation with and will help you save in the future as well! Find my article HERE.

This Friday (November 5th), Shereen Travels Cheap will be featured in the CRAVE blog. The wonderful ladies at CRAVE really encourage women entrepreneurs (and those striving to become one) and their ideas and have let me contribute to their fabulous blog with a piece on how to save money on travel by packing less. Find out how you can pack light and still look great wherever you go! Click HERE to see the articles they feature and check back on Friday to check out my article as well!

Soon, this section will have me telling you that you can find me on the following sites, too! Hopefully, this will be more often than not. I do encourage you to visit these great websites in the meantime, as they are awesome money-savers!

Cheap Like Me Blog

After several weeks of missing the Deals of the Week, it's back! With the holidays coming up, there are savings to be had around every corner. Here is just a sprinkling of what I've found for you this week. I hope you can take advantage of them. 

• Do you love wine? If want to get some exceptional wine and also add miles to your Alaskan Airlines frequent flyer account, join the American Cellars Wine Club for a discount. For less than $45 and free shipping, you will receive 6 bottles of your choice of reds, whites or a combination, a free wine opening kit, tasting notes and 2,750 Alaskan Airlines miles. (You'll also get 5 miles for each dollar spent.)
• Las Vegas is on sale! Take 40% off (or more) on top-rated Vegas Hotels, including the Riviera, Las Vegas Hilton and the Hard Rock Hotel. Hotels on The Strip starting at an astounding $27 per night! And remember, with Hotels.com, after 10 nights at eligible Welcome Rewards hotels, get a free night. It's one of the easiest rewards programs available.

• Still need your holiday plane tickets? How does $41 each way sound? Travelzoo brings you the best airfare deals between now and January 4th. Their calendar shows you the cheapest days to travel in December, too. See sample fares and book HERE.
• Spend Thanksgiving in the Caribbean. Cruise on Celebrity from just $329 for a 5-night cruise from Miami to Roatan and Cozumel. 

• Fly to London and stay for 6 nights from $699 per person. Your package includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations of your choosing from list, hotel taxes and daily continental breakfast. Add activities to your package for an additional cost. Options include: Hop on hop off river cruise, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, London Eye and more. Select dates November-August. There are plenty to choose from! (Land only price available for just $239 per person.)

• Win 2 "Winter Special" CityPASS booklets for New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle or Hollywood. Instead of the usual 9-day validity, it's good from December 15, 2010 - February 28, 2011! Good luck!

Westward Ho! (Part 2) 10.30.10

Today we’re going to continue down the coast to California and Nevada (though not technically on the coast, it is a huge tourist destination, and it’s still good to know how to save there). I’ve got a big list of free activities for you and some great deals. While this is a pretty long list of places to visit and things to do that will cost you almost nothing, it’s by no means a complete list. Plus, you gotta get there, so that brings me to my #2 budget travel rule.

Sign up for travel emails. I keep saying it, but I bet some of you scoff at this idea, because you don’t like the idea of “spam” clogging your email. If you want to waste your time scouring websites all day for a week to find deals, be my guest, but they offer their service as just that. A service, not as an annoyance. I like the convenience of having them sent straight to my inbox each week and being able to browse the sales quickly. Reputable travel companies will not sell your information or send you a bunch of junk mail that you’ll have to delete thirty times a day. Some will ask if you would like to receive email from their partner sites. It’s seriously easy to just uncheck the box before you opt-in for their newsletters. They want you to buy your travel from them, and they know if they annoy you with a bunch of stuff you don’t want, you aren’t going to.

I receive between 20 and 30 newsletters a week (that I opted in for), no related spam, and I get to choose from amazing deals. If they don’t appeal to me, I delete them and wait for the next week. Easy! If you are looking for something specific, then personalize your accounts with travel companies that send newsletters. Most will ask you to choose at least one preferred destination, so they can send you deals on those and make their service more useful to you. You’ll be the first to know about new deals to your chosen destination(s) and can jump on the sales before the masses who were not smart enough to sign up for newsletters. Go you!

Okay, onto the big-city discounts! As you all know, no vacation is cheap, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be affordable. Mix in some free activities with your must-do list and you’ll find that your dollars stretch further than you thought they would:

San Francisco: Known for high prices, it’s hard to say that any San Francisco vacation can ever be affordable. One of the smartest things you can do when heading to a city that has expensive hotels and food is to stay outside the city. You can take public transportation or even rent a car. With the difference in hotel prices between San Francisco and, say, Oakland, Albany or Richmond, you’ll see how this could potentially save you hundreds off a vacation.

• Golden Gate Bridge – No trip to San Francisco is complete without at least driving across this beautiful bridge, but it is also open to pedestrians and cyclists during daylight hours. At almost 2 miles long, it’s a great way to get exercise while also seeing amazing views of the city. Take a break to browse the gift shop and visitor’s center on the southeast side.
• City Guides – Local volunteers take tourists on free walking tours of the city. Find locations and schedules of tours online, by just searching for “free San Francisco walking tours”.
• Exploratorium – This is another hands-on science museum that teaches young and old alike about electricity and other scientific principles. Admission is free the first Wed of every month and it can take up around 4 hours of your day, or more, depending on how fun you find it.
• California Academy of Sciences – Free admission is available on the third Wednesday of every moth. Explore exhibits at the academy, including the African Hall, Swamp exhibit, T-Rex skeleton and aquarium. You can also get to the CAS through Golden Gate Park. Parking is free on nearby streets if you drive yourself.
• Cable Car Museum – Just what it claims to be, you can plan to spend about an hour and a half in this free museum. Learn the history of cable cars while observing full-size cars and photos. Spend some bucks that you saved on admission on funky souvenirs made from cable car tracks.
• Boudin Demonstration Bakery – Almost everyone enjoys some good sourdough bread, and San Francisco is famous for it. Watch bread being made through observation windows and right upstairs from the bakery is a free museum that gives you the history of sourdough in the Bay Area.
• San Francisco Botanical Garden – Located in Golden Gate Park, spend an hour or two in the garden that’s open all year long. There is also a library and bookstore to browse after you’ve taken in all 55 acres of more than 7,500 plants. Every day, there are free guided tours at 1:30 as well. If you’re looking for something to take home, you can purchase plants at the nursery every Saturday.
• Lost Canyon Winery – In nearby Oakland, taste some of California’s best wines for free Friday and Saturdays from 1-6pm.
• San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club – Sure this is obscure, but it’s also fun. Get free lessons from club members in Golden Gate Park every Wednesday at noon.

Las Vegas: We’ve talked about Vegas before, so I won’t bore you with long explanations of free things to do, but I’ll do a quick rundown here, because there are a lot.

Sirens of TI – Free pirate show in front of the TI (formerly Treasure Island) hotel and casino. It plays at various times each evening.

• Fountains of Bellagio – If you’ve never seen water dancing to music, this is a must.
• Conservatory/Botanical Gardens – Another great freebie from Bellagio. It features over 1,000 plants.
• Lions of MGM – This is truly one of my favorites. I love to stay at MGM Grand, but even if I don’t, I still make time to stop by and hang with the lions. They are the hotel mascots, well taken care of and like to play with trainers and toys, in between eating and sleeping.
• The Fall of Atlantis – This is a fun animatronic show, worthy of Disney imaginers, featuring the Gods of Atlantis in the middle of the Forum Shops.
• Carnivale – Several times a day you can see this spectacular Mardi Gras-esque show on and above the casino floor of the Rio. If you hang out on the 2nd floor where the shops are, you get a close-up view of the “floats” that travel the ceiling in this very unique parade.
• Live Music – Most casino lounges have live music. You can just hang out and enjoy it.
• Fremont Street Experience – This is one of the most famous free experiences in Vegas. Off The Strip, on Fremont Street, the sidewalks are covered with a screen that shows an amazing light show set to music.
• Circus Acts – Circus Circus has something for everyone, including free circus acts throughout the day.
• Hawaiian Marketplace – Resembling a marketplace of Honolulu, shop outside amid beautiful tropical plants. Visit theEnchanted Forest for an hourly animatronic bird show. Also, Polynesian performers sing, dance and tell stories in the marketplace each day, with longer, more elaborate shows on the weekends.

Save up to 30% off rates on top Las Vegas Hotels, such as PH Towers, Caesar’s Palace and the Paris with Travelocity’s Dazzling Deals! Travel by March 4, 2011 and book as soon as possible to take advantage of these low prices!

Los Angeles: While most people head to LA to visit Disney and any of the other many theme parks or to shop Rodeo Drive or to get famous, you can go out into the city and do free things on some days and give your wallet a little break before hitting The Matterhorn again with Mickey and the Gang.

• Grauman’s Chinese Theater – Take a page from Lucy’s book and visit Grauman’s to match up your hand and footprints with celebrities all over the world.
• Be Part of The Studio Audience – So many shows tape in LA, that it would be a shame if you didn’t try to get into a free taping. Yup, tickets are free. The range of shows available can change every day, but if you want to get in on the action of shows like “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune”, now’s your chance.
• Downtown LA Art Walk – The second Thursday of the month is free gallery admission. Enjoy the latest art installations in many of the top galleries of the city.
• La Brea Tar Pits – See where more than 100 tons of fossils have been unearthed. Located in Hancock Park, no trip to LA would be complete without a visit.
• Hollywood Walk of Fame – Though Hollywood can be a dirty city, it’s still fun to walk along the sidewalk to see how many names you’re familiar with and snap a few pictures of your favorite celebrities, knowing they stood on the same spot you did when receiving their star.
• Tour of Walt Disney Concert Hall – Take a short self-guided tour with historical facts and interesting trivia.
• Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Visit some of the most famous Hollywood residents’ final resting places.
• Yoga classes – Free 90-minute classes are offered in Sherman Oaks at the Sahaja Meditation Center 3 nights a week and on Saturdays.

Want to stay in Los Angeles from just $58/night? Of course you do, because that’s a bargain anywhere you go! Expedia wants you to stay in recommended 3-star hotels for awesome prices with their California Sale. If you book a package with airfare, you can save even more!  Book by November 18 for travel between now and the end of the year. (These deals also good for San Francisco, too!) 

Save even more off your travels by using CityPASS Hollywood, CityPASS San Francisco, CityPASS Southern California (which includes many attractions, including theme parks for the biggest savings you’ll find.

Fly JetBlue for rates as low as $32 each way on their fall sale going on now through November 2.

Westward Ho! (Part 1) 10.27.10

Today, I’d like to bring my blog closer to home and talk about how to save money up and down the West Coast. I live in Portland and, as often as we travel locally, we also travel to locations along the West Coast as much as possible. Traveling closer to home can be less expensive, but it depends how you go about it. I can spend the weekend in Seattle, but unless I do some strategic planning, it can cost me just as much to go San Francisco or Los Angeles, because they can all be equally spendy travel destinations. Because many West Coast cities are popular tourist spots, it’s not always that easy to find “cheap” deals. I think this is because western travelers think that the staycation and short trips will save them more money, they don’t stray too far from home. The truth is, you can spend the same amount of money driving to the coast and staying there for a week as you can flying to another state. Why? Location, location, location. Everyone loves the beach, even in the fall and winter seasons and there are limited hotels, so they can pretty much charge whatever they want. Even in the off-season, you could end up paying almost $200 per night at some of the ritzier “beachfront” accommodations. Here is my #1 rule for budget travelers looking to save money:

Compare costs. Just like you would with anything else you buy, compare your vacation options. Will going to Disney for four days run you the same as a seven-day trip to the beach or mountains? It COULD. Disney always has deals and many sites, such as Orbitz, BookIt and Expedia, have amazing package deals that can save you hundreds of dollars, making it more affordable than ever. Anywhere near the ocean or ski-worthy slopes can and will charge top-dollar if they can get it. The less expensive options always go first, so unless you book way in advance, you may be spending much more than you have to. But this is true with any destination. You always want to pick a few destinations; if you don’t have your heart set on anything specific, and see which would fit your budget better. I mean, if you can spend the same amount to go on a theme park vacation for a few less days than you would to rent a cabin and sit around reading a book, playing Scrabble and antiquing, it’s clear to me how I want to spend my money. I like my dollar to stretch and to get the most out of it I can. I’m packing for Disney.

Another thing to look at is what there is to do there and how much it’ll cost. You can augment your itinerary of must-see things with others that cost nothing or very little and still get as much fun out of your trip. Let’s look at some destinations in the west that might be on your list and things to do there that won’t break your bank at all and will only require a bit of driving or public transportation. 

Seattle: A mere 3-hour drive from me is the birthplace of grunge rock, Starbucks, Nordstrom and Microsoft. Seattle is steeped in history and tradition, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll go broke visiting. Do some of the offbeat tourist attractions for a whole different view of The Emerald City. 

• Seattle Art Museum – Thursday is a great day to visit some awesome free venues in Seattle, including the Art Museum. The first Thursday of every month, SAM is free to visitors.
• Experience Music Project (known as EMP) – This interactive museum of music is free from 5-8pm on first Thursdays.
• Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame – The first museum devoted to Science Fiction shares a building with EMP and also has free admission on first Thursday from 5-8pm.
• Pike Place Market – The market is one of the oldest in the country and is fun to shop or simply walk around and marvel at the stalls, especially the “flying fish” at the fish stall.
• Coast Guard Museum – Located at Pier 36, explore the free museum of Coast Guard memorabilia.
• Bainbridge Island Vineyard and Winery – While you’ll have to pay for a ferry ride (which can be super fun) across the Puget Sound, you can take a free guided tour of the vineyards every Sunday at 2pm.
• Chateau Ste. Michelle Vineyards is a short 15 mile drive from Seattle and offers a free wine tour and sampling.
• Redhook Brewery – For the beer-lovers among you, take a short drive northeast to Woodinville and take a brewery tour with 3-4 samples. You only pay $1 for a souvenir tasting glass.
• Freeway Park – This amazing park in downtown Seattle sits on 5 acres, overlooks the city, free Wi-Fi, a walking loop and in the summer offers free concerts and theater.

Stay at the Edgewater Hotel for as little as $99. 55% off regular rates, this waterfront hotel is a AAA Four-Diamond property, has been One of The World’s Best Places To Stay by Conde Nast and is super close to tourist attractions. Rates are valid for select date-ranges in November and December. Book by November 2. 

It’s not always easy to find a good deal on a rental car, but Hotwire has one for you. Rent a mid-size from them and only pay $11.95 or $13.95 per day for Seattle and Portland (respectively). That’s less than the cost of normally renting a sub-compact! 

As you may or may not know by now, I love CityPASS. It gets you a huge discount on what you would pay for all and, in most cases, even half of the attractions/merchants if you paid for them separately. Seattle CityPASS is no different. For just $59 ($39 for kids 12 and under) per pass, you save 47% over the price of the 6 attractions it is good for (including the Pacific Science Center, a Harbor Cruise and the Seattle Aquarium, which is amazing all on its own). If you only make it to 3 of them, you’ve already gotten your money’s worth. The Seattle CityPASS is valid from 9 days when you first use it, so whether you stay for a week or a weekend, it’ll work for you! 

 Portland (Oregon): I consider Portland my true hometown, even though I have only lived here a little over a decade and I, technically, grew up in Tucson (which will always have a place in my heart for the friends I have and the experiences that turned me into who I am today). Portland is where I belong. The city is beautiful, the people are polite and it’s so close to everything, whether it’s the beach, the desert or the mountains. It’s pretty awesome. Aside from being a dog- and bike-friendly city, we were also voted #1 Summer Travel Destination by Travel + Leisure Magazine. 

• Saturday Market – Hundreds of local merchants sell their wares on Saturdays and Sundays. You can find handmade clothes, pottery, jewelry and more. There is always live music and street performers can be found amusing shoppers. 
• International Rose Test Garden – For those of you that love flowers, this garden is open daily and has 8,000 rose bushes to marvel at. 
• Powell’s City of Books – Literally, an entire city-block devoted to books of all kinds. You can seriously get lost in Powell’s and there are maps available to guide you through the stacks. While not the only Powell’s Bookstore in the metro area, it is the largest. You don’t even have to purchase books here. You can sit in chairs provided and read, get a coffee or catch up on some email. 
• Brewery Tours – Portland has a large community of micro-brewers and most offer free tours. Among them include: Widmer, Portland Brewing and Bridgeport Brewing. You may have to sign up to get on a tour, but that’s pretty easy to do. 
• Pioneer Courthouse Square – Smack dab in the middle of downtown, the Square offers a Starbucks, several food carts at lunch, a place to buy event/show tickets and fantastic people-watching. It’s also right across the street from major shopping venues, like Nordstrom and Macy’s. 
• Multnomah Falls – A quick 40 minute drive east of the city on I-5 is one of the largest year-round falls in the country. Strap on your hiking shoes and bring your camera, hike partway up to gawk at the beauty from the bridge or hike all the way to the top if you’re up to it. When you make your way back to the bottom, enjoy and espresso drink at the coffee shop, grab lunch at the restaurant or browse the information center and gift shop.
• First Friday – If art’s your thing, the first Friday of every month is devoted to it. Get into the galleries for free in the evening (generally 6-9) to see the latest art exhibits. Many galleries offer free appetizers and wine/champagne.

Portland is home to some great culinary gems: food carts. We're famous for them, actually, and you can save a bundle on dining by sampling some of the different foods they offer - crepes, hot dogs, Chinese, Vietnamese, Hawaiian, sandwiches and oh so many more! If you want it, it can be found on the streets of Portland.

Don't miss out on our best deals! Portland Perks has awesome 2-for-1 deals and more on everything you can find in the city. Great for dining, entertainment, personal services, etc. Get half off on paintball sessions and then take half off your beer tab! Pick up a half-price pizza and get a whole haircut at 50% off! Portland just got WAY more affordable!

It may be fall/winter in the Northwest, but for us that means rain. This may bring some people down, but it's still a great time to visit! Bring a raincoat and head on out like the locals do. A packable rain jacket is my best friend. It is lightweight and stuffs into a very small pouch, so if you don't need it, it's not cumbersome. Columbia has a nice range of them, like the one below. 

Restaurant.com is having a heck of a sale! Buy dining certificates for your trip and eat for practically FREE! 80% off until October 31st with the promo code: TREAT (order by clicking through Ebates and get 15% cash back on your whole purchase, too!)

Southwest has a fantastic 3-day sale ending Thursday at midnight. One-way fares starting at just $30 between select cities. Deals are $30, $60, $90 and $120 each way for travel Dec 1-15 and Jan 4-Feb 16. Book now, before seats sell out! 

Stay tuned for Part 2 on Saturday where we will travel down the coast and find out how to save and what freebies you can take advantage of south of the Oregon Border.