Visit National Parks for Free This Year

If you're hoping to get outside this year on a budge, perhaps a free trip to a National Park is an option for you. Get out and go hiking, biking, camping, see some national monuments and historical places. These do sometimes take planning, since the parks can get real busy. 

With winter dragging on and some places still getting fresh blankets of snow, you might be ready to get out of town. In preparation for the warmer temps, or for those of you who don't care how cold it is or how much snow is on the ground, let's talk about how you can get out and explore your national parks this year for absolutely free. Each year, the U.S. National Park Services open their gates to everyone and waive the daily entry fee to make getting outside cheaper and more fun.

• Jan 16 — Martin Luther King Jr Day (if you want to start planning for next year)
• April 22 — National Park Week kicks off
• Aug. 4 — Celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act
• Sept. 23 — National Public Lands Day
• Nov. 11 — Veterans Day

If you're an avid outdoors lover, then you may already have an annual pass, because you want to explore all the things. If you're like me, you only go to the parks when you're on a road trip, so you can't see the value of spending $80 for the year when you only spend maybe 3 days at a National Park. For you, save some money and plan your trips around these free days. The parks maybe be more crowded, but that can be part of the fun. Unfortunately, more people may mean fewer glimpses of wildlife, but it really depends on the park. 

Pack your cooler with some delicious foods, a blanket, and throw some clothes in an overnight bag if you plan to make a getaway of it (because, sometimes you aren't that close to a National Park), because getting outside just got easier:

Save some money on your pass

Did you know that seniors (age 62 and over) can buy a lifetime pass to the parks for just $10? Now that's a fantastic deal! Want to get a cheaper pass? Well, you might be able to. U.S. Military and permanently disabled citizens can get an annual pass for free. If you have a child in the fourth grade, with the Every Kid in a Park initiative, your whole family is eligible for a free pass. 

Split the pass with a friend and add $40 to your pass cost. Each pass can have two people as owner on it (and they don't need to be related), so if you have a a friend or family member who also wants to go to the parks, but doesn't necessarily want to spend full price, add both  your names to the annual pass and split the cost. You'll each pay just $60 that way and will only have to work out who gets it when (or go together). This is great for families, because the NPS has a lot of offer for kids, not least of which is the Junior Ranger program, where kids engage in different educational activities at each park and receive a stamp in their parks passports and often a badge for completing each one. 

When to skip a pass

If you only plan on visiting during the above times or you plan to visit the smaller parks that don't charge a fee. For the record, there's almost 300 of them. Here is the list of 120 parks that charge admission that you can get into free on fee free days. If you want to try to avoid the crowds, check out these "hidden" spots.

Want to get away from the crowds? Visit these 15 least popular parks and you'll get the same lovely scenery but have tons of space to yourself:

• Pinnacles National Park - California
• Voyageurs National Park - Minnesota
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park - Texas
• Congaree National Park  - South Carolina
• Virgin Islands National Park - St. John, USVI
• Great Basin National Park - Nevada
• Dry Tortugas National Park - Florida
• Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve - Alaska
• Katmai National Park and Preserve - Alaksa
• North Cascades National Park - Washington
• Isle Royale National Park - Michigan
• Lake Clark National Park and Preserve - Alaska
• Kobuk Valley National Park - Alaska
• Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve - Alaska
• National Park of American Samoa - Vatia, American Samoa

Visit Canada

Canada has National Parks of its own, and they were established before the U.S. NPS. With tons of open spaces, it's a great place to head to get outdoors, plus they also have fee-free deals for under 17s and new Canadian citizens at all 47 parks across the country. Once they are open to Americans again, it's a good excuse to visit and enjoy new outdoor spaces. 

Now that you have some options, all you need to do is plan your trips, find some awesome hiking boots/shoes, charge your camera and get out there. 

What's your favorite national park and why do you love it?

All Those Extra Expenses You Forgot About

It's easy to go on vacation and have a budget and plan for the big things like accommodations, airfare, and food, but there's a whole list of things you forget about that can totally break your budget and make you sad. No one wants to be sad on vacation.

Since you don't want to subsist on PB&J when you get home, or (worse) in the last days of your vacay, make sure you remember these things and include them into your budget when you make your vacation plans.

• Gas/transportation - If you're renting a car, don't forget that you also have to budget for gas expenses. If you're just going to use public transportation to get around, sure you can make sure you know how to use said transportation, but you also have to pay for your rides. Research your options before travel, so you aren't getting ripped off, because you didn't get a monthly card or you only need a few rides and it's cheaper to pay that way than to buy a multi-ride pass.
• Resort fees - Often, you've figured out how much your hotel room costs, but depending on your destination, resort fees can vary wildly. If you're having to pay hundreds of dollars on top of your room rate, that can really hurt you.
• International phone plan/roaming fees - When you travel, you are going to have to use your phone, whether to call and make a reservation or to call home to check in with family/friends. Make sure your mobile has the appropriate plan for your trip and remember that you will be paying more. It could be cheaper to buy a region-specific SIM card to use in your current phone, purchase a cheap mobile to use with that SIM or just remember that your carrier will charge you for using your phone outside your home country. We have Verizon and they charge you $10/24-hours when you use services internationally. That may seem like a lot, but it also means you are only charged for the days you use it and not for the entire month like you used to.
• WiFi - Having WiFi available at my accommodation is a must for me. I always look for places that include it in their rate, because paying $12.95, or whatever outrageous fee they charge at some resorts, is a rip-off. They already have WiFi available and boosting for the entire building. You shouldn't be paying more for accessing the internet as you do for an entire month of internet at home.
• Laundry - We almost always do laundry on vacation, because then we don't have to pack more than we need. I try hard to find places that have laundry included, but it's not always possible and I still have quarters in my travel hamper for those just in case times. I also carry my own laundry sheets/detergent, because I've been to laundry rooms that didn't have detergent available for purchase and it cost quite a bit to buy a too-large package at a nearby grocers. 
• Spontaneous activities - Many of us travel on a tight budget, but there are going to be times when cool or exciting opportunities present themselves and you'll be sad to miss out. Make sure you have a reserve of funds (it can be small, like $50) in case something comes up that you really want to do.
• Taxes - I live in a place where we don't pay sales tax and I always forget when I go elsewhere, but then I remember and I'm slightly annoyed and then I get over it. You have to pay taxes and fees for a lot of things, including airfare, souvenirs, and meals. Don't go through your vacation funds faster than expected by knowing the tax rate and adding it on to your budget plan.
• Exchange rate fees - fees for changing money can vary greatly depending on where you do your exchange. The most expensive exchange rates are usually at the airport, so if you have to do it, exchange the least amount possible and then go elsewhere. Post offices often have the lowest rates. 
• Credit card fees - Many credit cards will charge foreign transaction fees and your debit card may charge big fees for using foreign ATMs. Try to choose a card with no international fees, but if you can't, maybe try keeping your transactions to a minimum, so you aren't paying outrageous fees. (Don't forget to tell your credit card companies that you're traveling. You can do this online, usually. Nothing is worse than your card getting flagged as you're trying to pay for dinner.)
• Insurance - If you're planning on purchasing travel insurance, don't forget to include it as part of your travel budget. 
• Emergency incidentals - Not everything always goes to plan. Sometimes your flight gets cancelled or delayed, sometimes you get sick, sometimes your car breaks down on a road trip, sometimes you end up getting in after all the trains stop running and you have to spring for a cab or Uber (this is personal experience). Have an emergency fund or credit card, because you never know what might happen. If you don't have to use it, great. If you do, you'll be glad you have it. 

When I make my trip itinerary, I make sure to account for everything I'm doing and research things I may not know, because it makes travel much less stressful for me when I know all the variables. 

Has your trip ever been cut short or ruined by "hidden" expenses?

Your Most Important Summer Travel Accessory

There are a lot of things you should pack for your summer travels, like sunscreen and shorts and your bathing suit, but there's one thing that's much more important than anything else to a successful trip: your patience. Yes, this sounds like I'm telling you that summer travel will be annoying, and, shockingly, I am. 

How do I know? Because Summer travel is always annoying. There are too many people everywhere, things cost more than usual, traffic is bad, and there are kids everywhere. (No offense to kids. I could say the same about drunk adults.) Know that things are going to be challenging and plan for it ahead of time.

If you're flying, then get to the airport early, even if you have Precheck or Global Entry. If you haven't booked your flights yet, you need to get on it ASAP. Try to book the earliest flight in the day that you can afford, so you may sidestep the worst of the delays that start in earnest in the afternoons. 

Speaking of, there are still staff shortages at all the airlines and at the airport, so delays and cancellations will happen. Generally, flights get overbooked, which makes travel in the summer rougher than usual, because most flights are at full capacity and getting bumped is more common than the rest of the year. Check in with your flight as soon as you're allowed (I always have the airline app on my phone, so I get a push notification to remind me when check-in is open, and I can do it quickly and easily, no matter where I am).

This is another reason to get to the airport early. You don't want to be the last person through security for your flight, because the odds of you getting bumped are much higher then. Build in extra time to get there and have entertainment to keep you busy, or plan on getting a meal post-security or using other amenities, like a yoga room, movies, or looking at art. 

Pack light, so the possibility of your bag not getting to your destination with you drops to nearly zero. Not only will you save time and money, but if you get delayed or your flight gets cancelled or rerouted, you have all your belongings with you. There's nothing worse than having to spend the night somewhere and not having an extra change of clothes, toiletries, or other necessities when you need them. 

Invest in travel insurance or check your coverage through your credit cards. Things happen and it's not always optimal. If your travel gets cancelled or you lose days due to a delay, you should be covered.

The plane hasn't even stopped, but there's a line to get off. *sigh*

Let's circle back to patience. Though all of the above things will require it, try to keep your composure and stay chill. Travel can be stressful for a lot of people and when things change, it makes it worse. Remember that it's not the airline crew and gate agents' fault when things go wrong or are delayed. Be nice when you ask them to help you rebook or change seats or whatever else. People are rude to them all day for just doing their job, please don't make it harder on them. 

So, yes, things will take longer, cost more, and be generally more annoying, but knowing that ahead of time and planning for it can help you relax and travel better. Even with the crew shortages and fewer flights to choose from over the last few years, my travels have been fairly normal and all the big annoying things have been things out of my control and have still worked out in the end. Breathing through it and not overreacting, even when I feel like it, is always the best choice.

Once you make it through the airport and get to your destination, annoying things may continue when you have to wait in lines for attractions or get your rental car or visit a museum. So, patience - don't leave home without it!

How do you try to keep your travel days from getting the better of you?