Tomorrow morning I head out on one of the fabulous Staycation weekends that I planned for this summer. Lack of vacation time means that my only “travel” is Staycation weekends to locations that are fairly local. Staycations are a great way to get away from it all without really getting TOO far away.
Today I wanted to share my top 5 staycation travel tips with you. Staycations can be super fun and cheap, but these tips can help you make sure to maximize your fun and your budget.
1. Parking: Self vs Valet
Many larger hotels, along with ones located in a downtown area, charge you for parking. Since you are most likely driving to your staycation it is important to look into this. Some hotels charge for valet, but offer a free self-parking option while others charge for both. Self-parking can save you money on the daily charge and tipping the valet anytime you need your car. Money saved on parking can be put towards something more fun!
2. Fridge in the Room
Find out if your hotel room will have a fridge. If it does, think about bringing some drinks with you. Even if you are only going for the weekend not having to purchase high priced bottles of water or soda can save you quite a bit. A fridge is also good for storing leftover overs or even breakfast food if your hotel doesn’t offer it or if you have dietary restrictions.
3. Bring two bathing suits (especially if its summertime!)
One of my FAVORITE parts of staying at any hotel is the pool. And when a hotel has a really nice pool (or multiple pools) I know that I may end up in the pool more than once a day. The last thing I want to do is put on a cold wet bathing suit when I head out the 2nd (or 3rd) time. So trust me when I tell you to bring two bathing suits.
4. AAA/Florida Resident Deals
If you are planning to hit up any local attractions during your staycation, do some research ahead of time – it could save you a LOT. Check out AAA if you are a member, but also look into Florida (or whatever state you live in) resident deals. During a staycation this spring I found a deal on AAA that included admission to three attractions, that could be used over a month, and only cost what I would have paid for one of the attractions. We used two of them that day and were able to go back later and check out the third.
5. Hotel/Free Transportation
Depending on where your staycation is you may not want to get back in your car once you arrive at the hotel, so look into any transportation that your hotel may offer. Also look and see if there is any other free transportation offered. Take the Hyatt Regency Orlando, where we are headed tomorrow, for example. It is very close to Pointe Orlando, which offers shopping, restaurants, a movie theater, bars, and even a comedy club. They offer transportation to Pointe Orlando to guests via a 6 person golf cart. Its location is a little too far of a walk but close enough that you’d feel silly driving there. This transportation option is very handy in Florida since you never know when the skies might just open up.
So there ya have it – my top 5 staycation travel tips! I hope these help you out the next time you “go away” for the weekend. I’ll let you know how my tips work out for me this weekend!
Excellent tips, especially about two bathing suits. I hate putting a on wet suit (I also hate sitting around in a wet suit after pool time is done).
Thanks! We ended up having a BIG discussion last night about the hatred of wet bathing suits 🙂