There's been a lot of press around the idea of staycations of late. But taking a series of day trips close to home may not actually offer the best value. One summer when I was a child, my suburban New Jersey family of five decided to forego a traditional vacation and instead take a series of day trips. We hit a few amusement parks, ate out at restaurants, went shopping, and toured a few museums. We even headed into New York City one day to see the Statue of Liberty. By the time the week was through, my parents were shocked at the total cost of all those admission prices and meals, as well as how many times we had gassed up the car (both to get to our destination and return home each day). For what we had spent, we could have taken a real vacation—and maybe even spent a little less.
The next summer, my parents were wiser. They booked a vacation rental cabin in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains region with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. (By splitting the costs with another family, my parents already started out with savings.) We spent a week fishing, swimming, playing board games, and cooking our own meals. And my parents spent significantly less than our "affordable" day trips of the previous year.
In short, when comparing options, always take true costs into consideration. Transportation is always a big ticket item (especially airfare), but what will your in-destination costs be? Are you planning on eating most meals out, visiting lots of attractions with admission fees, and taking advantage of local boutiques, spas, and the like? Getting a real sense of what you'll spend will help you choose your right trip this year, and avoid any sticker-shock later.
