Getaways and vacations are nice, but can you afford them? Especially now, when the economy is sputtering?
A lot of people say yes: A break from routine is just as much a part of their living as breathing in and breathing out. That`s the way they were raised, and that`s the way they`ll stay.
They`ll cut down on watering the lawn, maybe, or buy hamburgers instead of steak. But touch the sacred vacation? No way.
Still, when times aren`t the best, a little prudence is advised-not to mention that a lot of people simply may not have the bread it takes to go to all those wonderful places the slick magazines write about.
Sure, you could take a jaunt to St. Barts this winter. The island`s great, but so are the prices. Or board the Concorde to Paris for a Gallic extravaganza, making sure, of course, that the mortgage is paid before you go. For a lot of us, trips that cost thousands of dollars are out of reach. The food on the table and the roof over the head come first.
But that`s no reason one can`t get away from home for that well-deserved winter break. There still are many places to enjoy without spending the family fortune.
To prove that, we have come up with 10 vacations you can enjoy for $1,000. That`s a grand for two people.
Obviously a grand won`t buy a grand tour of Europe, not when a Coke costs several dollars in Paris and hotels want a sum equal to the down payment on your car. You won`t be able to get too far from home on $500 a person, and you may have to be budget-conscious. But you may be surprised how much $1,000 will buy in the way of a vacation. With a judicious eye on the wallet and some good planning, you can make out surprisingly well.
Please remember that the rates quoted in these examples are subject to change (particularly air fares), that they may not be available on the dates you may want to travel and that the minimum rates usually are limited in availability.
Rental companies and tour operators are cited as examples; many other companies may offer the same or better rates. Costs for dining will vary according to individual tastes; our estimates are based on moderate costs.
These examples are based on travel out of Miami. The costs cited, therefore, may not apply to other cities, though the types of vacations will. 1. A short cruise
Several ships run three- and four-day cruises out of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Port Canaveral, and the good thing is that the fare includes transportation, accommodations, meals and entertainment. Rates start at around $395 for a three-day sail (cruise-only rate; air fare not included), but smart travelers know that cruises are discounted heavily these days.
For instance, some three-day cruises are being marketed for as little as $169 and a five-night voyage from $375. (See ads in the Travel section or call travel agencies that specialize in cruises.)
In addition, the lines themselves often advertise special rates.
To your cruise fare add about $7.50 a person a day for tips to dining room waiter, busboy and cabin steward; $30 to $34 in port charges (on a three- day cruise); and a $3 departure tax. You also will have to pay your bar bill (one line says the average bar bill is $11 a person a day, more if you have wine with meals), miscellaneous expenses on board such as beauty salon, shop purchases and shore excursions ($10 to $60 a person for an excursion), if you book them.
2. Orlando theme parks
Assuming you drive your own car, you can easily fit a four-day visit into your budget, with $100 or $200 to spare. A four-day admission to Disney World costs $109.85 for adults ($87.65 for ages 3-9), or you can design a combination of one-day admissions to Disney, Universal Studios and Sea World theme parks for about the same price.
You can book a motel for as little as $29 a day (examples: Quality Inn, Travelodge, Days Inn), or $116 for four nights, plus taxes. Allow $350 for food and snacks (though you can do it for less) and $50 for gasoline and highway tolls.
3. Weekend in New York City
Many nice New York City hotels offer drastically lower weekend rates. Central Reservations Service, 800-950-0232, has a list of 15 small midtown hotels that charge less than $90 a night (plus taxes).
Economical breakfasts (as at McDonald`s) and lunches (two each) should cost no more than $80. Figure on $30 a person for dinner at a decent place, or $120 for the weekend. Airport transfers will cost about $50, and subways and taxis about $40. Budget $150 to $200 for a night at the theater, admission to museums and other entertainment.
4. A sailing vacation
If you know how to sail, join a friendly couple and rent a sailboat for a vacation at sea. Sharing the cost with another couple means you two can take a sailing vacation for less than $1,000, depending on the size of the vessel, duration of the rental and whether you sail it yourself or have a captain.
Example: Florida Yacht Charters and Sails on Miami Beach will rent a 30-footer for $175 a day, or $1,150 a week, bareboat. Divide that by half and each couple`s cost is $87.50 a day, or $575 a week. Add to that fuel costs
(probably no more than $10), food, dockage (if used), and on-shore entertainment. If you want a captain on board, add $100 a day to the overall cost.
Somewhat less expensive are the 27- and 28-footers, which run $150 a day, or $950 a week. More information: 305-532-7600. Several other companies also charter boats in south Florida and elsewhere.
5. Puerto Rico paradors
A three-night package that includes round-trip Miami-San Juan flights, car rental and accommodations in the Banos de Coamo parador (government-run inn) in Ponce runs $361 a person double occupancy.
If you prefer to move around the island, a $379 package gets you a night each in the Banos, Villa Parguera and Vistamar paradors. All three paradors have swimming pools; two have tennis courts; two have air conditioning.
More information: Intra Tours, 800-226-RICO.
Add to these prices about $200 for meals, $75 for entertainment and miscellaneous expenses. It`s a tight budget, but possible.
6. On a Cancun beach
Three-night packages that include air transportation, airport transfers and accommodations at a beachfront hotel are available for $316 a person, double occupancy, or $632 for two people.
More information: 800-247-2987.
Allow $240 for dining, $100 for entertainment or tours. You may want to rent a car for a day to visit the Mayan ruins at Tulum, about 50 miles down the coast; car rentals are about $50 a day.
7. Home on wheels
Rent a recreational vehicle and you can move around at will, bringing your ”home” with you. You can stay in sylvan settings instead of motels, although you`ll have to pay campground and hookup fees where you spend the night.
Cruise America (a national company headquartered in Miami) has rates that vary from day to day, but a 21-foot motor home should cost around $59 a day with 100 miles free, 22 cents a mile thereafter.
More information: 305-591-7511 or 800-327-7778.
Add fuel costs (motor homes get six to eight miles per gallon), a setup fee for propane and chemicals and campground fees, which run $15 to $25 a night.
8. Week on beach or canal
Plan a trip with a compatible couple and you can share a two-bedroom, two-bath beach condominium on Marco Island in Florida. Rates are $900 to $1,200 a week, so each couple would pay $450 to $600. After the season, prices drop about 40 percent.
More information: Marco Rentals, 813-394-6565.
After April 15, Marco Island Condos will rent you a place for $399 a week. More information: 800-642-8047.
In Jupiter, one- or two-bedroom condos within walking distance of the beach go for $700 to $900 a week in season, $400 to $500 in the off-season. More information, call Sherlock Homefinders, 407-747-7368.
9. A spa tune-up
If you and yours yearn for a weekend of healthy living, Safety Harbor Spa and Fitness Center at Safety Harbor, Fla., just north of Tampa, offers a Fitness Weekend for $361 a person from March 30 to May 13, even less after that.
The weekend includes two nights` accommodations, all meals, two massages, unlimited day tennis and golf, use of facilities such as saunas and steam baths and admission to any classes. To the package cost is added 27 percent for taxes and service charge. Of course, you must buy gasoline to get you there and back.
More information: 800-237-0155.
10. Explore the Everglades
From Flamingo in Everglades National Park, you can rent a houseboat and make a fascinating voyage through this wilderness area. You can take the houseboat into Coot, Whitewater and Oyster Bays to see thousands of nesting birds or go fishing.
A two-night rental costs $440, three nights $587, four nights $734 and five nights $880. The 40-foot boats sleep eight, so if you have compatible friends, you can share the costs. Included in the price is everything but the food and fuel.
More information: 305-253-2241, ext. 320.
