For a lot of folks, Summer is a time for family vacations. For some, that means packing up and heading out on a faraway adventure. For the rest of us, that means hanging out with friends and family at home – a “staycation”. (We took a huge family vacation last year, so this year we decided to take it easy).
I know that there are tons of travel sites out there, but I wanted to highlight a couple that I think are pretty handy.
These sites are mostly for driving trips, as that’s usually our preferred choice of travel. When I was growing up, that was a huge part of family vacation – squeezing into the car and hanging out for hours upon hours while we drove to our destination!
For your VACATION…
I’m a planner, so when we go on vacation I budget for everything. Seriously…everything. I need to know how much is going for food, for souvenirs, for hotels, for gas.
Anyway, AAA has this Fuel Cost Calculator that I have used many times. Now, I realize there are tons of variables that can affect how much gas you will actually use. But, for those of us that need a ballpark figure before heading out the door, this is a pretty handy tool.
My brother (who really is the travel guru in our family) introduced me to GasBuddy.com, which also has a Trip Cost Calculator. But my favorite feature on this site is the ability to see recent gas prices for a certain area. Ever go to a city you’ve never been before, pull into the first gas station you see, fill up…then drive a mile down the road and find out you could have saved a ton of money if you would have went just a liiiiittle bit further? 
Hopefully this will save you some sanity…and some cash.
For your STAYCATION…
If you are staying close to home this summer, but want to find something within driving distance, you should check out this Expedia site. You put in your starting destination and choose whether you want to use a full, a half or a quarter tank of gas. This site will recommend places within driving distance, based on your criteria. It even gives you a list of attractions and hotels.
This is a great tool if you want to venture out for a day trip or long weekend.
Where are YOU going this Summer?
