Is Budget Travel Still Possible

 

Is Budget Travel Still Possible?

 

With sky rocketing airfare costs, additional airline charges, and food costs, it makes me wonder if budget travel is really still possible. You know the kind of travel us lower middle class working people make. We love to travel, but we don’t have the money to frequent the four star hotels. We look for the bargain, but are there really bargains out there?

In July 2003, I took my first vacation totally on my own. I took a four night trip to San Francisco, and it was wonderful. I was a recent college graduate, and even with my job, I didn’t have a lot of money. Still I wanted to go. After many online searches and phone calls I had my trip planned:

Round Trip Airfare Indianapolis-San Francisco: $200– Northwest

Four nights at the Adelaide Hostel: $100

Food Budget: $150

MUNI Pass: $5

Airport Shuttles: $25

Total: $480

Now of course this doesn’t include spending money or other costs. The food costs were low because I used the kitchen at the hostel, and I could actually have leftovers. It was an awesome trip and it was the start of my budget travel adventures. I was able to see the city, meet new friends, get out of town for a few days, and do it all without breaking the bank.  Now I fear I will never be able to do that again, and many young people will not have the opportunity I had. My curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to see what budget travel face now. I was surprised by what I found next.

Same trip, same days, five years later.

Airfare: $271 Air Tran

Four nights at Adelaide: $136

MUNI Pass: $18

Food Budget: $200

Bus Passes: $40

Total: $665

In five years, the cost has gone up $185 dollars. That is if I want to take the Air Tran flight, and I do not accrue any more airline fees, and I’m okay with not getting to San Francisco until 11:00 at night and taking a red eye back. If I want a better flight and not having to take another day of vacation, that means the cost will at least be $750. That now means a $270 difference. fine i could ake the BART instead of a shuttle…but that if I am getting in at 11:00, do really want to be walking from the Bart Station at midnight…by myself…with all my luggage? What if my plane is late? The last BART train leaves SFO at 11:53. 

Now, if hostels are not my thing. I would need to look for a budget hotel. This would make the price even higher. If I were travelling alone and staying a decent Union Square budget hotel, like the Adante at Jones and Geary, the nightly rate would be $99 per night minus fees. That would end up being around $450. Their rooms are pretty small, so if I were travelling with another person I would consider a suite. That is only another $30 a night, but now the charge just for lodging is $570. Now that is better than a $200 a night Union Square hotel. Hotwire.com may help you find a cheaper hotel, but you have to be careful. Their idea of “East Union Square” migrates into not so nice areas so be careful before you book. Good neighborhood or not, $109 a night for a three star hotel can still be steep with the ever rising airfare costs. Not to mention staying in a hotel will add to your food cost. No grocery shopping or leftovers will be there to pad the charges. Once again that puts the overall charges (if I am travelling alone) to at least $979. How is that on a budget? That is a four day trip for ONE person from Indianapolis to San Francisco.

I’m lucky. I’ll still have to take the hit on the airfare, but I can get a break on the lodging in San Francisco. However, what about the rest of the budget travelers?

Now that I’ve depressed myself, I ask the question again: Is budget travel still possible?

 

While I’m doing Shameless plugs for the old Stomping Grounds: Cedar Point

If you have not been to Cedar Point, you are missing out on one of the best Amusement Parks in the world. Other parks might have scores of cartoon characters and a few worthwhile coasters, but Cedar Point dwarfs them all.

Cedar Point is located in Sandusky, Ohio. It is not too far off Interstates 80/90 and it is one of the best places to see in Ohio. The park opens in May and is open all summer long. The park even remains open for weekends through October. Hours and days the park is open vary by the time of the season, so be sure to check their website for those details.

If going in the summer doesn’t work, you can always go in the fall. Cedar Point is open ever weekend in October with Halloweekends. The park gets a spooky make over and there are even some haunted houses.

The one thing that really makes Cedar Point stick out is that is has so many great coasters. There is not just one or two that you have to ride. Cedar Point has many really awesome coasters and rides for you to enjoy. Coasters like the Magnum, Raptor, Millennium Force and Dragster will thrill you. Older but still classic coasters like the Blue Streak and the Gemini are still great fun. With so many options it could take all day to navigate the park. The park also has rides and play areas for younger vistors too. They even have Snoopy there too!

If you go to Cedar Point, the best way to ensure you will see the whole park is to have a game plan. If you randomly just bounce from ride to ride. The park has a midway and then it is set up in a big circle. Your best bet is to pick a starting point. Pick the ride you want to ride the most and start there. If you get there when the park opens, that is usually the best time to ride to more popular coasters. The lines will usually be a little shorter then. From there pick out a direction an start making your away around the circle. The Blue Streak and the Raptor are both on the midway, but you can wait and do those two coasters last. The Raptor is much more fun at night anyway! Not to mention that since it is one of the first big coasters visitors come across upon entering the park, its line is usually pretty long. At night the line eases up a bit.

Be prepared. Do not eat your way through the park. This will be costly. Wear comfortable shoes. Sandals are fine, but make sure your shoes are secure. You do no want to lose them on a ride. You can do your hair and make up, but after a few rides it will not matter anyway. Bring a hair brush and an extra hair tie if you have long hair. Do not forget the sunscreen! If it is a hot day, bring a water bottle and be sure to stay hydrated. If it is a cool day dress appropriately. If it is even a somewhat cool day, remember that the park is on Lake Erie. That breeze of the lake will make it feel even cooler. Once the sun goes down, it can be downright chilly. That brings up another point, if you do ride a water ride, be sure to have dry clothes or do it well before sundown.

Hotwire.com Tips (no…not for your car the travel website)

Hotwire can be a great travel tool. However, there are some thing you need to be aware of  a few things BEFORE you book.

 

Always read the Terms of Agreement. Yes those pesky terms they want you to agree to before you book online. Make sure you read these carefully. These will tell you exactly what the company guarantees you, and that is expect from you. Basically, Hotwire is under no obligation to refund your money because, death, illness, or natural disaster. However, if you ask nicely, they may extend a gesture of goodwill. Yes, it isn’t fair, it is what you agreed to at the time of purchase.

 

Remember that your idea of a four star hotel, and Hotwire’s standards may not match up. Hotwire is usually dependant on the hotel to provide their own review. I doubt the company goes out and checks each hotel individually. If the hotel is below the stated quality, or worse unacceptable, you do have every right to report that to Hotwire. Once again, Hotwire is not under ANY obligation to reimburse you, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. I’ve read several complaints about how Hotwire ignored and blew off customer complaints. One, they really have no reason to do otherwise. Two, many of these claims do not have and documentation or proof to back u the accusation. If you are going to submit a complaint,  be sure to have clear pictures of the room, and the condition you found it in. This will help you plead your case, and usually Hotwire is more willing to make things right.

 

Always call to confirm your reservation. Yes, you were given a confirmation number, sent and e-mail, and it clearly says you have ordered and paid for the service. However, if Hotwire has not actually booked the service, this could be an issue. There is nothing worse than showing up and discovering you do not have a flight, hotel room, rental car…yeah you get the picture. I once booked two hotel rooms for a family trip to Chicago. After I booked the rooms I called to make sure we were down for non-smoking rooms and to request a rollaway bed (my sister decided she was also coming). When I called, the hotel staff had no record my reservation on file. Mind you, this was almost a month later. They had reservations from Hotwire from as late as the previous day, but my reservation was nowhere to be found. They told me to call Hotwire. I called and of course this is the one time I get a rude rep. She told me that the hotel screwed up (PET PEEVE: Don’t play the blame game. I don’t care whose fault it is as long as you fix it and fix it right and quickly.). She made a big deal about how she would fax it to the hotel again. After calling the hotel two hours later, calling Hotwire again to harass them, and then calling the hotel again I was able to confirm both rooms were booked. No one took the blame, and no one apologized. It was very frustrating. However, confirming with the hotel saved my family some major stress! The problem was solved, and really that was all that mattered to me. I wasn’t going to make a stink over it, but the whole process made me a little nervous. Apparently this is an issue Hotwire (and other online booking sites…so I’m not just picking on Hotwire) has frequently enough to be alarming.

 

Expect the worst from customer service. Yes this is such a glass half empty idea. It isn’t that the employees are rude like their brethren at Expedia (or at least all the Expedia reps I, my family and my friends have ever dealt with…maybe we are just lucky and get the bad eggs?), it is that they seem to know very little. They seem to be good at parroting lines off a script (although, management insists they do not use scripts), but if the answer isn’t on their cheat sheet good luck to you. When they failed to actually book my rooms, I asked a simple question of if I had not caught their mistake in time, what would have happened?  Before I made a fool of myself by writing something not true, I figured having my fact straight would be a good idea.  No one could answer my question. It took months of e-mails, and eventually talking to the guy who handled their media relations to get a straight answer. That is a little frightening.  Yes the media person told me that Hotwire would have gotten my family taken care of, my concern would be if the hotel was totally booked ( as it was that weekend) where would they have put us? I never really got an answer there. I was only assured that Hotwire would have worked with the hotel to get us in.

 

A closer look at Hotwire:

 

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/384513/hotwater_for_hotwire.html?cat=16

 

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/384518/hotwire_issues_final_verdict.html?cat=16

 

Hotel Review: The Grant Plaza Hotel: San Francisco

Good Location…not so great everything else

The Grant Plaza Hotel is a more budget minded boutique hotel located in Chinatown in San Francisco. When you read the Orbitz reviews and look at the website, it seems like a pretty nice place. However, looks can be deceiving.

It isn’t that The Grant Plaza Hotel is the worst hotel in San Francisco, but what they charge isn’t comparable to the amenities. The hotel has a prime location in the heart of Chinatown (Grant and California). This makes Union Square and the bus lines a short walk away. The lobby is beautiful and elegant. It has internet access in the lobby, and lockers to store your luggage in. The staff is very helpful. If you want an authentic Chinese meal, or want to know which shops have the best deals, they will gladly help you. However, that isn’t quite enough to prompt a return visit.

The lobby may be beautiful, but the rooms are bare bones basic. Yes, no one was expecting four star accommodations, but cold and sterile are not welcoming qualities. The bathrooms are huge, but not exactly functional. One little metal shelf is not exactly counter space. The television reception is fuzzy at best on the few channels you do get.

The location that is perfect during the day becomes a detriment at night. There is not much to do in the neighborhood around the hotel at night. The bus stops that would be your gateway to SOMA, the Haight or any other nightlife destination would be quite a hike. Even Ruby Skye is a little too far for a lone traveler to walk. Maybe if there is a group of you it would be safe, but walking around any city at night by yourself is not always the best move.

Another issue the Grant Plaza has is that they do not always have their rooms ready on time. Imagine that your flight came into San Francisco at 11:20. By the time you claim your luggage and take the shuttle to the hotel it is 12:30. It is too early to check in, so you put your bags in a locker and spend some time in Union Square. After you eat lunch at your favorite diner, you return to the hotel at a little past the check in time. The man at the front desk says your room isn’t ready yet. You are tired from the cross country flight. Not to mention, you woke up at 3:30 your time to get to the airport on time. All you want to do is get checked in and settled. Maybe you even want to take a shower. You wait for over an hour before they give you a key. When you finally get up to your room, the bed isn’t made and the bathroom has not been cleaned. Yes, this is a nightmare.

When booking a hotel online, be sure to read reviews carefully before you book. Also remember that the best deal may be too good to be true. Sure the Grant Plaza will work in a pinch, but there are many other less expensive hotels out there.

Hotel Review: Adante Hotel: San Francisco

A Great Deal

I was happy with my stay at the Adante Hotel in Downtown San Francisco. Small rooms? Sure, but most European Style Hotels have smaller rooms. Despite the claims of paper thin walls at the Adante Hotel I heard nothing from my neighbors in my whole stay. Sketchy neighborhood? Not really. I traveled alone and I never felt unsafe.

However, I did take a cab late (After Midnight) at night as to not be waiting at or walking from bus stops alone. During the day its perfectly fine. Going west of that block while alone, at night might not be ideal, but walking to and from Union Square is not big deal.

Remember what you are paying in comparision to the other budget hotels in the area. It isn’t a five star and it doesn’t bill itself as such. These are all things one needs to keep in mind. My only complaint, if you can even call it that, is that housekeeping makes it rounds rather early. My advice is if you go out to enjoy the night life, make sure you put your DND sign up before crawling into bed.

I have stayed in several “budget” hotels in San Francisco. Most of them were adequate, but very sterile and unwelcoming. This was not the case here.

The staff has always been super helpful and nice. Even before my stay I called with questions, and they were very happy to answer them. They helped me figure out MUNI route and find bus stops and other little things that made my stay much better. I am returning to the Adante on my next trip out there and I am looking forward to another positive experience.

San Francisco Attraction Review:San Francisco Vampire Tour

No trip to San Francisco is complete without a few key things: seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, spending time in Chinatown, riding the cables cars and last but not least taking the Vampire Tour of San Francisco. Now before you ask, “the what???” you should know that the Vampire Tour is a great way to spend two hours on your Saturday or Friday night.

The San Francisco Vampire tour takes you around Nob Hill. You will start in Huntington Park and from there you will see the many land marks the neighborhood has to offer. You will take a look at Grace Cathedral, The Union Pacific Club, The Fairmount Hotel, and other locations in a way you never have before.

The tour is guided by Mina Harker (Kitty Burns), as she gives you the history of Nob Hill from the undead perspective. The neighborhood history is 100% factual, the rest is pure fun. The tour starts every Friday and Saturday night at 8:00 at the corner of California and Taylor streets. If you are coming from Union square, picking up the California line in China town might be a good idea. The walk up Taylor is a steep one! The tour costs $20.00, and it is money well spent.

When I took the tour, I was very impressed with the presentation. It was a great crash course in San Francisco history. It wasn’t boring, drawn out, or bland as other tours of the city. I keep hoping one of my return trips to the city will fall on a weekend so I can take the tour again. I would gladly hear all the stories again! Despite the name of the tour it is not scary or too dark. It isn’t just for goth kids and freaks. It is fun for everyone.

As the website http://www.sfvampiretour.com/ states, people are welcome to dress in costume (sadly all I had for my tour was bat barrettes). The website also brings up a good point about the weather. The tour goes on rain or shine (unless it is really raining hard), so be ready to face the elements. Also remember that San Francisco is not in southern California. It does get chilly there at night. Wearing shorts and a tank top on the tour would not be advisable.

If you are visiting San Francisco, or you are a local and you have never taken the tour, it really is something you must do. It gives you fun look at a neighborhood that transformed from a cemetery to the bustling neighborhood it is today.

San Francisco: Non Touristy How to and advice

I love San Francisco, and while there is nothing wrong with doing the usual tourist stuff, sometimes just enjoying the city can be a big reword. Click here to find how to find things off the beaten path.

Also here are some tips:

Sometimes being the traditional tourist can get old. When you visit a city, it is nice to see the popular sights, but sometimes it is nice to get off the beaten track. San Francisco is a beautiful city. It has many traditional touristy stops, but the lesser known gems can be just as fun.

If you need a nice relaxing afternoon, try spending some time in Huntington Park. The park is located on California Street between Taylor and The Flood Mansion/ Pacific Union Club at Mason. The park was originally a cemetery and then a mansion that was destroyed in the 1906 fire. On a sunny afternoon, you can sit there for hours, people-watch, and enjoy the sights in the park. The park is situated at the top of a hill looking down into the Union Square area. It is great view of the city. You also have great views of Grace Cathedral and the Fairmount Hotel.

Another must see is the San Francisco Vampire Tour. The tour meets up at Huntington Park (Taylor and California) on Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00. “Mina Harker” will guide you through history of Nob Hill with a little bit of a twist. You can find more information on the tour at the official website .

Riding the cable car is one of those things every tourist wants to do. That means the lines for the cars going to Fisherman’s Wharf are insanely long. Plus if you do not pick it up at the starting point, there might not be room for you to get on later. However, they are not the only game in town. There is the California line. It starts in the Financial District and goes down California to Van Ness. The car goes through Chinatown, and past Huntington Park. You can still ride the cable car without the crowds!

If you are hungry, there are many places to eat in Union Square. One of the less promoted is the Pinecrest Diner. It is located at the corner at Geary and Mason. Pinecrest is the typical diner, complete with the brown Formica tables and vinyl seats. However, it has excellent food and the prices aren’t gouging. The diner also has a great window that faces out on to Mason. If you sit in one of the booths along that wall, you can people watch as you eat.

The Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’s Wharf are great places to go, but sometimes a little break from the crowd is nice. Try some of these places, and do some searching on your own. You might find some other great gems in the city.

S