Summer Vacation Travel Budgets Tighten

Summer Vacations 2008 are in full swing and it is time for the great American family vacation. But with gas prices soaring to over $4.00 across the nations with prices in California as high as 3:40 per gallon, many wonder how it will effect summer vacations this year.

Mike Wright, AAA Vice President of Public Affairs says that 32 million Americans traveled over Memorial Day weekend, reflecting a 1.8 % increase from last year. Motorists hit the road in record numbers because “gas costs are a relatively small cost of taking a trip,” says Wright.

The Travel Industry Association of America states that travel will be up 1.4 percent over the summer month and estimates that most travelers will not alter their plans until the national average for gas hits $3.50 per gallon. AAA showed the national average at $4.25 over the Memorial Day weekend.

HOW TO OFFSET GAS PRICES.
One way to offset gas prices is to rent cars with better gas mileage. Enterprise Rent-A-Car ran a special for Memorial Day weekend sale, offering half off on regular rates. More than likely we will continue to see that type of promotion coast-to-coast.

Another way to offset the cost of a vacation is staying in a vacation rental home or condo. "By staying in a vacation home vacationers can save money over hotel rates as well as on the cost of meals," says Tori Milan, editor of DestinationVillas.com. "In addition, a vacation rental home can accommodate anywhere from 3-12 people, the equivalent of 2-6 hotel rooms, making the cost per person significantly less. Vacation rentals have become very popular in resorts across the world. While many people think of the beach house as the ultimate vacation rental, the new trend is for vacation travelers to take advantage of vacation homes in top resort destinations such as Hawaii, Florida, Mexico and California because the homes are located close to the attractions, beaches and golf courses. In addition many offer hotel-style amenities.