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Ways to budget for your New England vacation
by Eric H., VisitingNewEngland.com

Somewhere along the line, vacationing in New England got mighty expensive.

The days of clean, modest motels that simply served as a place to sleep, family style restaurants that catered to people of all ages, and local tourist attractions that didn't require a second mortgage seem to be less common today. Many hotels have become upscale, restaurants have become "gourmet," and attractions too overstimulating to the senses and the pocketbook. Sometimes, it makes you long for simpler times when we took vacations to enjoy with our families, not to make a statement to our neighbors or people around the water cooler.

Of course, there are still some greatwww.amazon.com money-saving deals when vacationing in New England. Some businesses owners know that people are on a budget and simply can't stay at a place with a spa, caviar and gold-plated indoor swimming pool (that might be a stretch but it sounded good to make my point). The other side of the coin is that the traveler who is interested in enjoying an inexpensive but meaningful vacation must view a vacation as a responsibility and not a luxury. In other words, if you budget in your everyday lives, then it might be prudent to do the same on your New England vacation. You go on vacation to relax. How can you do so, knowing that debt is mounting?

Some money-saving ideas and concepts for your New England travel:

1. Follow the advice on where the locals eat. Sometimes, restaurants that are mentioned in your travel guides know they have a good thing going and take advantage by charging you more. For example, when on Martha's Vineyard several years ago, we spent $12.00 on a cheeseburger. In retrospect, it might have been nicer to "brown bag it" at the beach and get the additional bonus of some great scenery!

We have found that we can get out of some restaurants for around $40.00 for a family of four, while other restaurants approach $80.00 for essentially the same food when on vacation.

2. While on the subject of scenery, much of it is free! Wow, imagine that!! Check with the locals on whether there are free beaches. Hikes are often free and can provide great exercise, views and fresh air. Many state parks offer nominal fees for accessing pleasant places to picnic, swim and boat. It's amazing so people go to the expensive, overcrowded tourist attractions that give you a headache when you can get a better feel for the area by taking the road less taken.

3. Check for local events, many of which are free. For example, many New England communities have beautiful towns commons where tree lighting ceremonies, Fourth of July and fall foliage festivals and free music concerts are commonplace. It's another great way to experience the "real New England," as close-knit New England communities really know how to have a good time together. To refute the accusation that New Englanders can be unfriendly, we have never been to an unfriendly New England community event. On the contrary, the natives are quite friendly more so than in other certain areas of the country (no names here)!

4. While upscale hotels are indeed a special treat, it's generally not a great idea to vacation there if you have lots of credit card debt and don't really save in your everyday lives. Sometimes, we have to remember that a motel can be viewed as nothing more than a clean place to stay and a foundation, or springboard, for exploring the area. In other words, you get a good night's sleep and then leave the premises to enjoy your chosen travel destination. If you're on a budget, do you really need more than a clean place to sleep? Many of these more inexpensive lodging establishments actually do have amenities like an outdoor swimming pool (OK, that's good only in the summer), coffee 24/7, and hair dryers. We recommend browsing the hundreds of New England hotels listed on our site -- compare rates and see what bargains you can come up with.

Many areas in New England seem to have more budget-friendly motels, restaurants and sometimes, even, local tourist attractions. For the ocean, you might want to try York Beach, Maine, Westerly, RI, and Plymouth, MA (not all peaches and cream, but enough nice areas to make it worthwhile). For the mountains, we like the St. Johnsbury, VT, area, and Lincoln - Woodstock, NH (suprisingly affordable lodging options for such a heavily touristed area). For cities, we like Burlington, VT, Providence, RI, and Portland, Maine. They are generally less expensive cities than Boston. In fact, by staying in Providence, you can enjoy the myriad historical and modern attractions there, and yet be only an hour to Boston. If it's Boston you want, there are some excellent, relatively inexpensive money-saving lodging options in and near the city, some great cheap eats places, and some budget-saving attractions (free to under $20) like touring the Freedom Trail, viewing Boston from the 52nd floor of the Prudential building, enjoying the spectacular 265 acres and 15,000 trees, shrubs and vines at the Arnold Arboretum, a tour of Fenway Park, or taking a Swan Boat Ride through the Boston Public Gardens area. Speaking of the Boston Public Gardens, the area is a virtual oasis with its fountains, flower beds and trees. It's beautiful and free to walk around. Castle Island in South Boston is free to visit and features water views, swimming, a network of walking trails for walking, hiking or jogging, biking, fishing, picnic opportunities and the great Sullivan's hamburger stand in the summer. Boston on a budget is possible!

No matter where you vacation in New England, there is a good deal. Pick your location and make it fit into your budget! When you return, please share with us how you were able to budget on your New England vacation.

SAVE TIME. SAVE MONEY.
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Hotel Reservations in New England

For discount lodging availability in and around your New England vacation destination, select from the hotel lists below:

Vermont Hotels

Popular New England Hotel Destinations

Hartford, Ct

Mystic, CT

New Haven, CT

Augusta, Maine

Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park, Maine

Kennebunkport, Maine

Ogunquit, Maine

Portland, Maine

Boston, MA

Cape Cod, MA

Concord-Lexington, MA

Lenox, MA (Berkshires)

Concord, NH

Lincoln, NH

North Conway, NH

Portsmouth, NH

Newport, RI

Providence, RI

Burlington, VT

Killington, VT

Montpelier, VT

Stowe, VT

Information from VisitingNewEngland.com comes from our editorial staff. Advertisements do not influence the articles and points-of-view on VisitingNewEngland.com, unless otherwise specified. Rates and event dates are subject to change. We recommend calling your vacation destination first before setting out on the planned itinerary.