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Looking for Cheapish Vacation Ideas

mattmatt86

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
My GF has the Groupon and living Social apps on her phone so we have been looking at deals on vacations just about every day for the past week. We'd like to go somewhere warm for 3-4 nights and keep it under/around 800 per person for airfare and lodging. Groupon has some in Mexico and Costa Rica for around 450 for 3/4 nights but airfare is 700+ dollars. I've determined it will probably have to be somewhere in Florida to keep Airfare down (roughly 250 to florida from Baltimore). We aren't looking to do anything specific on the vacation, just enjoy some warm weather, sun, time away from work.

Any suggestions?
 
bizutch

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
mattmatt86 said:
My GF has the Groupon and living Social apps on her phone so we have been looking at deals on vacations just about every day for the past week. We'd like to go somewhere warm for 3-4 nights and keep it under/around 800 per person for airfare and lodging. Groupon has some in Mexico and Costa Rica for around 450 for 3/4 nights but airfare is 700+ dollars. I've determined it will probably have to be somewhere in Florida to keep Airfare down (roughly 250 to florida from Baltimore). We aren't looking to do anything specific on the vacation, just enjoy some warm weather, sun, time away from work.

Any suggestions?
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Call a travel agent. Or book through a company called Vacations Express. All inclusive deals.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,981
24,535
media blackout
mattmatt86 said:
That was on the list. My parents stayed there last year for a couple weeks and really enjoyed it.
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good diving and fishing --> key largo

partying --> key west (though there is some good diving to be had in this area, not as much as largo, but you can get to dry tortugas from key west)
 
eaterofdog

eaterofdog

ass grabber
Sep 8, 2006
8,326
1,570
Central Florida
There's a shipload of good beaches here. You got to be more specific. Off the cuff, Tampa/St Pete is decent.

The keys are still too hot right now. Like ungodly hot. Give it a month or so. If you do go, stay away from key west. You can have that experience in downtown orlando.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,981
24,535
media blackout
eaterofdog said:
There's a shipload of good beaches here. You got to be more specific. Off the cuff, Tampa/St Pete is decent.

The keys are still too hot right now. Like ungodly hot. Give it a month or so. If you do go, stay away from key west. You can have that experience in downtown orlando.
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since when does orlando have feral chickens?
 
Pesqueeb

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,325
16,791
Riding the baggage carousel.
Stay home. Seriously. Take time off, spend what ever you would spend on travel and hotels, buy booze with it. Sleep in your own bed and just eat out at all your favorite local places for your meals, you'd be eating out if you were traveling any way and you wont have to clean. Ride your bike a lot and read a book when ever you want. I did this once and it was the best vacation ever.
 
mattmatt86

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
Pesqueeb said:
Stay home. Seriously. Take time off, spend what ever you would spend on travel and hotels, buy booze with it. Sleep in your own bed and just eat out at all your favorite local places for your meals, you'd be eating out if you were traveling any way and you wont have to clean. Ride your bike a lot and read a book when ever you want. I did this once and it was the best vacation ever.
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I did this very thing a couple weeks ago. Now I need to get out.
 
B

bean

Turbo Monkey
Feb 16, 2004
1,335
0
Boulder
Check out the specials section at Apple Vacations. There are a few right around $800 per person from Baltimore. If you're willing to increase the budget another $100 you'll have quite a few options. Since they're all inclusive, you won't have to pay for any food while you're there so the jump in price will be offset.

I was skeptical of the all inclusive deals, but my wife and I did one last year in Costa Rica and it was great. We went on a few day trips from the hotel, and it was nice knowing that we always had a nice place to sleep and could expect reasonably good meals. Drinks were also included so we took advantage of those too.
 
mattmatt86

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
eaterofdog said:
There's a shipload of good beaches here. You got to be more specific. Off the cuff, Tampa/St Pete is decent.

The keys are still too hot right now. Like ungodly hot. Give it a month or so. If you do go, stay away from key west. You can have that experience in downtown orlando.
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For whatever reason my GF is fixated on Miami.

We would probably be going the first weekend in November so the Keys might be cooler then?
 
stoney

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,615
7,276
Colorado
Fly to somewhere and do a 3-4 day backpacking trip where it's warm? That always makes for better stories later and it's a far better get-away than staying in civilization.
 
SkaredShtles

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,734
12,758
In a van.... down by the river
Pesqueeb said:
Stay home. Seriously. Take time off, spend what ever you would spend on travel and hotels, buy booze with it. Sleep in your own bed and just eat out at all your favorite local places for your meals, you'd be eating out if you were traveling any way and you wont have to clean. Ride your bike a lot and read a book when ever you want. I did this once and it was the best vacation ever.
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Dude - he's in Maryland. :dead:
 
ridiculous

ridiculous

Turbo Monkey
Jan 18, 2005
2,907
1
MD / NoVA
Ive been looking into a couple of cruises from Baltimore to Bermuda. Would be nice as you don't have to buy any airfare to get there.
 
stoney

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,615
7,276
Colorado
ICEBALL585 said:
Na, the other 5% of the time included waking up, taking a shower, and walking to a bar to start drinking again :headbang:
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Drinking while banging? that's a skill. So a lot of one armed pushups in your workout repertoire? Then again you have the bend over beer table and the lay down and watch the ride drinking too.
 
mattmatt86

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
The Joker said:
Fly to somewhere and do a 3-4 day backpacking trip where it's warm? That always makes for better stories later and it's a far better get-away than staying in civilization.
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That would probably be true if I were going by myself but I'm taking the GF so that would make for a lot of complaining. She loves the outdoors, as long as it's the beach and she has a drink in her hand.

ridiculous said:
Ive been looking into a couple of cruises from Baltimore to Bermuda. Would be nice as you don't have to buy any airfare to get there.
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I thought about that but to really enjoy warm weather we would need to take a 7 day cruise cause it takes ~2 days to get to Bermuda from Baltimore. Neither of us can afford to take an entire week off.
 
stoney

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,615
7,276
Colorado
mattmatt86 said:
That would probably be true if I were going by myself but I'm taking the GF so that would make for a lot of complaining. She loves the outdoors, as long as it's the beach and she has a drink in her hand.
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I had that problem, then I took Wifey on a 3-day, 30 mile backpacking trip. See Story
 
MTB_Rob_NC

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
If FL is your destination I would second the Keys and Key Largo which is an easy drive from Miami International Airport. Another easy destination would be Fort Lauderdale. There are a ton of cheap flights, and i would suggest one of 2 things.
1) Stay right on the Ft Lauderdale beach. Last year around this time the wifey and I stayed at the Beach Place Marriott. It is an older property sandwiched between a "W" and a "Four Seasons" Pay the extra to get a ocean view. I think we spent 149 a night or something like that. From there you can walk to a number of places to eat drink and be merry. You can also get on the water taxi and get to Las Olas waterfront. If you want to upgrade this you could stay at the W or Four Seasons and have a kick ass hotel, but that will cost you an additional 100 a night or so.
2) Fly into FLL and stay at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. Unless you wanted to go to the beach you probably wouldnt have to leave the property, plenty to eat drink, loungin at the pool, do some gambling if you are into that kind of thing, and pleny of entertaining drunk people to watch in the evenings. Be a tourist and hit up a airboat ride or something along those lines as well.
 
Riding

Riding

Monkey
Dec 19, 2006
545
0
Millis, MA
Checkout Kayak.com and southwest.com for flights to Ft Lauderdale. Baltimore to FTL is usually pretty cheap on southwest and the other carriers try to compete. Target Wednesday for one of your flights, It will be cheaper. Then get your hotel. Maybe tour a couple cities down there or stay in one. Ft Lauderdale is probably pretty cheap right now. You can drive to Miami for Ft Lauderdale. Probably can get a cheap car for $200. If you're only going for 4 days, skip the keys, it will be a full day to drive down and back.
 
MTB_Rob_NC

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
Riding said:
Checkout Kayak.com and southwest.com for flights to Ft Lauderdale. Baltimore to FTL is usually pretty cheap on southwest and the other carriers try to compete. Target Wednesday for one of your flights, It will be cheaper. Then get your hotel. Maybe tour a couple cities down there or stay in one. Ft Lauderdale is probably pretty cheap right now. You can drive to Miami for Ft Lauderdale. Probably can get a cheap car for $200. If you're only going for 4 days, skip the keys, it will be a full day to drive down and back.
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Thats not so true if you are just headed to Key Largo. Key Largo is only 90 miles or so from the Fort Lauderdale airport. Your idea is good though you could fly in on a Wednesday and stay a few days on the beach or Hard Rock in Fort Lauderdale then a few in Key Largo. We used to do day trips to Key Largo all the time. My suggestion, rent a boat or PWC in the keys and cruise around. I highly recommend the Gulf side vs the Atlantic. The Atlantic can change from glassy flat to 2' choppy waves with the slightest of off shore breeze.
 
eaterofdog

eaterofdog

ass grabber
Sep 8, 2006
8,326
1,570
Central Florida
It's a ways out, but Bahia Honda is the best park. Long Key park is closer to the mainland and still decent. John Pennekamp is closest of all and there is a little bay with fake shipwreck to swim and sun.

Protip: Do not get high and decide to swim over from the deep side. The gigantic fish hanging out there will scare the living hell out of you. I discovered I can swim so fast I look like I'm crawling across the water. Fvcking barracuda and sh!t.
 
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