Holiday Travel Road Trip Tips for July 4th and Beyond

It's July 4th weekend, when everyone needs travel tips.  WTOP Radio in Washington, DC turned to its favorite travel expert  for top tips for road trips.

Navigate Fourth of July traffic with helpful apps and alternative destinations

By Rachel Nania @nania

Nearly 42 million Americans will trek 50 miles or more from their homes to celebrate the Fourth of July this year. Avoid traffic with the hottest apps and some alternative destinations. (Thinkstock)

WASHINGTON — The grill is ready, the sunscreen is stocked, and for many Americans, the luggage is packed.

This Fourth of July weekend, nearly 42 million people will trek 50 miles or more from their homes to celebrate the holiday, AAA predicts — the highest number since 2007.

“A large reason for the bump up in travel is the fact that the economy is stronger this year, the jobs report has had a slight uptick, and also gas is cheaper than it’s been in at least five years,” says Laura Powell, travel expert and blogger at The Daily Suitcase.

But the good news for the American economy isn’t the best news for those planning a weekend getaway.  Of the 42 million people expected to travel for the Fourth, an estimated 85 percent will drive to their destinations.

If you’re hitting the road, it’s best to pack your patience. Of course there are also a number of free apps that can help you along your journey. Here are Powell’s top picks:

• The driving app Waze has become a popular tool for many drivers, thanks to its crowdsourced map and navigation system, which alerts users to real-time traffic situations, such as jammed roads, police traps and road hazards.

• Members of AAA can download the association’s app for free. The tool has maps, provides navigation and allows users to submit requests for roadside assistance. It also offers recommendations for rated hotels and restaurants.

• Sit or Squat is perhaps one of the most unique apps in the travel market. In search of a clean restroom? The app, which is sponsored by Charmin, allows users to search for nearby restrooms, and even filter by cleanliness, handicap access and more. “Especially if you have kids and you’re in search of clean restrooms, it’s nice to have that one,” Powell says.

• If you need to fill up but don’t want to get ripped off, Gas Buddy comes in handy. The app searches for the cheapest gas in the area. Users can also search by city, state and ZIP code to find the best deal on fuel.

• Hotel Tonight is the perfect tool for planning a spontaneous trip or for finding a last-minute deal when driving through the night isn’t an option. The app posts deals that users can book for that night. Powell warns that the app doesn’t list hotels everywhere in the country, but it covers most of the major markets.

Another way to escape the traffic on I-95 and other highly traveled beach-access roads is to avoid those roads completely. Instead, opt for an alternative Fourth of July vacation.

“A lot of people are going to be going east to the ocean, so I recommend going west, instead,” Powell says. “Head toward the mountains; the weather is going to be cooler and the traffic is going to be a lot lighter.”

Harpers Ferry in West Virginia is a great town for outdoor adventure; there’s plenty of hiking, zip lining and white water rafting. Visitors can also take guided tours through the historic town, and visit museums and exhibits.

If being on the water is still your idea of a perfect Fourth, consider driving to a nearby lake, rather than a beach. Smith Mountain Lake is located in Bedford County, Virginia, just outside of Roanoke, and is about a five-hour drive down Route 29 from the D.C. area. Many lake visitors rent houses, but there are also nearby hotels and camping options for last-minute travelers.

For a day-trip option, drive out Route 66 and branch off to a number of Virginia vineyards. Many, such as The Winery at Bull Run, Trump Winery, Keswick Vineyards and Boxwood Winery, have live music, food and other festive events planned for July 4. If you’re out that way, Swing by Great Meadow for the area’s largest fireworks display.

Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

© 2015 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.

Summer Travel Deals and Destinations

I recently sat down with WTOP Radio's Rachel Nania for an extensive interview about summer travel deals. In addition to the on-air segments, Rachel penned this comprehensive piece for the station's website. 

Not too late: Summer travel deals and destinations

inShare

Tuesday - 7/8/2014, 6:34am  ET

By Rachel Nania

More Reports

The deals come out in the dog days of summer. Whether you're looking for an international trip or a weekend getaway, discounted vacation options are aplenty. (AP Photo/WTOP Composite)

• Gallery: (15 images)

  

  Summer Travel

WASHINGTON -- If you're without vacation plans this summer but hope to get away during the season's last two months, there are still plenty of deals to be had and plenty of destinations from which to choose.

Laura Powell, a veteran travel journalist and blogger for The Daily Suitcase, has ideas on budget-friendly, last-minute summer vacations, as well as local getaways and trends in travel.

Last-Minute Destinations

To snag a deal in the dog days of summer, Powell says, scout destinations where July and August are considered the off-season. "If you're willing to go to places where it's really hot or where there are threats of hurricanes, those are good options."

Resort prices in the Caribbean and parts of Florida are greatly reduced in the summer, and hotels in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, typically offer major discounts during summer's hottest months. In Arizona, Powell says, a room at a high-end hotel, such as The Four Seasons, may be discounted up to $300 a night.

If the heat during the day is too much, Powell suggests flipping your normal schedule. Stick to the spa or indoor shopping during the day, and enjoy the pool later in the afternoon or golf in the evening.

Cutting Costs When Booking

With so many deal sites out there, booking a vacation on the Internet can be overwhelming. But Powell says a few websites, such as Airfare Watchdog and Kayak, consolidate prices offered from the major online booking sites. "[They] will give you the whole gamut so that you don't have to go to each individual site. That can save you some time for your comparison shopping," Powell says.

If the price of a hotel looks too good to be true, chances are it is. Many have hidden costs that drive up the price of your stay.

Be wary of tax, which, if left off the reduced rate, can add quite a bit to your final cost -- especially in a city such as New York, where taxes are up to 20 percent, Powell says. Parking is another cost to consider; some hotels charge upwards of $40 a day.

If you need access to the Internet on your trip, find out whether Wi-Fi is included in the advertised rate.

"Some hotels -- especially the more expensive hotels -- charge you $20 a day for Wi-Fi," Powell says.

Resort fees -- or an added cost for using resort facilities -- are another hidden fee some travelers encounter. "This is what they do to keep the room price down, but in essence, you're still paying an extra $25 a day for this resort fee," Powell says. "These are the little extras that people may not think about when they see that great deal online and say, ‘Oh yes, I'm going to book that hotel in New York for $199,' but then all of the sudden it becomes more than $300 a night when you factor in all of the other things."

Local Getaways

If you can't get away for an entire week, but still need to squeeze in some fun and relaxation, Powell suggests scouting out a local destination for a few days or a long weekend. Within a few hours of D.C., travelers can access the beach and the mountains. Nearby golf resorts, spas, bed and breakfasts and towns overflow with history. Powell suggests nailing down what you and your travel partner want to see and experience, and then keep an eye out for the deals. Local discount subscriptions, such as Groupon Getaways and Living Social, are great places to start."A lot of times they will run last-minute deals for some of the great hotels in this area, whether it's the Homestead, the Omni Bedford Springs … so if you're not tied to a particular destination, but you just want to get away, going to those sites can be a really good option for saving money," she says.

One of Powell's favorite places to visit for a weekend is Saint Michaels or Easton on Maryland's Eastern Shore. If she is limited to a day trip, she heads up to Baltimore. "Even just for a day trip, Baltimore is a very fun change of pace from Washington. A lot of different, quirky museums are up there; it's a totally different vibe from the city and yet it's only about 45 minutes away," she says. And if she wants to venture a little bit farther, Powell says there are beautiful resorts in Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania, or great rafting destinations in West Virginia.

Trends in Travel: See the City through a Local's Eyes

Instead of staying in a hotel, more travelers are opting to rent out someone's apartment or book a room in someone's house through Airbnb or a similar site. Powell calls this trend "DIY travel." "I think that goes into the trend of people wanting to meet local people," she says. Many cities offer local travel guides who are experts in a variety of topics -- from history to food. And companies such as Bookalokal allow travelers to reserve a seat at someone's private dinner table, rather than a restaurant. "People are really getting more interested in finding out what makes places tick, and they want to do it by meeting the locals, by staying with the locals, by dining with the locals," Powell says.

International Travel on a Budget

The cost of flying across the world is much greater than a budget road trip to the Eastern Shore, but an international trip doesn't have to completely drain your wallet. Powell says a few international destinations are great deals for American tourists. Her top choice is Greece. "They really need tourism so they are really encouraging tourists by lowering prices," Powell says. Argentina has a good exchange rate against the dollar, and Powell says Turkey is incredibly reasonably priced compared to other counties in the area. "Airfare can be expensive getting to these places, but once you get there on the ground, it's not that expensive," she says. A recent Trip Advisor survey found the cheapest international cities for travelers are Hanoi, Jakarta and Bangkok; the most affordable European cities include Sofia, Budapest and Prague. "Berlin is a place where you can find some really good deals on nice hotels, so Berlin would be one I would add to that list," Powell says.

http://wtop.com/1390/3658059/Its-not-too-late-for-summer-travel-deals

Follow @WTOP and @WTOPliving on Twitter and on the WTOP Facebook page.

9 Top Tips for Saving Money on Summer Travel

For more money-saving tips on summer travel, tune in to WTOP Radio in Washington, DC today.

On the Road

1. Renting a car? Go off-airport. Airport fees and taxes can double the average daily price of your wheels.

2. Try bidding for a budget car on opaque "name your own price" websites. You may not know which brand you are getting until you pay, but one mid-size rental car or minivan is basically the same as another.

3. Forget the car and take local transportation. Most cities with train and bus systems have discounted visitor passes. To get around even more economically and environmentally-consciously, note that many cities offer bike share programs where you can rent a two-wheeler for 30 minutes, three hours or three days.

Lodging

4. Heading to a hotel? Watch for extra fees. Does your hotel charge for overnight parking, in-room wi-fi, or late check-out?

5. Heading to a resort? Watch out for the dreaded daily resort fee. These fees, which ostensibly are used to cover anything from the coffee in your room to the use of the gym to the morning newspaper, are sneaky ways for properties to advertise lower nightly rates while still billing more. Many properties charge up to $25 a day for the resort fee, which is nearly impossible to opt out of, even if you don’t plan to use the services included.

6. Does the resort have a free kids program?  During the summer, some resorts do offer complimentary kids programs, which can be a big cost-saver and a relief for harried parents looking for a few hours of we time on the golf course or at the spa.

In the Air

7. If you are flying with baggage, and you don’t want to pay the freight, there are two options.

   A. Fly an airline that doesn’t charge for the first checked bag, like Southwest or JetBlue.

   B. If you do fly the Uniteds, Americans or Deltas of this world, get an airline-branded credit card.

If you book on the airline website with its branded card, you will not only get a free checked bag for everyone on the reservation, but you also get to board earlier than most economy passengers. These credit cards can cost about $95 annually, but the first year is often free. If you end up saving more than $95 in baggage fees the first year, cough up the cash for a renewal for continued savings.

8. Find out which new airlines are coming to an airport near you. Oftentimes, carriers new to a market offer extra-low introductory fares.

Etc.

9. If you are flexible on where you want to go, look at sites like Groupon Getaways and Living Social for money-saving travel packages. Many tour operators offer these sites extra-low prices in order to drive traffic to their own websites. Also, Groupon and LivingSocial are good places to scout out dining and activity deals in cities to which you are traveling.

Where to Save Money on Summer Travel: Part II

St. Lucia Tourist Board

Feel like getting out of the country for a little sand and surf? During the summer, you may get more surf than you bargained for if you hit a Caribbean island at the same time as a hurricane. But because of the threat of storms, resorts in the region offer eye-catching summer deals. 

If you were planning to spend $60,000 for your August-long getaway, I can save you $30,000. Peter Island Resort and Spa’s Summer Villa Rental Program comes with warm Caribbean hospitality, a variety of activities, and savings up to 50% off regular rates. A 28-day stay in a villa housing six guests will “only” set you back $31,640 (less than $5,300 a person), versus the normal $60,000 rental. Such a deal! Rates for a fully staffed villa rental for 28 days with meals for six guests start at $43,400 - also a savings of 50%. Rates are subject to an 18% tax, which in the first case adds nearly $6,000 to the total and in the second, nearly $8000--but still, half off tax, too! The Summer Villa Rental Program is available through October 31.

St. Lucia Tourist Board

For something tastier to most budgets, consider Chocolate Heritage Month in Saint Lucia this August.  Saint Lucia's chocolate legacy dates back to the 1700s. The island's chocolate-making process has hardly changed since that original chocolate boom, solidifying Saint Lucia's reputation as a top quality cocoa producer. Most of the idyllic island’s resorts are offering deals and packages including chocolate-inspired spa treatments, cooking classes, visits to a cocoa plantation, and rooms up to 55% off high-season prices.

If you want to head to the Caribbean without bringing a passport, remember that Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are American territories, and therefore do not require extra documentation.

For more summer deals, see Part I of this post.

Where To Save Money on Summer Travel

People are always asking me, “Laura, where can I travel in the summer that won’t cost me an arm and a leg?” I reply with a body of answers, none of which involve the oxymoronic word staycation.

My advice:

1. Head to places where summer is the off-season (like Scottsdale or Dallas)

2. Head to places where it’s hurricane season (notably the Caribbean, Florida, or parts of Mexico)

3. Head to places the dollar has some bite (Vietnam, Thailand, Greece)

Let’s investigate further.

As we all know, it’s hot as the dickens in Arizona in July and August, even accounting for the dry air. When the thermometer is north of 100 degrees, it’s sticky, no matter how arid the air. That said, if you are looking for a real steal on a luxury hotel room, the Scottsdale area is the place to go. To wit:

The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North has summer rates starting at $169 versus $459 in the high season.

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale has a new package called Aloha Summer. It features a  “buy one, get one free” surfing ride on the resort's wave simulator and a $50 per night dining credit. The package starts at $149 per room versus the regular room-only rate of $400 nightly.

The Lodge at Ventana Canyon is an all-suite property with two golf courses, 12 lighted tennis courts (because you will want to play at night) and a spa. Book the “Beat the Heat” deal, where every additional night you add to an existing reservation is priced at the temperature of the day. The price includes the $24 daily resort fee and the $20 resort credit.  Pray for a record cold snap.

Southwestern cities in general are good places to find hot deals. Business travel slows, so hotels in sweltering metropolises like Phoenix and Dallas often reduce room rates. For those visiting the Big D, check out the historic Warwick Melrose Hotel. It’s celebrating its 90th birthday this year with $90 room rates on select dates. A classic king room, which normally goes for $499 or so, will only set you back 90 bucks most nights in July and August. Whoa, cowboy!

In addition to the hotel deals, summer flights are usually plentiful and cheap to these types of destinations, which largely rely on business and convention travel during the rest of the year.

Next Up: Braving Hurricanes