Millions of Americans will try to fit a few days of time off into their schedules throughout the next couple of months.
More people drive to their vacation than any other mode of transportation. Drivable state and national parks are popular destinations this time of year. Niagara Falls, for instance, will host about 30 million visitors this year. Yellowstone National Park will have about four million visitors, Disney World will have over 50 million visitors, and over four million people will visit The Grand Canyon.
While some do fly to these destinations, the majority drive. If you don’t mind being in a car for a day or two or three, then there are places you can go. When I was a child, our major family destination was Columbus, Ohio. My mother would pack some sandwiches, and we would go visit family for a couple of days. It didn’t cost much, but some of my wonderful memories are those simple days of seeing the sights of Route 23 and the big city of Columbus.
A lot of people do fly to their vacation destinations. Over 70 million Americans reportedly flew over the 4th of July holiday. Plane tickets are expensive, and if you want to fly somewhere glamorous like Rome, Italy, and travel first class, be prepared to shell out $6 thousand per person or more. Flights to Venice, Italy, or Zurich, Switzerland, cost even more. Of course, if you don’t mind flying main cabin and booking far in advance, you can fly much cheaper.
Airline travel itself can be a hassle. Weather can interrupt your flight and cause a delay, and you could be forced to fly the next day, or even several days later. This is zero fun when you have booked and paid for lodging, and your flight delay is eating into your precious few days of vacation. Further, airlines are currently enduring a major staffing crisis. If a pilot gets sick, a replacement may not be found until hours or a day later. All kinds of crazy stuff can happen that can make your travel stressful.
Train travel can be enjoyable, mostly available in the U.S. under the railroad company Amtrak. There are a few trains with short destinations, but Amtrak is the likeliest option for those traveling cross country. Amtrak does a good job, but there is no first-class service on Amtrak. The food is good, and you’ll spend your meals eating with strangers. The dining car is small; expect to meet new people at just about every meal.
Amtrak offers sleeper cars, which are comfortable for sitting and enjoying the view as you cruise along. If you do book a sleeper, the bottom bunk is fairly comfortable, but the top sleeping bunk is not desirable, as my wife will attest. A year or so ago, we took the Southwest Chief train from Chicago to Los Angeles and had an enjoyable time simply looking out the window at the changing landscape.
The problem for many of us is that Amtrak travel is not that close by or accessible to most Americans. The train stations are often a long way from home. Or, if you do make it to a station, you have limited options as to where you can go, unless you have a lot of time to travel and switch trains at different stations.
Over 40 million people will cruise annually by 2027 according to the Cruise Line International Association. Cruising can be restful once you are settled on board. You can eat almost anytime you want and as much as you want. You can lounge on the ship’s deck or in your room and get some rest. Or, you can stay busy all day taking in entertainment and excursions offered at every port. Cruising is not a bad deal if you shop around. Most cruise lines offer last minute specials, as they like to cruise with a full ship when possible. Your biggest hurdle may be driving or flying to the port of embarkation.
While it may not sound exotic, the best vacation place may be your home. You are already familiar with your bed. You don’t have to exhaust yourself traveling. You don’t have to break the bank on a plane ticket, hotel room or the price of a cruise. You already know what restaurants are bad or good and you can sleep or do whatever you want without the hassle of other people on the highway or at the airport. Financially, and perhaps even physically and mentally, staying at home could be the best vacation you’ve had in a long time. Unfortunately, this strategy will not appeal to your kids.
