Expert: Stephen Tanenbaum - 10/31/2005

Question
Traveling as a couple.  Any suggestions for inexpensive travel in the southeastern United States?  Travel would be by car.  We are familiar with Priceline.

Thank You

Answer
Greetings Ellen:

At the outset my specialty is global travel though two of our recent three month trips included Alaska and marvelous repositioning cruise from Montreal to Ft. Lauderdale.

As you know the basics of domestic travel are transportation, in your case car and related GAS....uggghhhh...expenses, lodging and sightseeing.

Given the basic travel you described here are some thoughts:
1. Saving on meals: try to book lodging that includes the most amenities possible, best would be microwave and frig.
Great for innexpensive dinners and permits keeping left overs for next days lunch etc.
2. A plug in mini frig for the car can also help keep lunches and drinks.
3. We use a local bank whose ATM card pays all charges when using foreign (global and domestic) ATM charges. You may have a bank that offers this money saving service.
4. Assuming a motel has no microwave you can buy a very small hot plate. I once bought a mini 8" square fry pan which permits re-heating and even lite, burgers, eggs, cooking in any motel. Just added a mini 'heat shield' for it to stand on.
5. We swear by Entertainment two for one editions available for most major U.S. cities. Buy at least one for its listing of discount (up to 50% off) hotels/motels for ALL STATES. WWW.entertainment.com
We also buy the editions for destinations we shall be visiting for as littel as three days since the book more than pays for itself. We've also done this later in the year when their books sold for as little at $10 each. Since they've just come out for 2006 regular prices now apply. We've used Hawaii, Toronto, Niagara, Montreal and Orlando books for our limited time visits. Their web site permits you to view most coupons in advance of purchase.
They also have a 20% off restaurants dining bonus. We enjoy a similar savings by using our Diners Club card.

6. Finally, this one saved us over $1000. I found a time share web site, booked a 90 minute presentation in Orland and our 'gift' for attending was an Embassy Grand Beach REsort suite with full kitchen, enclosed balcony, large screen TV sunken living room, roman jacuzi etc. for SEVEN DAY at $35/day including all taxes. Regular price for the suite is about $200/day.

Checked, and their web site is still up and running:
http://www.discounthotels.cc/resorts.php
I believe the have offerings on the site in other cities as well.
PS: they ran out of one bedroom suites and gave us a three bedrooms suite with four TVs and TWO ROMAN Jacuzis!

Oh, here is their Embassy Grand Resort page, I see they still offer their stuites,now just $39 in low season. The cool aerial photo is one I found on the web, sent to them and which they posted on their site that day.
Be happy to answer any questions. Good luck and Happy Travels. Steve Tanenbaum
PPS: Here is my free Blog article on FREE GLOBAL TRAVEL
www.cheapskatetravel.blogspot.com