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If you had $5,000-10,000 to spend on a family vacation for six, where would you go? It could be inside or outside the USA though the budget has to include flight, food...the whole shabang. Two adults and children -16, 12, 8 and 6.

 

Where would you go? Dream with me please!

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For $7,000 our family went all the way down the west coast across the southern states and up the east coast. It took us about 1 1/2 months in a motorhome. It was long but there are some great memories and we got to see some great places. For 3-5,000 we travel down to Tucson AZ or Chatanooga TN every couple years. If you pack carefully in a motorhome, and plan stops carefully ahead of time, it doesn't have to cost much. I had the whole trip planned out weeks ahead of time and stops at campgrounds booked. We stayed in a walmart parking lot once and in a circle J parking lot once.

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These all sound so wonderful! I wish I had a pot of gold and my husband had a year off!

 

 

It would partly depend on where you live now (bit city vs. small town), what you like to do (museums, beach activities, etc.). Do you like adventures, or prefer something very relaxing?

 

We live just outside a fairly large city. I love relaxing vacations but I'm thinking a little adventure is in order.

 

We were planning a trip to Disney but if we do it the way we want to - it's pricey. I just can't help but think that we could have a great family experience doing something or going somewhere really cool and "real" with that money instead.

 

Then on the other hand - my kitchen needs remodeling. :glare:

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I suppose you mean a summer vacation...

 

I'm currently saving money for a family ski trip this winter. We went last year and had a blast.

 

For a summer fling...I'd do a beach house on the Gulf (or a nearby lake if the Gulf is too far). We could rent a boat or do various beachy activities, eat lots of seafood, and sit on the beach at sunset every day.

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italy.

 

airfares the end of september from LAX are $ 800 each. (i picked it because its one of the farthest mainland american cities from italy, flying into rome). this is the cheapest, and is on turkish airlines. if you want an american company, it will be $955- each, adding $900 to the cost.

 

so that is $5700 for six of you. (i picked the higher priced american airlines). that leaves 4300.

 

opel zafira minivan takes 6, for a total incl. tax of $800 for two weeks with holiday autos.

that leaves $3500. let's guess gas will be another $500- (i think that's light).

 

so that leave $3000-.

 

pack and take a tent and sleeping bags (which hopefully you already have). this will still cost, because you will have to pay for the extra bags. still worth it; you'll make it back in one night of non-hotel staying. so for american airlines, the first checked bag to europe is free, the second is $60-. so if you each pack one bag, then a bag for the tent, and a bag for the sleeping bags, then that's $120-. (we go with four bags for four of us; each of us gets a half a duffel for clothes, and then two duffels for camping gear. that way, there is no additional cost. european campgrounds often have laundry facilities, so that's an added bonus).

 

now we're at $ 2880-.

 

78 euros a night for the campground in florence. that includes the car and tent, and 6 over 12. i think you have one under, so that would be only 72. imagine staying four nights. that is 288 euros. it overlooks the downtown, and has a bus stop that takes you to the city in less than 15 minutes. we have stayed here. it is great.

http://www.camping.it/english/toscana/michelangelo/

 

now imagine 13 nights like that.... total is $938. (there are campgrounds in rome and pompeii which are cheaper, too).

 

so from $2880- you subtract 1000 (fudging exchange rate), which leaves $1800 for admission to various activities, tours, etc. i don't budget food because we have to eat wherever we are, and by staying in a campground, you can shop at local food stores and cook your own food. (add $120- for a camping stove, etc if you like).

 

that is $100- a day admission fees, which isn't a lot, but some days will be travel days. and that leaves $500- to cover the unexpected.

 

so, two weeks in italy.... land in rome, drive to florence, spend at least three days. take a side day trip to pisa. drive to venice. they have campgrounds, too, right in the city. spend two days. drive for a very long day to the campground right outside the city gates of pompeii. spend three nights (two days, because the first day is a travel day). end of the first week. drive to rome. spend six nights and fly home.

 

well, that's what we'd do ; )

ann

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I would love to take my kids to a city on the other coast. Somewhere with history and interesting things we don't have here. That is a busy vacation. It may be selfish but I would rather go some place quiet and serene with just DH. Not that I don't love my kids to pieces.

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For $5000, we'd do a car-camping tour of the northeastern US and Canada with a couple nights in a Toronto hotel.

 

For $10,000 we could afford round trip airfare to London then backpack through England and western Europe for about two weeks. (I'm assuming we'd stay in hostels or with friends.)

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Four of us can do Ireland for about $6000 including airfare in the prime season and every night in a nice B&B. Gets harder with more people because you have to get 2 rooms every night so would probably be closer to your $10K.

 

My dream would be another road trip with camping to the National Parks out west especially Yellowstone for 6 weeks...I think ours cost about $6000 for a family of five 5 years ago.

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I'd love a cruise to someplace fabulous - for me that's Central America (see the ruins?) or the UK or the Mediterranean. I think this would be the most relaxing - no cleaning or cooking, but get to see the beautiful sites - I'd love to give my kids the opportunity to see more of the world.

 

Second choice would be a road trip - we went down the East Coast last September - Philadelphia, D.C., and the Williamsburg Triangle in Virginia - our family of 8 plus grandma and grandpa. It was fabulous. We rented places from VRBO (I can give you recommendations) and ate picnics most days to avoid the expense of restaurants. Cost less than $10K for the 10 of us.

 

Third choice would be a road trip out west - Sedona, Grand Canyon, Sequoia National Park, etc. That's my "next" big family vacation.

 

4th choice might be tough to get under $10K with the 6 of you, but maybe not. I'd research different countries - esp. central Europe or UK, rent a home/apartment for a couple weeks and use that as a springboard to see the area and get to know the local culture. I'd prefer a month.

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I've taken some of my dream vacations. We did a cross country trip and stop at all the places you always wanted to see. We did this years about and loved every minute of our 10 day trip. DH chose places that are on our bucket list to see, mapped it all out and went on a 10 day cross country adventure. Kids loved it! We loved it!

 

We also took a week in October to explore New England in the fall once with my fil who had never been there when the oldest were young and then again a couple of years ago. Loved it!

Edited by lynn
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How wonderful! I would go on a European cruise if it would fit in the budget.

 

I would too... but the best price I could find on the airplane ticket's were about $1500/each. That's $6000 right there. But dh knows I'm determined, but it'll probably be sans children.

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Guest erynn42

Hard decision if narrowed down to just one.

 

Rent an RV and go to Yellowstone. or

Rent a nice Cottage on the Gulf of Mexico or

Northern UP vacation or

rent and RV and tour the NE and cover all the nice historical and pretty sites. (something we want to do when all our children are old enough to enjoy it)

Go to Colorado and rent a jeep that the top comes off and off road all the trails, staying in tents.

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I would do one of five trips:

 

A west coast tour, which would include both national parks, and big cities like San Francisco and San Diego

 

An east coast tour, which would include Williamsburg, Philadelphia, NYC, and Boston

 

Germany

 

Eastern Europe (far cheaper once you are there; Budapest, Hungary and Croatia are both wonderful, and you can rent an apt. for even less than a hotel and cook your own meals)

 

Costa Rica (fly into San Jose, then hire a taxi van to take you to an all-inclusive resort on the beach or in a rain forest)

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