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A ride on the free Jamestown-Scotland ferry. |
Visiting the attractions in Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, and beyond doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg.
We've found a variety of fun and unique spots and attractions that are either cheap or free and can help you make an affordable family vacation.
Follow this link for our Cheap or Free Things to Do Hall of Fame. It's chock-full of free or inexpensive sights and attractions in Virginia.
Our Favorite Cheap and Delicious Restaurants
Meals (especially for a family) can eat up a large portion of your travel budget. So you want the best bang for your buck if you want an affordable family vacation.
But you don't have to sacrifice great taste or a memorable experience on your vacation. If you know how, you can even enjoy the top restaurants on the Virginia Beach resort strip for considerably less than you'd think. To find out how, check out the money-saving tips on our Best Restaurant Deals page.
If you're really on a budget, check out our Great But Cheap Eateries page.
And for our favorite cheap restaurants in Williamsburg, click here.
Pick Up a Free Coupon Book
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Alex's first time at the beach! |
The tourist areas (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Hampton Roads, Williamsburg, etc.) have a number of free visitor guides which you can pick up at stands, hotels, restaurants and attractions. All offer coupons, ranging from $1 off an all-you-can-eat buffet at Fish Bones, to $7 a family bike rental on the resort strip.
When I arrive in the area, the first thing I do is pick up as many free guide books and brochures as possible. I then take a few minutes to review them, pull out the coupons I want, and start planning my detailed itinerary around them. I then pick the best, most compact guide to keep in my purse.
In Virginia Beach, I like the Monster Guide Coupon Book, because it's chock full of coupons, includes a free Virginia Beach map, and fits easily into a pocket or purse.
In Williamsburg, I recommend The Colonial Guide. For more details on Williamsburg coupon books our own "Secrets of a Cheap Colonial Williamsburg Vacation" Guide, click here.
Buy a Museum Membership...And Save
You can. Certain museum memberships reward you by allowing you to visit similar participating museums around the world for FREE. By doing so, you can easily save hundreds of dollars a year.
There are two types of museums that offer these programs:
ASTC (Association of Science - Technology Centers)
For more information, and a list of Virginia museums that particpate in ASTC, click here.
ACM Reciprocal Program (Association of Children's Museums)
For more information, and a list of Virginia museums that particpate in ASTC, click here.
TIP! Save even more by getting a membership at a museum that is a member of BOTH the ASTC and ACM programs.
Free Events and Festivals
They say "the best things in life are free." They may have been talking about all the free festivals and events in Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, and beyond!
Epecially during spring, summer and fall, the Virginia Beach Boardwalk frequently hosts free festivals at the beachfront that are tailor made for an affordable family vacation.
For example, we love September's Virginia Beach Neptune Festival, where you can listen to rollicking music, check out local arts and crafts, and spend hours viewing some of the most amazing sandcastle sculptures on earth.
Other free events for your affordable family vacation include:
- May's Atlantic Coast Kite Festival
- Summer Fireworks on the Beach
- July 4th Stars and Stripes Explosion
- Viva Elvis Festival
For a full list of free or low cost events at the beach, go to our Events and Festivals page.
Colonial Williamsburg also offers a free Summer Concert Series. For details, as well as our "Secrets of a Cheap Colonial Williamsburg Vacation" Guide, click here.
Save Money on Hotels and Accomodations
What's the biggest threat to an affordable family vacation?
Aside from airfare, hotels and other accomodations eat up the biggest part of your traveling budget. So you want the get the best rate possible...without wasting hours on the net searching individual sites.
One option is to look for limited time travel deals. For example, you might want to try the Orbitz Summer Sale: SAVE up to 50% on hotels! Hurry...offer ends July 6!
Or, you can use online travel resources that help you find the best every day price. Here's a great resource we've found that lets you compare hotel rates on multiple sites at once.
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Just enter in your check-in and check-out dates and the name of the city where you want to stay. (Note: the search may take a a minute or more, since they're searching multiple sites.)
You'll get back a list of VA Beach hotels with room prices, hotel ratings, and --best of all, in my view-- reviews from people who've stayed there. Sort them by price, reviews, location and more. Try it!
Also, check out our Accommodations page for reviews of select Virginia Beach hotels, oceanfront hotels, B&B's, and timeshares.
Three More Inexpensive Options
Here are three more alternatives for a truly affordable family vacation.
1) Consider camping - For a review of the best campgrounds in Virginia, click here.
2) Stay at a hostel - We found a wonderful, low-cost hostel at a quaint guest cottage just one block from the Virginia Beach oceanfront. Read about this fantastic hostel deal. And here's a link to a Williamsburg hostel we've found.
3) Housesit - How does it work?
First, register with a house sitter directory. Home owners in the area you want to visit are planning vacations too, and don't want to leave their house unattended. Directories like www.housecarers.com can hook you up with home owners in your target spot who'll pay you to stay in their home!
You may have some light duties (walking their dog, taking in their mail, contacting a plumber if a pipe bursts), and you'll have to vacation on their schedule, but hey, you'll get to visit your vacation spot for free...and get paid something to boot.
For more details on house sitting, go to housecarers.com
Want to Save Money on Gas?
We found a great website, www.gasbuddy.com, that let's you type in a zip code to find the cheapest gas stations in that area. Click here to check gas prices in the area you want to travel so you can have an affordable family vacation.
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