Budget Travel - Where to go in US on budget travel

We are group of international students who would like travel to somewhere in US for 4 or 5 days. We can go anytime between Aug 15-23.
But we have difficulty deciding where to go. So we are hoping flyertalk can help us out.

One option we were thinking was to go to las vegas and then from there go to grand canyon.

Each of us can spend about $250 for all the expenses.
In addition, I have about 40K delta skymiles, 25K united, 20K NW miles, NW cc and united cc. Another one has about 65K delta skymiles, 25K united miles, 20K NW miles, and NW cc, united cc and delta gold cc,. We do not mind using even all these miles.

We are in south florida, so nearest airports are FLL/PBI/MIA. Either 5 or 7 of us will go.

Can you give us some suggestions for travel on such low budget.
Thanks in advance.

ps. We have been to orlando, tampa, chicago. We prefer to travel somewhere outside florida.

Sounds like a great trip. How old are the students? What type of activities do they like (outdoors, pools, beach, shopping, etc...)? Would driving somewhere be an option? Does the $250 include airfare?

With a bit more info, I'm sure you will get several great suggestions.

All of us around 25-30 yrs. we like outdoor, nature, interesting museums, adventure. not all of us can swim - so may be adventure related to water is out.
Yes! for driving. We anyway plan to rent a car where ever we go.
Yup, $250 and miles include the airfare - thats the main problem. :)

If you're on a strict budget, I would recommend going somewhere closer: you could do Savannah for a few days and Charleston for a few days. Both beautiful, historic towns that you can drive to, either with a sedan (for 5) or a minivan (for 7). Get the car on hotwire or priceline for a discount; make sure you have a credit card with damage insurance. Vegas is cool, but it's pretty pricey these days, and IMO, not worth a trip if you're here for not that long. You can stay for cheap, but everything else about Vegas costs money: dining, gambling, drinking, clubbing, etc.

If you are willing to blow all your miles, I think NY is also worth considering. The hotel will be the most expensive part of your stay, but maybe you can stay at the YMCA or outside the city in Queens or something, or sign up for couch-surfing if you're comfortable with that (search FT for couch surf -- there was a thread about it not too long ago) -- I think that aside from the housing, NY can actually be done quite cheaply, especially during the summer. There are outdoor concerts and plays, tons to see and do, etc. You also would not need to rent a car, which adds to the cost of a trip. You could eat NY pizza, cart food (http://midtownlunch.com/blog/2008/07/21/street-meat-palooza-best-chicken-lamb-over-rice-street-meat-in-manhattan-new-york-city-nyc/), dumplings in Chinatown, falafel, etc. and it would all be delicious and cheap. If you're only in the US for a little bit, I might stretch and make NY work since iit's what many people think of as THE US City.

Also on the Eastern Seaboard is DC. Flights can be cheap btwn FL and DC, so I would not otherwise blow miles on that, but if you are willing to spend the miles and don't want to use cash, go for it. Again, no need for a car. Cheaper than NY. Obviously historic. Lots of free stuff (museums, etc.)

All of us around 25-30 yrs. we like outdoor, nature, interesting museums, adventure. not all of us can swim - so may be adventure related to water is out.
Yes! for driving. We anyway plan to rent a car where ever we go.
Yup, $250 and miles include the airfare - thats the main problem. :)

I think you need to forgo any thoughts of air travel on that budget. You might be able to rent a house in Myrtle Beach, SC. They market themselves as a Beach Resort for middle class Americans. It might be an interesting experience for your group. A quick google search should give you a lot of options.

Best wishes on your trip!

Thanks fatfrog and Dan for your suggestions. They sound intersting. I will let my friends know.

Hopefully we will go somewhere. :) I will post our experience later.

I agree with the above posters about staying on the East Coast- it will save you a pretty penny in travel costs alone. My suggestions would be to visit Atlanta- lots of mueseums, the Ga. aquarium, and fun local spots like the Varsity provide a lot of things to do. If you're interested in US history, Williamsburg, VA has a whole recreated colony to visit, plus there's things like the Busch Gardens theme park nearby for more modern fun. Savannah is also worth a visit- lots of mueseums and it's a beautiful town to walk around in.

Good luck with your planning!

Can you catch a cheap flight so san juan? you can probably find some cheap hostels in san juan.

All of us around 25-30 yrs. we like outdoor, nature, interesting museums, adventure. not all of us can swim - so may be adventure related to water is out.
Yes! for driving. We anyway plan to rent a car where ever we go.
Yup, $250 and miles include the airfare - thats the main problem. :)

Consider New Orleans. :)

Consider New Orleans. :)

Or Asheville, or Nashville . . .

Las Vegas is too hot in August. I would think that since you are in Florida already you would want to escape the heat. Head North--somewhere!!

You should consider doing a cruise as well. I live in S. Florida as well and for that type of budget, I would do the mentioned "driving" destinations.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Now 4 of us are going and except me all want to really go to las vegas. So majority won :)

Personally, after doing some research and reading all your comments...I was planning that it would be better for us to drive to Smoky Mountain and enjoy some nature and travel may be some to nearby places in TN or NC.

Hotel would have been covered with some of the miles I and my friends had.
and i think we would have had fun without too much pressure on budget.

Though anyway, now me and my friends are going to las vegas using a whole lot of our miles. We plan to stay 3 nights in Hooters (max will be paid by miles) and may be rent a car and either spend 3 days in las vegas or go for one day to Grand Canyon.

Thanks again for all your help.

There is a whole lot to be seen in the Las Vegas area besides the casinos. Lake Mead/Hoover Dam, a candy factory tour (I forget the name but it is in the phone book), an M&M museum, just watching those fountains to music outside Bellagio's, going into Bellagio's and looking at the incredible glass flower ceiling, a car museum, that light show downtown every evening.... Sounds like you are good at research. You'll probably unearth even more.

I spent 3 days there a while back with an 11-year-old granddaughter. Never gambled a dime but we both had a great time doing all the other stuff.

And the history of Las Vegas. It couldn't happen until air-conditioning was commercially viable. Worth reading a bit to make sense of the place. Some interesting shows on travel TV about the whole gaming industry, how they catch cheats, etc.

There are often coupon books on the web and maybe from your hotel - lots of fun free/cheap stuff.

Sorry you got outvoted, but with the right approach you will have a great time anyway.

Romelle

Thanks Romelle for the info.
Yes! after posting I did little bit of research for things to see in las vegas.
Considering there is so much to do in vegas and the weather, we now decided that we will spend our entire time in las vegas.

Now following 2 questions may be I should ask in las vegas thread but anyway i will ask here first...

1. We are wondering that whether we should rent a car or should we just take those unlimited one day $9 mono rail pass/ $5 bus pass.
Cost for us would be almost same.

2. We are still considering whether we should stay at hooters or golden nugget.
golden nugget may be better hotel but hooters is close to the strip.
Again, using miles our cost is almost same.
and if it matters we are 1 guy and 3 girls in the age group 25-30.

So what do you all recommend?

Thanks Romelle for the info.
Yes! after posting I did little bit of research for things to see in las vegas.
Considering there is so much to do in vegas and the weather, we now decided that we will spend our entire time in las vegas.

Now following 2 questions may be I should ask in las vegas thread but anyway i will ask here first...

1. We are wondering that whether we should rent a car or should we just take those unlimited one day $9 mono rail pass/ $5 bus pass.
Cost for us would be almost same.

2. We are still considering whether we should stay at hooters or golden nugget.
golden nugget may be better hotel but hooters is close to the strip.
Again, using miles our cost is almost same.
and if it matters we are 1 guy and 3 girls in the age group 25-30.

So what do you all recommend?

OK, I'm curious about 2 things ...

1) you mentioned the weather - you do understand that the weather in Vegas in August is hotter than blazes, right?

2) 1 guy & 3 girls - are you the guy? If so, you must post pictures. And honestly, what girl wouldn't want to stay at Hooters? :)

OK, I'm curious about 2 things ...

1) you mentioned the weather - you do understand that the weather in Vegas in August is hotter than blazes, right?

2) 1 guy & 3 girls - are you the guy? If so, you must post pictures. And honestly, what girl wouldn't want to stay at Hooters? :)

1. Oh yes! we saw that. In fact one friend was so shocked that she was almost planning to cancel but then she did not want to miss a chance to go to vegas. :)

2. um...I think then it may be better for me to say that i am not the guy :D

Hooters is a very dumpy hotel, and it's not really on the strip. That said, it caters to your age range, so you might enjoy the overall vibe.

I love Golden Nugget, but I also love to gamble for hours at a time. If you are doing more sight-seeing, you'll be frustrated with the downtown location. It is a nicer hotel.

Between the two, I'd stick with Hooters as a base of operations. Oh, and definitely rent the car. There are a lot of off-strip things to do and see in Vegas, and the public transportation won't cut it. You can valet park a car for the cost of a small tip at any of the strip hotels.

Have you actually been able to get 4 award tickets this close to your trip?

Check the Hotel Deals forum for coupon codes! I know when I've scanned that forum, there have been reports of getting LAS rooms for as low as $10/nt. Never really looked into it though 'cause I have no interest in being anywhere near the desert in summer.

Orbitz has one that is $60 off a 3nt (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=841411) stay. (or $100 off 5nts (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=847580))

There's another site mentioned in that forum that does best rate guarantees. Ahh, here it is (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=843169). It's vegas.com's Double the Difference BRG.

Also, try this (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=847647). Imperial Hotel as low as $39/nt.

I haven't personally done it, but a tour of the Hoover Dam (http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/) ($11/person) may be interesting when boozin' it up on The Strip gets old. :p A drive out to Red Rock Canyon (http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_programs/blm_special_areas/red_rock_nca.html) ($5/person) is another option.

Have fun!

Two fifty will get you a lot farther in New Orleans than Vegas, particularly if you enjoy live music. In the summer months you can get a pretty good hotel for less than a hundred bucks per night (cheaper if you want to take a chance with less well-known properties).

You can spend a whole evening listening to amazing bands just walking down Bourbon St. You don't have to pay, you can just stand outside and take it all in. For the price of a cheap beer, you can sit inside and enjoy it. During the day, there are plenty of talented musicians laying down traditional music all over the French Quarter. Just walking around and seeing the old buildings is a treat.

Why pay a hundred bucks for a show when you can participate in one. Bourbon St. at midnight is a raucous party (but safe given the overabundance of cops).

There are plenty of hole-in-the-wall restaurants where you can get a super supper for a fraction of what you'd pay in one of the tourisitic venues. A careful traveler can really stretch a dollar there.

I saw this thread and had to reply. As far as Vegas is concerned, it is definitely a city for first-time visitors. If you haven't ever been, then it is definitely a good choice. Just keep in mind that the city itself is more beautiful at night than it is during the day, in fact during the day it can be quite dreadful. Since there are quite a few of you and hopefully the majority of you are women, you could look into getting a few free vip passes for the local nightlife. There are a number of clubs which would tickle your fancy and they are always giving away free entrance to groups of women. :)

If you plan on bouncing around the different hotels, please do yourself a favor and make enough time to truly enjoy the Wynn Hotel. It is quite an amazing site, just don't spend any money eating there. I actually had a great time eating at the steak house when I visited the hotel, but it was quite pricey. There is also an outdoor water show which plays every 30 - 40 minutes. If you catch this show right when the sun is setting it will definitely be one amazing site.

As far as clubs, you would want to visit the Palms Hotel which is off of the strip, they are home to Rain, Moon and Ghostbar. I've been to each one of these places and I must say that starting off at Ghostbar then heading to Moon is the way to do it! Keep in mind you will not have to pay for drinks, as guys in Vegas can be quite friendly with there money. As it goes, have fun and be safe!