Budget Travel's Blog

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may 15

The Right Way to Cut in Line at Disney World and Other Theme Parks

(Alila07/Dreamstime)

We here at Budget Travel were pretty disgusted by the New York Post's story yesterday about wealthy Manhattanites hiring disabled "black market tour guides" to pose as family members at Disney World. The benefit? For $130 per hour—or more than $1,000 per day—up to six of the disabled guide's "family members" can cut in line at popular rides such as It's a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean, while the less fortunate wait, sometimes more than two hours, for their turn. The practice is, of course, not endorsed by Disney, and takes advantage of the park's sensitive policy toward disabled guests.

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0 by Robert Firpo-Cappiello Amusement and Theme Parks, Disney, Anaheim, Hollywood, Florida, Orlando, Tampa Bay, New Jersey, Williamsburg, Family Travel, Girlfriend Getaways
may 13

The Best Day to Buy Airline Tickets

(Carlosphotos / Dreamstime.com)

Of all the questions I get asked by friends and family when I tell them that I'm Executive Editor at Budget Travel, the most frequent is: "When is the best day to buy airline tickets?"

The quick-and-dirty answer has traditionally been, "Tuesday" (thanks, in part, to a well-publicized finding by FareCompare.com, which went so far as to pinpoint 3 p.m. Eastern Time as the perfect ticket-purchase time on Tuesday). The more nuanced answer, of course, is, "It depends."

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0 by Robert Firpo-Cappiello How-Tos, Airlines, Before the Trip, Frequent Flier Miles
may 10

Great Getaways: Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine

Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida

View a live cannon demonstration at the Castillo de San Marcos in historic St. Augustine.

(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)

There's more to Florida than theme parks, beaches, and cities where you can party til dawn (although those are pretty great, too!) Whether you're looking for a quick golf getaway or your next great family vacation, here are six of our favorite family-friendly activities and affordable adventures in Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine—all within an hour's drive of Jacksonville on Florida's northeast coast. Many area hotel options start at $89 a night, making a trip to this area super-affordable.

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0 by Kaeli Conforti Festivals, Golf, Historical Travel, Landmarks and Monuments, Literary Travel, Museums, Pop Culture and Travel, Professional Sports, Romance, Scenic Drives, Walking Tours, Family Travel, Girlfriend Getaways, Women's Travel
may 10

8 of the U.K.'s Most Famous Pop-Culture Destinations

The birthplace of WIlliam Shakespeare is just one of many popular-culture destinations in the U.K.

(Courtesy lavenderdays/myBudgetTravel)

Sophie Gackowski for HomeAway UK

It's fair to say the United Kingdom has produced some pretty famous exports. From Harry Potter to Henry VIII, these unassuming isles have certainly packed a punch over the course of world history. Do your interests lie in literature and folklore, music, or mythical creatures? Whatever you dream of when you think "U.K.," here are eight of our favorite vacation (we call it "holiday") spots, and the eminent exports that planted them firmly on the map.

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0 by HomeAway UK Art + Culture, Historical Travel, Pop Culture and Travel, United Kingdom, Liverpool, North Yorkshire, Nottingham, South Yorkshire, Stratford-upon-Avon, Trip Ideas, Family Travel
may 07

See the Mansions That Inspired The Great Gatsby!

Old Westbury Gardens, on Long Island's Gold Coast, includes a 1906 mansion as opulent as those in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.

(Ambient Images Inc. / SuperStock)

Have you got Gatsby fever? This week, director Baz Luhrmann's film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby opens with Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, the tragic hero who amasses a fortune in an attempt to win back his first love.

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0 by Robert Firpo-Cappiello Architecture, Art + Culture, Art + Culture, Gardens, Historical Travel, Literary Travel, Museums, Nature Appreciation, Pop Culture and Travel, Public Art, New York, Trip Ideas, Family Travel, Girlfriend Getaways
may 03

Take a Day Trip to Historic Hudson Valley

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery offers seasonal lantern-lit evening tours for brave visitors. Among its noteworthy graves is that of Washington Irving, creator of the Headless Horseman and Rip Van Winkle.

(Courtesy Sleepy Hollow Cemetery)

As a little boy growing up in the Bronx, my first-ever class trip was to Sunnyside, the home of Washington Irving. There, on the banks of the Hudson River in Tarrytown, NY, my second-grade class toured the grounds of Irving's estate, learned how a 19th-century home operated, and, most inspiring for me, peeked into Irving's office and saw the writing desk that once belonged to the author of "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." I remember being enchanted by Irving's funny-creepy stories and not wanting to leave the back porch, with its views of the river.

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0 by Robert Firpo-Cappiello Art + Culture, Historical Travel, Literary Travel, Museums, Rivers and Lakes, New York
may 01

5 Easy Ways To Save Money On Meals

Family Travel

Follow these tips and you'll have more money to spend on attractions during your next family vacation.

(Courtesy caitlinbwdn/myBudgetTravel)

Looking to save more money on your next family vacation? I recently chatted with Anne Taylor Hartzell, founder of the family travel website, HipTravelMama.com, to find out about the best ways families can get the biggest bang for their buck—especially when it comes to meals. Here are her five top tips for saving money on your next big trip.

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0 by Kaeli Conforti Helpful Websites, Technology, Family Travel
apr 25

Bodie Island Lighthouse Opens to the Public

Bodie Island Lighthouse, in North Carolina's Outer Banks, is welcoming the public for the first time in its 141-year history, with guided tours through Columbus Day.

(Courtesy bciocco/myBudgetTravel)

Ready for some exercise? The 214 steps to the top of the Bodie Island Lighthouse are waiting.

The North Carolina icon—one of only 12 lighthouses in the U.S. that are more than 150 feet tall—is now open to the public for the first time since it was built more than 140 years ago. A $5 million renovation repaired unreliable stairs, a broken and dirty 19th-century Fresnel lens (which includes 344 glass prisms), and rusted iron work, reports the Associated Press. The reward for making it to the top? Views of the Atlantic Ocean, Pamlico Sound, and the marshland around Bodie (pronounced "bah-dee") Island.

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0 by Robert Firpo-Cappiello Beaches, Historical Travel, National Parks, North Carolina
apr 24

How to Brunch Your Way Around the Big Apple

The view from brunch at 230 Fifth in New York City.

The view from brunch at 230 Fifth in New York City.

(Courtesy 230 Fifth)

Sex and the City may have originally brought it fame, but the exalted event dubbed "brunch" has continued to be a metropolitan mainstay. More than ever, our vacations are planned around our meals—museums, shows, shoppes, and even hotel locations accommodate where we plan to eat during our vacations. As budget travelers, there is nothing like getting the most bang for your buck while elevating your experience, especially for the most important meal of the weekend. We've rounded up five places that let you brunch your way around the world without ever leaving New York City.

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0 by Whitney Tressel Art + Culture, Food + Drink, Landmarks and Monuments, Nature Appreciation, Pop Culture and Travel, New York City, Food + Drink
apr 19

Explore Brooklyn By Bike With 'Get Up And Ride'

The Group Shot from the Brooklyn Bike Tour

Our group stops for a photo-op with the New York City skyline at WNYC Transmitter Park in Greenpoint.

(Courtesy Felipe Lavalle)

I'm a Queens girl, originally from Floral Park and currently living in Bayside. For me, Brooklyn has always been this artsy far-away place that sounds great, but is practically a day-trip from where I am. Needless to say, I haven't been out there much, but have always wanted to see what everybody's been talking about. Then I stumbled upon Get Up And Ride, a leisurely bike tour through six different historic Brooklyn neighborhoods along the East River led by Felipe Lavalle, a friendly Brooklynite entrepreneur who started the company last June as a way to combine his passion for cycling with his love of the neighborhood.

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0 by Kaeli Conforti Biking, Landmarks and Monuments, Nature Appreciation, Rivers and Lakes, Walking Tours, Brooklyn, Health and Hygiene, Local and Public Transportation, Trip Ideas, Eco-Green