The typical trip to a beach resort is expensive, to say the least. How, then, can you find a cheap beach vacation? Start by identifying what you really want.
Do you really need to stay at a big resort? If that's important to you, and you still want to save some money on your trip, you need to be flexible on dates a bit. Try the "shoulder season" (just before the season gets going or right after it starts to wind down). Often there are deals that save you as much as 50% at these times. Also, you can just keep checking different dates for both plane tickets and hotels. Sometimes the difference of a day or two can save you hundreds of dollars.
What if you don't need a big resort experience? What if you just want to visit any warm and relaxing sandy shore? What if you aren't sure what you want, but you know it has to be a cheap beach vacation? Here are some of the less expensive alternatives.
Caretaking Vacations
In Hawaii, California or Costa Rica there may be somebody just waiting for you to come and stay in their house while they're absent. Oh, you might have to water the plants and get the mail for them, but in exchange you get to stay in a beautiful home. Just find one of these caretaking opportunities near a beach. For more on this, you can check out the Caretaker Gazette online.
Find A Friend
It is good to have friends with spare beds who live in interesting places, especially if that is near the beach. Perhaps some friends have already told you to come and stay a while. Why not take them up on it? While you are at it, encourage your friends to move to nice beach resort towns.
Beach Camping Vacation
You have probably seen those Corona beer advertisements. Relaxing on the shore with a drink - now that sounds like a great time. Restless? Collect seashells and driftwood up and down the shoreline, or bring a metal detector and search for treasure. Take a swim when it gets too hot, and watch the sunset every night.
How do you make this into a cheap beach vacation? By camping. In Florida, Texas and many other places you can camp in your RV, or in a tent, right next to the ocean. We liked the state parks in northern Florida, where we saw dolphins swimming by and flew a kite while collecting some of the most colorful sea shells we have seen. $24 per night was a lot cheaper than the hotels in the area, and if you wanted to go really cheap, there were free campgrounds within thirty minutes of the coast.
Pick A New Beach
The great lakes are like oceans of fresh water, but cheaper to visit. In the upper peninsula of Michigan in particular, you can often find cheap motels on or near the beach. Most people visit these beaches in summer only, although the best deals may be in September, while the days are still hot and the water is at it's warmest.
Share The Cost
If you have friends who also want a cheap beach vacation, you can get together to reduce the cost. This can mean sharing a room as college kids do during spring break, or renting an RV together. If you are going really cheap you can all get in the car and drive to the nearest warm beach with a couple tents.
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