Thursday, June 4, 2015

Travel Tips?

I have some vacation time coming up and I don't know what I'm going to do with it. I definitely want to take a trip somewhere. However, I don't know where. It doesn't help that I'm pretty clueless when it comes to booking things like flights and hotels. The one time I planned my own trip somewhere I lucked into a ridiculously good deal, but there wasn't much strategy there.

As I've started looking I find myself particularly confused/stressed about booking a hotel. I feel like everything is way too expensive and that there should be some way of looking to make cheaper places stand out. I'm also worried about booking at a bad spot (either a bad neighborhood or far away from public transit.)

Some trips I'm considering:

Plane Trips

Chicago- The drive to Chicago isn't necessarily so terrible. It's a six hour drive from her to get to Chicago and its traffic. However once in Chicago its a bit of nightmare. Also, the public transport in Chicago is pretty robust and the flights are relatively cheap so flying is definitely the preferred way for me.

The issue so far with Chicago is the hotels are hella expensive.

Washington D.C.- I've wanted to go to DC for a long time. As a politics/government/history nerd, it's pretty ridiculous to have made it this far without seeing the seat of our nation. It is too far to drive without wasting a day and the flights are even cheaper than the ones to Chicago. And I don't know about Washington's public transit; I assume its pretty robust from Fallout 3.

Hotels are even more expensive here than Chicago upon a quick search.

Car Trips

Gettysburg, PA- I've done this trip before when I was little. I'd like to go back sometime since I'm sure I'll have a much better appreciation for the cool history.

Cheapish hotels.

Somewhere Pretty, WV, VA, TN- I don't even know.

Day(ish) Trips

Hiking- Can go not very far and maybe overnight it and wander around the wilderness.

Ohio History Stuff- Because why not.

I also could just stay in Columbus, because there is cool shit here that I never do.


All of this to ask you what I should do? Also how should I do it? Any tips (particularly about hotels?)

Thanks for reading

-Michael