Where do lower to middle class families go on vacation for the summer?

[Anonymous]

Lots of good deals in DE beach rentals on Airbnb right now.
They offer 3 nights on weekends even.
No more just weekly!

OC and Lewes beach still have decent hotel prices for one night or just do a full day trip.

[Anonymous]

Staycations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up lower middle class. Nearly all of our family was local, and I had a parent who had anxiety about traveling and long distance car trips, so it was mostly the beach for us. Weekly house rentals before peak season were reasonably priced so that’s what we did. If we had to go peak season for whatever reason, it would be for 2-3 days in a budget family motel. We ate most meals in the house but made sure to do 1-2 out as a family, perhaps pizza or an early bird special.

These trips were humble but I loved them so much I still do them with my kids. At their ages, overseas travel is just too difficult. Easy and fun is more important than whatever limited worldview they might gain traipsing through some European tourist trap. We’ll get there eventually just not right now.

Not sure why, but just that you said "These trips were humble but I loved them so much" made me tear up. You sound like a really nice person.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The OP question is where DO middle class families vacation not where DID middle class families go on vacations (in the 80s-90s). Different expectations and experiences.

Okay, well, we are more like UMC I guess (HHI income of almost $200K), but most of our trips are pretty frugal. We camp a lot— Assateague, Shenandoah, Prince William Forest, etc. We have visited the historic triangle and Norfolk area, staying in inexpensive hotels and visiting historic sites rather than amusement parks. We’ve driven up to Niagara Falls and found very cheap hotels off-season. Stuff like that.

For longer trips, we usually drive and stay with/visit family.

[Anonymous]

HHI around $175k

Yearly vacation to a SC beach with extended family. Travel to see family in southern states 1-2x a year, always drive. Adults go on couple trip or friend trip about 1x a year- long weekend at an all inclusive type vacation. Every 3-5 years a bigger family vacation that involves flights, always domestic.