Reply to What is your travel budget and plan for 2026?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]For 2026 (calendar year): $30-35ish

Winter break: Caribbean followed by Disney for NYE

Spring break: Caribbean and Florida (plus DE beaches)

Summer: Italy, Croatia, and Montenegro (nearly 3 weeks) — plus a few trips to DE beaches

Fall: long weekend in the mountains

Other:

-NYC a couple times (including a winter trip to see Christmas decorations)

-Charleston/Kiawah (long weekend/other school break)

-Visit kids at college (plus football games)

-Always on the hunt for cheap flights to nearby Europe for a long weekend

-Spouse and kids might tag along on a business trip or two (typically an American city)

[/quote]

OP here. This is incredible to fit into 30-35 - do you use points for some of the NYC trips or Charleston? How many people do each of these trips cover? Re DE beaches do you have a home - the costs for stay have ballooned it seems, and just one trip can run $2k+.[/quote]

For DE beaches: it’s a mix. To keep costs down, don’t stay for a week. We sometimes stay in hotels/motels or get a 3 night condo. We prefer to go during the shoulder season these days (after years of doing week long vacations there in summer but now prefer to go abroad or elsewhere during the summer).

Re: Points - Yes, we use points for hotels regularly. We are using points for flights this spring. We have everyone in our household linked to certain credit cards to generate air and hotel points.

My estimate might be a bit low, but it’s a good ball park.

My best tip is to constantly research and track flights and hotels to find deals. And don’t limit yourself to weeklong trips. Finally, be prepared to drive. If you live in the dc metro area, there are tons of places you can drive to within a day or so. Don’t waste your money on flights; drive and use the money on the actual vacation.

Lastly: not every meal needs to be a big sit down production. We enjoy good food/nice restaurants, but we balance that with less costly food.

PS - I have status with a hotel chain and having access to their executive lounge has become a terrific perk for my family. Ditto for the airport lounge and free checked bags.

PPS - We are a big family by dcum standards (more than 4, less than the Von Trapps).[/quote]

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