Anonymous wrote:Family of five

Average: 10k including flights

Typically at least 8k and sometimes we'll splurge on a bigger trip (15k) - our recent Disney parks/cruise vacation was this much or more, unbelievably

Wow. Doesn't this make you cringe?

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Anonymous wrote:Would someone please elaborate on the points being mentioned here? Are they credit card points? Any recommendations for cards, especially if you don't travel often?

do a search for best travel rewards cards.

but PPs are ignoring the point that you can just get cash back from certain credit cards instead of travel points and use it for whatever you want (whether it be a trip or a 529).

Yeah, we've looked at this pretty extensively and if you get a good cash back card, it's way better than getting mileage points.

We have 5 in our family and have to travel at peak times (school breaks) so even a "cheap" vacation to stay with family runs about $4K for the week (usually $3k for flights cross country for five, plus car rental, parking at airport, a few outings to museums or whatever, and taking relatives out to dinner a few times during the week as a thank you). Trips where we have to pay for lodging run closer to $10K, because we need a suite or two hotel rooms. I've been trying to talk the family into driving vacations but they all hate driving/riding so that's been an uphill battle.

Disagree. The value I have gotten from applying points to a variety of airlines and hotels FAR outweighs the cash back cards I've seen. I've redeemed mileage points for plane tickets to ASia, Caribbean, West Coast, Florida, as well as hotel nights in Paris, Napa, etc. It must add up to 10k in flights and hotel.

Family of five

Average: 10k including flights

Typically at least 8k and sometimes we'll splurge on a bigger trip (15k) - our recent Disney parks/cruise vacation was this much or more, unbelievably

Average $2k per personn to cover air, food, hotel, etc.

Family of 4. I think that I can estimate the cost of our last 5 week-long trips:

Ski trip in CO: $8,000
Local-ish camping trip: $1,000
fly-away beach and golf vacation: $6,000
Spring break in Caribbean (stayed with friends, flew on points): $1,000
Disney cruise and Florida: $9,000

So the range is wide and the average is $5,000

$4000 includes some shopping and a meal for us and DH parents at a high end restaurant.

Uk for 10 days. Flights on points and 2 hotel nights in london on points. Apart from that spend $4000. Family of 4.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would someone please elaborate on the points being mentioned here? Are they credit card points? Any recommendations for cards, especially if you don't travel often?

do a search for best travel rewards cards.

but PPs are ignoring the point that you can just get cash back from certain credit cards instead of travel points and use it for whatever you want (whether it be a trip or a 529).

I don't ignore it. But because I travel a lot for work I have a United card that gives me a lot of points for regular purchases, and more for United purchases. One business class ticket to Europe and I have a free trip to Europe between the purchase points and the flight points. Because we travel a lot as a family I can use the miles for pretty high priced tickets, which is more valuable to me than the cash back cards. Others may not have the same cost/benefit.

You get to use the points you accumulate flying for work for your own personal travel? That's a nice perk!

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Anonymous wrote:obviously this question needs more detail. weeklong vacation to where?

beach?
domestic?
europe?
asia?
Africa?
cruise?

If you're taking "average weeklong" trips to Europe or Africa, the question is probably irrelevant.

What? No one goes to Europe or Africa for a week? Ever?

I wouldn't consider an average vacation to be one to Europe or Africa. That's not average. If it is for you, I don't think the cost is relevant. Understand?

NP here. You don't sound very creative. I recently got $500 tickets to Europe. The trip ended up much cheaper than the driving trip that we had been planning. Just because you can't figure out how to do it doesn't mean that no one can.

NP here. You sound kinda mean. Putting aside the airfare (as we have - literally - more than a million miles in one account alone), just food in Europe is extremely expensive. I'm not talking about eating out at high end restaurants. Gas is very expensive there if you're renting a car and if not, then your transportation budget (subways, trains, additional airfare, etc.) is quite high. Try looking beyond your snark and holier than thou attitude!

NP. You may have literally more than a million miles, but you aren't that savvy. This statement is nonsensical.

Why is it nonsensical? Considering you have to eat on the go for nearly all meals, it IS expensive. You're either paying for meals through your hotel or at a restaurant or on the go, but unlikely able to carry a cooler out on a daily basis), it is more expensive than eating here. http://ee24.com/daily/analytics/the-most-expensive-and-cheap-european-countries-according-to-their-cost-of-living/ Read this article. I doubt many people are going to the cheaper places in Europe (1. Macedonia
2. Bosnia and Herzegovina
3. Albania
4. Serbia
5. Romania
6. Bulgaria
7. Kosovo
8. Montenegro
9. Hungary
10. Poland
11. Turkey

Food is expensive ANYWHERE if you're eating on the go for every meal, meal after meal, after meal. (Go eat at an amusement park and tell me if you think it is cheap.)

carrying a cooler? "food is expensive anywhere"? eating at amusement parks?
seriously how do you travel? you've never found affordable cafes, plats du jour, or menus del dia in paris, madrid, lisbon, rome, etc? or do you only stick to the main tourist streets and disney theme parks?

No, I've lived for months at a time in various cities overseas: Corfu, a small town outside Paris, a small town outside Dublin, a small town outside Italy, as well as traveled throughout the world. I still think traveling and buying food for every meal, even if you're in America is more expensive than eating at home. If I eat at a café, regardless what I order, I'll spend more than if I made my own coffee and had a yogurt at home. I don't care what street you're traveling on or in what country, that is true anywhere.

We spend about $1,000 a day on vacation for 2 adults and 2 kids, maybe $1200. But we hardly ever go away for 7 days. Usually keep it to 5.

However we just stayed at the Andaz in Mayakoba and got an incredible rate. Call them for opening specials as they opened in December. The hotel was 50% full and 7 nights was under $4,000!

Anonymous wrote:Would someone please elaborate on the points being mentioned here? Are they credit card points? Any recommendations for cards, especially if you don't travel often?

I was the first pp who mentioned points. By "points" I meant hotel rewards. DH uses hotels.com exclusively. He travels nonstop and it adds up quick. Every 10 hotel stays we get one free. He also books with another coworker a lot and we get that coworker's points too.

And then he's 1k on United so we travel on United frequent flyer miles everywhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would someone please elaborate on the points being mentioned here? Are they credit card points? Any recommendations for cards, especially if you don't travel often?

do a search for best travel rewards cards.

but PPs are ignoring the point that you can just get cash back from certain credit cards instead of travel points and use it for whatever you want (whether it be a trip or a 529).

Yeah, we've looked at this pretty extensively and if you get a good cash back card, it's way better than getting mileage points.

We have 5 in our family and have to travel at peak times (school breaks) so even a "cheap" vacation to stay with family runs about $4K for the week (usually $3k for flights cross country for five, plus car rental, parking at airport, a few outings to museums or whatever, and taking relatives out to dinner a few times during the week as a thank you). Trips where we have to pay for lodging run closer to $10K, because we need a suite or two hotel rooms. I've been trying to talk the family into driving vacations but they all hate driving/riding so that's been an uphill battle.

Anonymous wrote:Last month, I spent about $3,500 on a week-long trip to Italy for two, including two train trips. I did not use points but found really good hotel and air deals and went in the off season. Breakfast was included at the hotels, lunch was usually takeout from the ubiquitous sandwich and pizza places on the street and regular restaurant dinners.

great sounding trip. great price.

Last month, I spent about $3,500 on a week-long trip to Italy for two, including two train trips. I did not use points but found really good hotel and air deals and went in the off season. Breakfast was included at the hotels, lunch was usually takeout from the ubiquitous sandwich and pizza places on the street and regular restaurant dinners.

$8-10k