Vacation Ideas for Small Budgets
(Under $2K)
Budgets ranges can vary greatly depending on the size of your family, your eating and shopping habits, hotel preferences, and length of the trip. The ideas below are based on budgets for a family of 4, with moderate eating habits, staying at mid-range hotels or rentals, and not including flights.
Boston
Boston is a great city to visit with kids and teens because it has great parks and greenspaces, historical sites and tours that can help American history come to life, world-class museums and attractions, easy to use public transit, and
Washington, D.C.
The capital of the U.S.A. is filled with fun activities for families and many of them are free! Many of the museums have areas and activities specifically for kids.
South Dakota
See Mount Rushmore, watch buffalo grazing in the Black Hills, and explore the unique landscape of the Badlands. Southwest South Dakota has a lot to offer and makes a great family road trip!
Charleston, SC
Charleston, SC ranks as the best city in the world according to Travel & Leisure and has plenty of kid-friendly activities.
Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle Beach (and surrounding beaches) is a great stretch of beach in northern South Carolina. There are many affordable beachfront hotels and kid-friendly attractions and activities, making it a very popular vacation spot for families.
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, NC is a beautiful city in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Asheville has a fun, artistic culture with local crafters and artists, live music venues, museums, great restaurants, historical sites like Biltmore House, and lots of
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is located on Mount Dessert Island on the coast of Maine. Here you can enjoy the beauty of nature surrounded by mountains, rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, lakes, and lush forests.
Chicago
Chicago is a great city to visit with kids! There are plenty of kid-friendly activities to do, and thanks to the breezes coming off Lake Michigan, it’s not as miserably hot as other cities if you visit during the summer.
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, TN
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are two towns located next to Great Smokey Mountain National Park that are filled with exciting attractions, shows, and restaurants. If you’re looking for a trip that mixes natural beauty and enjoying the great outdoors with