Average Vacations In A Year and Average Cost?

[luvsJack]

500 Dollars a day for two people in dc??? That is crazy! Hoping I totally misread!

Vacations come and go here depending on what is going on in our lives. This year, two trips for me , one family and one girl trip with my mom and sisters. My husband and kids are doing a fishing trip but I decided to stay home and enjoy time alone. then a trip to Charlotte to see my sister, and another 4 day trip to Lake Erie. And two trips to see my dad in Arizona because he is ill.

Last year I didn't get a vacation at all due to life's circumstances.

Well actually, its 3 people (me, dd and dh). Its $600-$650 per person for the trip--bus there and back and to tour DC, hotel, all of the tours we will take and their three performances, and a dvd of the entire trip including the performances. It includes some of the meals but not all of them; we don't have it all finalized yet so we are guesstimating perhaps a bit high?? But $2500 would be little over $200 per person over and above the package price. Of course dd's part will all be paid for in fundraising so we won't actually "pay" $600 of it.

 

[TinkerBelled]

500 Dollars a day for two people in dc??? That is crazy! Hoping I totally misread!

Vacations come and go here depending on what is going on in our lives. This year, two trips for me , one family and one girl trip with my mom and sisters. My husband and kids are doing a fishing trip but I decided to stay home and enjoy time alone. then a trip to Charlotte to see my sister, and another 4 day trip to Lake Erie. And two trips to see my dad in Arizona because he is ill.

Last year I didn't get a vacation at all due to life's circumstances.

It's super easy to spend that much in a city. You can spend much less, but for a nice (but not extravagant) weekend away, you're looking at $250 a night for a nice but midrange hotel, $150 for dinner, and $100 to spend on other meals, tickets, etc.

 

[khertz]

We typically do 2 vacations a year. Most years that is one shorter & cheaper non-Disney trip, plus a 7-9 day Disney trip. This year, we just returned on Saturday from a week in East Tennessee. We drove, stayed at our timeshare, and did a lot of activities that were relatively inexpensive or free. We will spend a little more than a week at Disney World in the fall, but we tend to spend a lot more on our Disney trips after factoring in flights, rental car, tickets, souvenirs, character meals, etc. I think having a timeshare has made a majority of the trips we have taken possible since we don't have to factor in the cost of a hotel or resort for a week.

 

[tasha99]

Over the past year:

Spring break--airfare to family for 2 people $2500
Christmas break--airfare for 2: $3000
Summer--gas money given to DD20 to come visit and paying for fishing charters/hotels/restaurants etc to entertain her: $3000.

Yikes: $8500 last year. And we did a summer staycation and just visited family in the lower 48. (Total of 5 weeks) Of course, airfare during peak times is beyond ridiculous here ($1000-$1500 pp--about $500 if you can travel off peak, which I can't).

I am looking forward to a Disney vacation and going to Vegas with a friend, hopefully in the next year. We're moving back to the lower 48, and the air savings will make those kinds of vacations much more affordable than they used to be.

 

[bettymae1121]

We usually manage a "major" vacation every other year or so. By "major" I mean we do something other than visit out of state family. We take our vacation time every year but often don't travel anywhere.

There are a few reasons. One is that it's is VERY hard for DH and I to get time off at the same time. DH can't take time off around major holidays, I can't get time off from July through October. That only leaves the winter months minus Christmas and Easter. Sounds like plenty, right? Problem is that DH is often sick with colds all winter so by March he's used up all his vacation time as sick time. So we usually can take a single week together in January or February before all his time is gone. And because we both have family out of state, we often go and visit my father or DH's mother so they can get to know their only grand daughter.

This year DH managed to hang on to a week for later in the year, but he has to use that to stay home and care for our DD while I'm away on a business trip (DH works 3rd shift so he has to take time off). So DH will take DD to visit his mother that week while I'm in FL. No family vacation this year, unless a miracle happens and my trip gets canceled. In which case we'll go to Disney in November, most likely.

Anyway, for the times we do manage to take a real vacation, our average cost tends to be about $2k for a week's stay, but I get free airfare as a job perk and we earn Sheraton hotel points on our credit card, so we only have to pay for meals and activities/park tickets and things like airport parking/transfers and souvenirs. $2k would be for something like Disney, if we went to a place that we didn't have to buy theme park tickets or pay a ton for activities, it would be even less.

 

[Pakey]

3 vacations a year

2 weeks on an international vacation-must be a new location each time

1 week at Disney

1 week in a tropical location; usually Hawaii

I also go to Las Vegas for long weekends (usually 5 days) twice a year with my best friend

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Haha, true. Even my husband says, " 'deserve' has got nothing to do with it.".

Is your husband a Clint Eastwood fan? That's a line from "Unforgiven"

 

[HeatherC]

OP here. Wow...I guess I wasn't way out of the average...at least on the Dis...after all.

We are so very fortunate to be able to go as much as we do and I truly wish EVERYONE who wanted to could as well.

LibertyBelle...I completely understand your feelings. We have had years when weren't possible and I know how hard and depressing that can be. I hope things will turn around soon and finances ease up.

In the meantime, I think I am going to start another thread...whats your best ways of snagging some awesome vacation deals. Maybe these ideas will give others some ideas on how they can afford a vacation too.

Happy travels!!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I don't know what could be considered average for us right now, since last year when I was pregnant we basically went nowhere (one long weekend in NYC) and spent very little, whereas the year before we went to Europe for 25 days. So basically I'd be averaging out <$1000 for 2012 and >$8000 for 2011. I guess in "normal" years we try to vacation between 10-14 days and I generally try to keep costs between $2500-$3500. That's what I'm looking at for our Disney vacation this June. And usually there's one or two inexpensive long weekends in there as well. Not sure how new DD is going to change our spending in this regard. Ask me again in 5 years.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I go to Disney about every two years, and counting spending money it costs me about $2500. This year it's closer to $3500 because I'm paying for another person.

Every year I usually go to the shore at Wildwood, New Jersey with my sister and her family. They let me stay at their hotel for free, so it usually only costs me about $500 for the week in spending money.

I also go semi-regularly to Knoebel's Amusement Park for a long weekend with my aunt and uncle and young cousin-I'm the big doofus that goes on all the rides with her. That costs about $500 as well. Not going this year because it's a Disney year.

 

[Janepod]

Is your husband a Clint Eastwood fan? That's a line from "Unforgiven"

Yes! In fact, that is his favorite movie. I have never seen it so I didn't know it was a quote.

 

[scoutie]

This year:

Disney for a week in January (funded by my parents, who took the whole family): not sure of the cost, but it was at least $5000 for my family alone

One weekend in Lake Geneva: $400
One weekend in South Haven, Michican $400
One week in Playa del Carmen Mexico: $2800

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

Okay, I think I have to stop reading this thread now. I'm happy for you, I really am.


That's incredibly wonderful how many vacation days you get (and are able to finance!). Sounds more like a European's vacation schedule.

That's actually the perspective of the managing partner/primary owner of the firm for which I work, and to say he has the loyalty of the entire team as a result would be an understatement. My wife, children and I are unquestionably blessed and fortunate beyond belief (and in many ways beyond just this one).

 

[SC Minnie]

Dh and I both get 5 weeks vacation plus 11 holidays, several of which are used as floaters.

This year we went to WDW in March for 8 days, we're going to Hilton Head the week before Memorial Day for 10 days, we are going on the DVC member cruise in Sept, and a Princess cruise in late October. We may be able to slip in a few days at WDW after a conference I'm going to in Orlando in Sept.

For the WDW and HHI trips we use DVC points. The only OOP we have is food and gas which can fluctuate. The cruises are what they are. The Princess one we got a good deal on it and couldn't refuse.

 

[goofyintoronto]

3 vacations a year

2 weeks on an international vacation-must be a new location each time

1 week at Disney

1 week in a tropical location; usually Hawaii

I also go to Las Vegas for long weekends (usually 5 days) twice a year with my best friend

Adopt me please!!

 

[goofyintoronto]

we usually have one vacation a year. Disney in August! Thats normally about $3000.

Last year we did Disney and France. That cost....well....a lot.

 

[NHdisneylover]

That's actually the perspective of the managing partner/primary owner of the firm for which I work, and to say he has the loyalty of the entire team as a result would be an understatement. My wife, children and I are unquestionably blessed and fortunate beyond belief (and in many ways beyond just this one).

It seems more and more US companies are finding this to be a good way to attract TOP talent and keep motivated and productive employees That is so good to know as we would not ever leave this schedule now that we have lived it

 

[Minnesota!]

For family vacations with the children we usually take 15 days in the summer, 11 days for spring break (Thursday to the following Sunday) in March, 14 days after Christmas (usually the day after Christmas until January 8th or so) and 11 days over Thanksgiving (Thursday to the following Sunday). My wife and I usually then take a week in the early fall to go someplace as adults.

My DW and I are very blessed with jobs that offer a tremendous amount of vacation, as we love to travel, and we have the resources to support that passion. As the kids get older, the days out of school may have to be reduced, but the schools have been supportive thus far.

We usually do two trips to Florida for Disney (spring break and Thanksgiving), a trip to a major metropolitan area (New York, San Francisco, New England, etc. during the summer) and a trip to the mountains for skiing (Christmas trip, generally, usually to Steamboat or Aspen).

I'm not a big fan of "weekend trips". Living in Iowa, too much time is tied up in getting to and from the destination, so we'd rather do longer trips (and I'll never count a weekend trip to Omaha or Kansas City as a vacation! )

Same thing with living in MN - weekend destinations are Milwaukee, Fargo, Des Moines. We have done KC for long weekends...but...yeah, snooze city.

Your company sounds awesome. If they are ever in need of a graphic designer - send me a PM Iowa is still far enough north for my Norwegian blood!

 

[Pigeon]

We don't vacation much. We maybe take one week a year away. This year we're renting a house in the Adirondacks for a week. Some years we go nowhere. It's just not a big priority.

 

[Liberty Belle]

It seems more and more US companies are finding this to be a good way to attract TOP talent and keep motivated and productive employees That is so good to know as we would not ever leave this schedule now that we have lived it

I've been finding the opposite, but then again I am not big business material. My work history is in social services, education, and a short stint in journalism.