Super budgeteers- San Antonio/traveling CHEAP!

[pocomom]

OK, so we have a last minute trip to San Antonio for my family. DH's company is paying to fly us , because they needed him on what was supposed to be "home" weeks. To save a little the 5 of us will be in his (company paid for) hotel room- which is a one bedroom so the kids will have the living room. There is a small kitchenette- half size fridge, microwave. We also get breakfast in the mornings, and we'll use his rental car during the day. As far as I can telll that leaves for me to pay:
groceries for the week, dog sitter, parking at airport and gas there and around San Antonio and any entertainment/dinners there. Anything I'm forgetting? Suggestions on what to do for fun on a tight budget? I've never been to Texas- we're thinking our splurge will be Sea World. Any other tips? I'll be flying with the 11,8,3 year olds on my own and it takes the better part of the day so any flying tips would be great too.Thanks!!!

 

[reagansmommy]

OK, so we have a last minute trip to San Antonio for my family. DH's company is paying to fly us , because they needed him on what was supposed to be "home" weeks. To save a little the 5 of us will be in his (company paid for) hotel room- which is a one bedroom so the kids will have the living room. There is a small kitchenette- half size fridge, microwave. We also get breakfast in the mornings, and we'll use his rental car during the day. As far as I can telll that leaves for me to pay:
groceries for the week, dog sitter, parking at airport and gas there and around San Antonio and any entertainment/dinners there. Anything I'm forgetting? Suggestions on what to do for fun on a tight budget? I've never been to Texas- we're thinking our splurge will be Sea World. Any other tips? I'll be flying with the 11,8,3 year olds on my own and it takes the better part of the day so any flying tips would be great too.Thanks!!!

The bats should be in town and the rivermarket is fun. If you are into shopping La Cantera is nice, and the palladium is a great place to catch a movie. Some theaters have 4d.

 

[ekatiel]

OK, so we have a last minute trip to San Antonio for my family. DH's company is paying to fly us , because they needed him on what was supposed to be "home" weeks. To save a little the 5 of us will be in his (company paid for) hotel room- which is a one bedroom so the kids will have the living room. There is a small kitchenette- half size fridge, microwave. We also get breakfast in the mornings, and we'll use his rental car during the day. As far as I can telll that leaves for me to pay:
groceries for the week, dog sitter, parking at airport and gas there and around San Antonio and any entertainment/dinners there. Anything I'm forgetting? Suggestions on what to do for fun on a tight budget? I've never been to Texas- we're thinking our splurge will be Sea World. Any other tips? I'll be flying with the 11,8,3 year olds on my own and it takes the better part of the day so any flying tips would be great too.Thanks!!!

The Alamo is free and a must do. Walking on the River Walk will also cost you nothing. The cheapest river walk restaurant is Casa Rio. It's the Mexican food place with all the different colored umbrellas that's been there since the 40's. I'm pretty sure I've eaten there every time I've gone to San Antonio since I was a kid . The Alamo Imax movie gives you a really good idea of the battle of the Alamo (I think it's around $11 per ticket). Parking downtown will cost you. You used to be able to park at Rivercenter Mall, and the shops in the mall would validate the parking for you for several hours. Maybe someone who lives in SA can confirm that.

If you do Sea World, you can buy the "fun card" and go for more than one day. It also might be worth it for one of you to buy the regular season pass while the others buy the fun card. The regular season pass gives you free parking and a discount off of food and souvenirs, so it's worth one person buying. You'll have to decide if you want to do their water park-- it is new, and it adds pretty significantly to the cost of the tickets/fun cards, etc. It looks neat, though. Have a great time. We were just in SA over Memorial Day weekend --Katie

 

[Gina]

Coupons and discounts!

save.visitsanantonio.com

Love that site

 

[auntmeme7577]

We got the sightseeing trolley for 2 days. You can hop on and off as much as you like and it's a great way to see the area. Saw the Alamo, Riverwalk and a good tour of the town. We didn't rent a car, took the airport shuttle to the hotel. We stayed at Embassey suites and the driver took us to the bus station anytime we wanted to go and we called for a pick up when when we were ready to return to the hotel. We visited the Botanical Gardens using the bus system, there is an neat looking art gallery and a very nice Zoo on the the route. You'll have a great time.

 

[jodls01]

Use Gina’s suggestion for attraction coupons. Schlitterbahn is a great water place. Visit the Missions

If you want good bar-b-q you can try Rudy’s or for great bar-b-q go to Lockhart to Black’s or Smithy’s.

One of my favorite places to go to breakfast in San Antonio is The Taco Haven. Great food, and a perfect location in SouthTown. This is where locals go and whereyou can get a true taste of San Antonio Mexican food. My favorite breakfast tacos: The Haven Taco, Sausage Guisada, and Chorizo and Egg! Try to visit during the week because weekends are packed.

My Saturday morning favorite and a real favorite for residents in the northwest part of town is the Original Doughnut s on Fredericksburg Rd. and Vance Jackson. You can spot it by the long line of cars in the drive-in line and the parking lot. It’s small, but the food is worth the wait. The flour tortillas are handmade and the food is made in small batches, so you get very fresh tacos.

Rosario’s near Taco Haven and is also a tourist favorite, but we prefer places like Taco, Taco on 145 W. Hildebrand Ave. There is also Mi Tierra on Produce Row where you can buy Mexican pastry for dessert and there is usually Mariachi music while you eat. Taco Taco and Taco Haven are $ level, while Rosario and Mi Tierra are more expensive. Go to their websites to look at their menus.

 

[Midnightred]

The cheapest and best BBQ is Bill Millers. They have fried chicken too. I think walking around the Riverwalk, riding the River Boats, going to the Alamo, grabbing a snow cone nearby, etc. My kids live the Children's Museum there. You can also go to the Ripley's Museum. There are coupons everywhere. Try one of the San Antonio attraction websites or books. Go to Sea World if you mush, but be prepared to pay big bucks for everything, from parking to drinks. It is also very hot there. We liked Aquatica, but it was very expensive. Don't know if I'll do it again. Teachers get a big discount if you are one!

Midnightred

 

[jgodbout09]

We visit San Antonio quite frequently as we live close by. The riverwalk is downtown and you can easily spend the better part of a day walking it and seeing the Alamo. Free except parking. Depending on where you are staying there are plenty of shuttles from hotels that are nearby.

There is also Breckenridge park, a huge park that houses the zoo, plenty of playgrounds and space to run and a train ride. I think its around $5 a person or so, but I'm not sure. Beware if you aren't from here or somewhere south, central Texas in summer is HOT! Even at night.

If you don't mind a little driving, check out New Braunfels, its about 30 minutes away and is an old German town, that's wonderful for families. We've vacationed there since we were born! You can float the river, play in Landa park, go to Schlitertbahn and eat some of the best German food in the states. Gruene is also close by, maybe 5 minutes from New Braunfels proper, and is the home of some great music and a little general store the kids.would love.

San Marcos is about 10 minutes from New Braunfels and has an outlet mall shopping center with everything from Kate Spade and Gucci to Old Navy and Bath & Body works. San Marcos also houses Aquarena Springs, a aquifer fed river park with glass bottom boat rides and a few other things. Free to walk around, you just pay for the boat ride. There is also Natural Bridge Caverns and Exotic Animal park where you walk through the underground Caverns and drive your car through the animal farm part.

If Austin is more your style, go check out the State Capital, grab some lunch and hit the Texas History Museum. That would be fun for kiddos also. Or just explore Austin. One of its slogans is "Keep Austin Weird". You always find something new there.

Sorry this was so long, this was just the.tip of The iceberg of things to do there! Let me know if you need more ideas!

 

[sk!mom]

Love San Antonio.

Your normal grocery budget should cover the groceries you will need. Shop at HEB and you'll know why Texans miss it so much when they leave the state.

I'm a Texan and used to the heat but I find Sea World unbearably hot this time of year. It's all concrete and little shade. If you go, plan on the cost of the water park included ticket. You will need it!

You've been given lots of tips. We love Chuys for Tex Mex.

 

[pocomom]

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I have been busy googling everything mentioned. Never knew about the bats before! My son will love that! Looking forward to experiencing some of the sites and food. Hoping it is not too hot. My kids are used to the cold here, and wouldn't play outside the other day when it was 78 here, We'll plan short days and relax or hit the pool through the afternoon heat! The discount site is great. It is funny we actually thought it was more of a desert there (actually kinda thought all of Texas was) So we'll have one day where we drive out west a couple hours to see some desert landscape as it is big on the kids wish list. (not sure what they are expecting) Thanks again for all the tips

 

[texasroni75]

We live 1.5 hours from SanAntonio and have done day trips there a few times since we moved here four years ago.

Tips for downtown SanAntonio are similar to other previous posters, but I'm going to list them anyway: Alamo - FREE and not to be missed! Parking is inexpensive if you park just a few blocks away and there are a lot of cute stores on the short walk there. You cannot get lost - signs on every corner pointing you in the right direction. Ripley's museums are there too, BUT they are pretty expensive for our family of 6. We've always skipped them in favor of browsing the stores and picking up a few little trinkets along the Riverwalk.

Definitely eat at one of the outdoor restaurants along the Riverwalk - but pick a table with an umbrella - LOTS of birds everywhere waiting for you to step just an inch away from your plate so they can eat! They are NOT afraid of people OR, splurge on a meal at the Rainforest Cafe - which is right on the Riverwalk too.

Also, the SanAntonio Zoo is awesome! I'd do this over SeaWorld since it's a fraction of the cost and you still get tons of exposure to animals.

 

[hmdavid]

You will love our beautiful city and there is so much to do! The Riverwalk is a must and there are a lot of restaurants that offer both indoor and outdoor seating. Some are very expensive and not as kid friendly, so research those before you go. Many offer coupons on the different tourism websites. While there you can do one of the river cruises. They are fun and it is a very informative way to see the Riverwalk sites quickly. The Alamo is just up on street level from the Riverwalk. They offer a free movie about the history of the Alamo that is an air conditioned room. It is a nice break from the heat. The theater at the mall is very reasonable during the day if there are any kids movies you want to see. I think it is only $4 before 4:00. It may have gone up, its been at least a year since we have been to that theater. Parking downtown is free on Tuesday nights at city lots.

Some of the museums offer free admission on certain nights of the week, you can find this information online. Your kids will likely enjoy the Children's Museum (which is downtown and a good way to spend part of the day when going to the Riverwalk) and the Witte. The Witte has a dinosaur exhibit this summer, it is an exta cost, though. It was just offered as a groupon, and may still be available.

The zoo is nice and may be free or half price to you if you have a membership at your local zoo. If you do, check out their website and see if they have a reciprocity program that works with the San ANtonio zoo. It is a nice zoo, and a nice way to spend the morning before it gets too hot. You could pack a lunch and eat in Brackenridge park outside the zoo. If you head down there, stop by the Japanese Tea Gardens to take some pictures and look at the koi. It is really pretty!

Snake Farm and Animal World in New Braunfels as been on either Groupon or Living Social. They have a lot of snakes and various other animals. My girls liked it when we were there, but it is on the other side of town so we have only been once. The Natural Bridge Caverns are also on that side of town and a nice activity to do that gets you out of the heat. It can get expensive, though. There is also an AWESOME safari park adjacent to the caverns.

We live very close to SeaWorld and spend a lot of time there. I definitely suggest trying to go during the week as the crowds will be much lower. It will be HOT! Summer in San Antonio rarely sees temps below 90. There is a Sesame Steet themed area that has a splash area, so if you don't want to spend the extra $$ for the water park, the kids can cool off there. If you bring water bottles, you can refill them with water for free anywhere there is a drink station. Be sure to check out the show schedule online so that you can make a plan before you get there. It will help if you aren't backtracing through the park to get to shows. It turns into A LOT of walking if you don't have a good plan! If you want to spend more than one day, the fun card is the way to go. If there is money in the budget to do Aquatica (SeaWorld's waterpark) it is definitely worth it! It is a very nice waterpark! Like Disney parks, arriving early is best!

If you are shoppers, check out La Cantera. It is a beautiful outdoor mall that has everything from New York and Co to Nieman Marcus. Seriously something for everyone!

Rudy's is a geat place to go for tourists. There is definitely better bbq to be found, but it is good and a fun place. Breakfast tacos are a big thing in San Antonio and most places (even the chains like Las Palapas and Taco Cabana) make their own tortillas. They are yummy! And cheap! Also check out puffy tacos if you get a chance!

Hope you have a great trip! Plan lots of pool time and drink lots of water to combat the heat!!!

 

[wiigirl]

Coupons and discounts!

save.visitsanantonio.com

Love that site

Thanks!

 

[sk!mom]

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I have been busy googling everything mentioned. Never knew about the bats before! My son will love that! Looking forward to experiencing some of the sites and food. Hoping it is not too hot. My kids are used to the cold here, and wouldn't play outside the other day when it was 78 here, We'll plan short days and relax or hit the pool through the afternoon heat! The discount site is great. It is funny we actually thought it was more of a desert there (actually kinda thought all of Texas was) So we'll have one day where we drive out west a couple hours to see some desert landscape as it is big on the kids wish list. (not sure what they are expecting) Thanks again for all the tips

I'm not sure why people think Texas is all desert. You may be in for a fairly long drive from San Antonio to find anything that looks much like a true desert. I'm guessing that you want sand, cactus, and no tress.

A more fun day trip would be Austin, Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, or even Houston is just 3 hours and you could visit the Space Center. All better drives and places to visit then driving to look at a desert.

 

[hmdavid]

Just saw on facebook that Hemisfair park will be offering free family movies in the park on Tuesday nights. Entertainment starts at 7:30 and movie at 8:30. http://www.sanantonio.gov/dtops/Events/moviesbymoonlight.aspx