By Gail Marsh
A recent campfire conversation generated great tips RVers can use to enjoy special events, museums, and other sightseeing opportunities without breaking the bank.
Save money on sightseeing
RVers travel to see new places and experience things that are not available back home. Here are some ideas that the campfire folks shared this past week for saving money while sightseeing.
Doug began, “We limit ourselves to just one or two ‘splurges’ per trip. Last year we took a guided Jeep tour of the Grand Mesa in Colorado. It was really expensive but well worth it! For the rest of the time we looked for free experiences. We hiked, biked, and attended free local concerts and celebrations sponsored by small towns in the area. We didn’t feel cheated at all, and still talk about that Jeep trip!”
Lisa added, “Our family saves on tickets and admission fees by using free sites like Groupon. We always check to see if a museum offers a free day or reduced admission during certain times of day. We use my husband’s military discount, but there are also student and senior discounts available, too.”
Learn more about using Groupon on your RV trips here.
Bill chimed in, “On the first full weekend of the month we get free admission to various art museums and historical centers with our Bank of America debit card.” Check out the details here.
Lisa spoke up again, “I recently discovered a list of 75 special discounts and deals for military service members. If you like to shop as part of your sightseeing experience, you should check it out!” You can find it here.
More ways to save
Here are additional RV sightseeing tips and tricks suggested during our campfire discussion:
Group discounts. Talk to other RVers in the campground. If you can get a group together, you might score group discount tickets.
Picnic. Food and beverage costs really add up. Plan to pack along your own food, snacks, and drinks for each outing. Or eat at your RV before venturing out.
City passes. It may be cost-effective to purchase a city pass if you want to tour a metropolitan area like St. Louis or New York City. Contact the city’s Chamber of Commerce or the city’s official tourism website for information.
Direct contact. You may be able to secure discount tickets simply by visiting the individual attraction’s website or calling directly to ask about discounts and special ticket deals.
Local historical groups. We’ve found local historical groups to be very educational and entertaining. Many smaller towns operate their own historical centers where you can learn about the region’s history. Led by local volunteers, these smaller venues usually cost much less than larger, more sophisticated museums, with some that simply accept donations.
Online sites and apps
Viator. Viator is a Tripadvisor company. It will provide information about day trips, walking, hiking, car tours, and more. All you do is enter your location and the kind of activity you desire. Viator will generate a list of potential places to visit, along with prices that the company guarantees to be the lowest.
Get Your Guide. This website allows you to enter your location, choose an activity, purchase tickets, and in some cases even skip the line! It’s worth a look.
Tiqets. This site will also list sightseeing opportunities near your campground. While not as comprehensive as Viator, it still is a helpful resource.
##RVT1161
Veterans can also get discounts by signing up for ID me veterans discounts. Some other groups can also get discounts.
We found the Visitor’s Information Centers to be a great source, whether it’s the state’s or city’s. When you involve them, and let them know your interests, what you are looking to do, how much you want to enjoy their city/town/state, they get excited and begin to share stuff that isn’t in any brochure. We’ve been told all kinds of wonderful, free (or low cost) adventures to attend by doing this!
Thank you, Gail! 🙂 We tend to travel to do something or to see something. En-route we eat in the RV, rest from the day of travel, and rest for the next day of travel. Once we arrive, then we do or see whatever drew us there. If visiting friends, then we might eat somewhere with them. Often, if we have never been there, then they’ll show us around. If to do something, then we’ll do it. Often it also offers opportunities to see or do other stuff. DW is a planner, scheduler, so we rarely wander. 🙂 Thanks again, have a great week, and safe travels! 🙂
We have a dog, bringfido.com is a great site for finding restaurants, activities and events that welcome dogs. Yes, we frequent visitor centers for information and discount coupons.