Gas prices be darned. Have creativity (and a nearby college) will (still) travel well

by Kim Schneider | Traveling Coach

Thursday May 08, 2008, 8:51 AM

In spite of the inevitable: gas prices that will just keep rising into June - and beyond - I'm convinced we can still travel, even without a boost in the vacation budget.

But as travel guru Arthur Frommer notes, tough times will require a whole new way of travel thinking, ie: trading the suite at the Holiday Inn for one, say, in a university dorm.

Hey, it's better than couch surfing, an intriguing option, but potentially a little unsettling when those donating a couch put in their profiles hobbies like "spooning." And you can get a stay even in pricey London for as low as $24 a night, without even having to apply for that Fulbright!

Colleges like the University of Chicago offer open dorm rooms to tourists for as low as $15 a night, U-Cal. Berkeley for $54/night, and Polytechnic University--two subway stops from downtown Manhattan- for $75/night for an apartment, according toJourneywoman.com's "Girls Guide to University Sleeps."

More budget travel tips:

Take advantage of desperate measures called for by desperate times, ie: those ubiquitous gas rebate deals.

The Traverse City region, the state of Illinois, and BandBfinder.com are all pitching big gas rebate deals at many of their properties but may require a stay of a certain number of nights. But check individual deals, too. In a search for a a one-night Traverse City hotel stay, one beachfront property offered a $25 rebate for a one-night stay, $50 off a stay of three or four nights.

Put common sense to work
This may be the year to pack the PB&J and enjoy lunch at a scenic roadside park you're already paying for instead of stopping at a restaurant. Find more money-saving family travel tips at the Family Travel Network.