You don’t have to empty your savings account to pull off a top-notch excursion. Pick the right destination, score a cheap flight, and the rest is easy. We rounded up some of our favorite low-cost places to go right nowand have thrownin a few tips to save you some bucks while you’re there.
Rossland, British Columbia
Play: Many visitors come to Rossland in the winter to ski Red Mountain. But the place is dreamy in the summer, too, with, miles of hiking trails, rainbow trout and walleye fishing on the Columbia River, and even underground.
Stay: Located walking distance frombase of the mountain isthe new, whichopened in Decemberand has a shared kitchen, securestorage for your bike, and basic rooms with bunks starting as low as $30 a night.
Save: From U.S. destinations, it’s cheaper to fly to Spokane, Washington, than directly into B.C. In Spokane, rent a car to drive across the international borderand up to Rossland (a two-and-a-half-hour drive). Book an with Red Mountain for guided mountain biking or river raftingand you’ll get20 percent off your lodging at the hostel or with other participating accommodations.
Fort Collins, Colorado
Play: Sixty-five miles north of Denver, Fort Collins is a college town with a serious microbrew habit. You’ll find more than 20 breweries in the area. Tour them yourself or get a guided escort by ǰ. Run or cyclethe 6.8-mile Foothills Trail across the city or take a dip in ǰ the Cache la Poudre River.
Stay: The hip, centrally located opened in 2017, and room prices are stellar for how nice the place is—you can score accommodationfor under $200 thatcomes with a record player (old LPs are in the lobbyand can be checked out for the night). Don’t miss Emporium Kitchen, an on-sitewine bar slash coffee shop.
Save: To get around, take advantage of the city’s, which’ll run you$1 for 15 minutes. Old Town Yoga leads ain September. And if you qualify for a local library card, you can score to Fort Collins museums, coffee shops, and more.
Valle de Guadalupe, Baja
Play: Dubbed the Napa of Mexico but way cheaper than Napa itself, Vallede Guadalupe, two hours south of San Diego, has some 150 wineries and produces over 70 percent of Mexico’s wine. The area hosts a in October, if you’d rather visit in the fall. Ride horses through a vineyard at, or there’s surfing on the coast, near Ensenada, less than an hour away.
Stay: , you’ll sleep in a bubble-shaped tent with unfiltered views of the night sky, surrounded by vineyards. Rates start at $145 per night.
Save: arranges travel packages from the U.S.to Baja California Norte that include transportation across the border and insider deals at top wineries.
Wilmington, North Carolina
Play: There’s plenty to do outside in the seaside town of Wilmington. Wrightsville Beach is home to the surf contest, held in August, and Carolina Beach hosts shorefrontyoga and surf lessons at . Watch fǰ on Kure Beach ǰ to sunken Civil War ships.
Stay: opened in June in the historic downtown, and rooms, which start at $129, come stocked with yoga mats, foam rollers, and hand weights. The hotel’s tiny and tasty restaurant, the, is worth a stop for cocktails and gin-soaked olives.
Save: Downtown’s free Sundown Concerts are held on Friday nights through the summer,plus there areThursday-night summer fireworks and concerts (also free) on the Carolina Beach Boardwalk.
San Luis Obispo, California
Play: Mountain-bike, paddleboard, or explore 80 miles of beaches in the laid-back coastal region of San Luis Obispo County, right on Highway 1 between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The town’spopular Thursday-night farmers’ market is a good spot to pick up tamales, ice cream, and fresh produce grown nearby.
Stay: The has standard and recently renovated motel rooms fromjust $75 a night. Or stay at (from $111), and you can book wine tours through the hotel or score discounted tickets to, a walk-through art installation of thousands of solar-powered lights in nearby Paso Robles.
Save: Watchǰfor free, or take a tour of the iconic—tickets startat $25. And likely you’ve noticed thatthe wine industry is booming in this region. You can partake in a tasting for a little as $5.
Sullivan Catskills, New York
Play: Less than two hours from New York City, the Sullivan Catskills offereasy access to fly-fishing and rafting on the Delaware River, biking along a growing rail-to-trail network, and hiking to one of the area’s many historic. The is where the original 1969 Woodstock festival took place, and this year, the region is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a packed lineup of music and arts events.
Stay: (from $169) operates four eclectic hotel properties and several restaurants, including the Cabin at Hessinger-Lare, a classic log cabin with a popular Wednesday wing night. Book the packageat any of itslodges, and you’ll get tickets to visit Bethel Woods and the local Catskill Distilling Company.
Save: When you book the at the 14-room inn, you’ll score a guidedouting on the Willowemoc River and rental gear. Or pitch a tent at one of several campgrounds instead to save on lodging fees; among others, the region is home to , , and.
New Orleans
Note: New Orleans has been dealing with flooding afterHurricane Barry made landfall in Louisiana on July 13. If you’re making plans to visit the area, be sure to check what’s open and available ahead of time.
Play: A lot of the sights in New Orleans—wandering around the French Quarter, checking out art and live music in the Warehouse District—don’t cost a penny. The vintage streetcar down Charles Avenue is just $1.25. offers a number of free-of-charge group runs, yoga classes, and dance workouts.
Stay: (from $77) has packages billed as “adult summer camp,” which include crafting with visiting artists, cooking with award-winning chefs, and riding around the cityon a guided culinary bike tour. If you want something bigger than a hotel room—but not pricier—the newly opened in the Warehouse District has sleekly designed apartments starting at $149 per night.
Save: In August, hotel rates are typically the lowest they will be all year, making it a great (albeit, hot) time to visit. To cool off, the in Bywater has a pool (plus a bar and restaurant) for an admission fee of just $15. Book a, with a choice of over 100 different hotels, and you’ll save on both the room and the gator spotting.