You don鈥檛 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 now听and have thrown听in a few tips to save you some bucks while you鈥檙e 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听, miles of hiking trails, rainbow trout and walleye fishing on the Columbia River, and even underground听.
Stay: Located walking distance from听base of the mountain is听the new听, which听opened in December听and has a shared kitchen, secure听storage for your bike, and basic rooms with bunks starting as low as $30 a night.听
Save: From U.S. destinations, it鈥檚 cheaper to fly to Spokane, Washington, than directly into B.C. In Spokane, rent a car to drive across the international border听and up to Rossland (a two-and-a-half-hour drive). Book an with Red Mountain for guided mountain biking or river rafting听and you鈥檒l get听20 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鈥檒l find more than 20 breweries in the area. Tour them yourself or get a guided escort by听 辞谤听. Run or cycle听the 6.8-mile Foothills Trail across the city or take a dip in 辞谤听 the Cache la Poudre River.
Stay: The hip, centrally located听 opened in 2017, and room prices are stellar for how nice the place is鈥攜ou can score accommodation听for under $200 that听comes with a record player (old LPs are in the lobby听and can be checked out for the night). Don鈥檛 miss Emporium Kitchen, an on-site听wine bar slash coffee shop.
Save: To get around, take advantage of the city鈥檚听, which鈥檒l run you听$1 for 15 minutes. Old Town Yoga leads a听听in September. And if you qualify for a local library card, you can score听 to Fort Collins museums, coffee shops, and more.
Valle de Guadalupe, Baja
Play: Dubbed the Napa of Mexico but way cheaper than Napa itself, Valle听de Guadalupe, two hours south of San Diego, has some 150 wineries and produces over 70 percent of Mexico鈥檚 wine. The area hosts a听 in October, if you鈥檇 rather visit in the fall. Ride horses through a vineyard at听, or there鈥檚 surfing on the coast, near Ensenada, less than an hour away.
Stay: 础迟听, you鈥檒l sleep in a bubble-shaped tent with unfiltered views of the night sky, surrounded by vineyards. Rates start at $145 per night.
Save:听 arranges travel packages from the U.S.听to Baja California Norte that include transportation across the border and insider deals at top wineries.
Wilmington, North Carolina
Play: There鈥檚 plenty to do outside in the seaside town of Wilmington. Wrightsville Beach is home to the听 surf contest, held in August, and Carolina Beach hosts shorefront听yoga and surf lessons at . Watch f辞谤听 on Kure Beach 辞谤听 to sunken Civil War ships.
Stay:听 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鈥檚 tiny and tasty restaurant, the听, is worth a stop for cocktails and gin-soaked olives.
Save: Downtown鈥檚 free Sundown Concerts are held on Friday nights through the summer,听plus there are听Thursday-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鈥檚听popular Thursday-night farmers鈥 market is a good spot to pick up tamales, ice cream, and fresh produce grown nearby.
Stay: The听 has standard and recently renovated motel rooms from听just $75 a night. Or stay at (from $111), and you can book wine tours through the hotel or score discounted tickets to听, a walk-through art installation of thousands of solar-powered lights in nearby Paso Robles.
Save: Watch听听辞谤听听for free, or take a tour of the iconic听鈥攖ickets start听at $25. And likely you鈥檝e noticed that听the 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 offer听easy 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鈥檚 many historic听. The听 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听 package听at any of its听lodges, and you鈥檒l get tickets to visit Bethel Woods and the local Catskill Distilling Company.
Save: When you book the听 at the 14-room听 inn, you鈥檒l score a guided听outing 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听.
New Orleans
Note: New Orleans has been dealing with flooding after听Hurricane Barry made landfall in Louisiana on July 13. If you鈥檙e making plans to visit the area, be sure to check what鈥檚 open and available ahead of time.听听
Play: A lot of the sights in New Orleans鈥攚andering around the French Quarter, checking out art and live music in the Warehouse District鈥攄on鈥檛 cost a penny. The vintage streetcar down Charles Avenue is just $1.25.听 offers a number of free-of-charge group runs, yoga classes, and dance workouts.
Stay:听 (from $77) has packages billed as 鈥渁dult summer camp,鈥 which include crafting with visiting artists, cooking with award-winning chefs, and riding around the city听on a guided culinary bike tour. If you want something bigger than a hotel room鈥攂ut not pricier鈥攖he newly opened听 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听 in Bywater has a pool (plus a bar and restaurant) for an admission fee of just $15. Book a听, with a choice of over 100 different hotels, and you鈥檒l save on both the room and the gator spotting.