Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ence is to have the plane trip come first. I've done it the other
way, and the plane trip home seems very anticlimactic. But,
again, that's just me.)
What's All This Going to Cost?
After you've done it a few times, you'll be able to estimate the
cost of your trip fairly accurately. Once you've decided when and
where you're going, just call Amtrak (1-800-USA-RAIL) for a
fare quote. Or you can go online (www.amtrak.com), plug in the
appropriate dates, select the class of service, and have the com-
puter figure it out for you. (Remember, however, that there are
sometimes special fares being offered and you may be eligible for
other discounts. Double-check with Amtrak reservations or your
travel agent to be sure you get the lowest possible rate.)
Now start estimating the other costs of your trip. Don't try
to anticipate every individual expense. Instead, think in terms of
daily averages, either per person or for the whole party, which-
ever is appropriate. The following guidelines are the ones I use
and should only provide you with a rough starting point. Adjust
your own guidelines according to your personal tastes and
preferences.
First, figure out how many nights you'll be in a hotel. For
big-city hotels, I would allow no less than $200 per night—and a
lot more than that in cities notorious for awful room rates (Wash-
ington, D.C., or New York City, for example). Rates at hotels in
smaller cities and rural areas will probably run half to one-third
that amount.
For meals, allow $50 per day per person. That's $10 for
breakfast, $15 for lunch, and $25 for dinner. Yes, it could be less,
and obviously it could be much more, depending on where and
what you eat. For kids, reduce your estimate appropriately—or
you might have to raise it, I suppose, if you're traveling with a
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