Home > Travel smart, spend less in San Diego

Vacations can be quite expensive. At times you don't realize how expenses spiral out of control. Are you wondering how to have a great time in San Diego even within a limited budget? Well all you got to do is travel smart and still enjoy everything San Diego has to offer. By "travel smart" I mean you need to know all those things about this wonderful place that will help you remain tightly within your budget. And yes, there are a good many things the magnificent city San Diego has to offer. And you would be surprised how much it would help you save precious money.

Visit Off-Season

Deals during off season are quite attractive and economical. Hotel rooms come cheaper in October, November, January, February, and March.

Quite often various motels, hotels and resorts in San Diego offer lower vacation rentals to fill their empty rooms.

Hotels with Complementary Breakfast
Spend time on internet and find out hotels which provide affordable family vacation package in San Diego to suit your budget. It's wise to stay in hotels whose room price includes breakfast.

Centrally-located Hotel
Search the net and zero in on a hotel which is just a stone's throw away from all major attractions of San Diego. This way you would precious money on commuting from one destination to another.

Carry Along a Crib
In case you are on a vacation with a baby, bring your own travel crib. Hotels often charge extra for the crib.

Visit Museums in Balboa Park on Free Tuesdays
While visiting museums in Balboa Park, get a pass which can allows you admission to 11 museums during a one week period. The pass comes at an affordable price. Or best, visit the museums on rotating Tuesdays when they are open to public free of cost.

First Tuesday of the Month: Natural History Museum, Model Railroad Museum and Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.

Second Tuesday: Historical Society Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts and Hall of Champions Sports Museum.

Third Tuesday: Mingei International Museum, Japanese Friendship Garden, and the Art Institute.

Fourth Tuesday: Automotive Museum and Aerospace Museum. Automotive Museum and Aerospace Museum.
The attractions like the Timken Museum of Art, Botanical Building and Lily Pond in Balboa Park are always free.

Entry into Sea World & Zoo
In Sea World the 50+ crowd get discounts on tickets and free breakfast on Tuesdays. No charges for children under 3.

If you're on a budget, buy just an admission-only ticket to the zoo. You would have to walk around as you won't be allowed to use guided bus tour but at the same time you save about one-third of the money.

In fact, in honor of the Zoo's Founders Day, entry is free on the first Monday of October. And the entry for children 11 and under is free during the entire month of October.

Alluring La Jolla

Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, San Diego, is free on the first Tuesday of every month. The outdoor concerts at Scripps Park on Sundays are free from mid-June to mid-September.

Having a tight budget doesn't mean you can't enjoy your vacation in San Diego. You just need to be a smart traveler and take advantage of things which are free to public and the various affordable family family vacation packages offered by the hotels.