Don't Let Gas Prices Ruin Vacation
Summer’s Time To Hit The Road |
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| New Englanders have plenty of exciting vacation spots within hours of home. |
High gas prices and a soft economy have led to families tightening their belts when it comes to their summer vacation plans.
Still, less money doesn’t have to mean less fun. Living in the Northeast means plenty of exciting travel options within hours of home.
There are great deals to be found and ways to save money. Rates for AAA Three Diamond hotels, for example, are expected to be 7 percent less than last year, averaging $162 per night.
And just before Memorial Day, Six Flags theme parks — including New England’s — dropped ticket prices in response to high gas costs.
“Vacation spending depends on personal preferences and means,” said Michael Petrone, Director of AAA Tourism Information Development. “While you can expect higher lodging rates in metropolitan areas and during peak travel seasons, travelers can save by making advance reservations and taking advantage of discounts.”
Here’s some advice for making your 2008 getaway better than ever – while sticking to your budget.
Be Prepared
Ensuring your summer road trip goes smoothly starts well before you take to the highway. Begin with these money-saving tips and tools.
• Make Sure Your Car is Road Worthy: Have your vehicle’s oil changed at any AAA Approved Auto Repair facility to ensure it is running at its best.
Be sure your tires are inflated according to manufacturer’s guidelines for maximum fuel performance.
• Book Hotels Before You Leave: AAA members who visit AAA.com to book a hotel room are more likely to find a better rate there than on other leading Web sites, according to a recent survey. In a review of several online travel booking sites, AAA.com offered members the best publicly available rate on partner hotels 69 percent of the time.
• Plan Your Route: Pick up free AAA maps, TripTiks and TourBooks at your local branch office or use the TripTik Travel Planner at AAA.com to map out the most efficient routes.
• Budget for Gas: Determine your fuel costs before you go at www.fuelcostcalculator.com.
• Buy in Advance: Pre-purchase attraction tickets to receive exclusive savings. AAA members save on hundreds of attractions when they buy in advance from their local office.
• Show Your Card & Save: Check out AAA.com/save for a full listing of member discounts available at dining, shopping and entertainment attractions you’ll be visiting on your trip.
On the Road
Hidden costs can add up. Be prepared, with this advice.
• Pack a Cooler: Buy a case of soda or water before you go to avoid purchasing more expensive drinks at convenience stores. Pack lots of individual serving snacks, such as pretzels, peanuts and other goodies for on-the-road snacking.
• Avoid Impulse Buys: Set a “souvenir allowance” for children before you go. A great way to provide a keepsake of the journey is to give each child a “scrapbook” to fill in along the way.
• Research Gas Prices: Check out the fuel gauge report at www.fuelgaugereport.com to find the best gas prices along the way.
• Slow Down: Modifying driving behavior by reducing speed is the best way to improve fuel economy. Reducing speed from 70 mph to 60 mph can noticeably improve fuel economy. Driving conservatively is also important. Gentle acceleration – as opposed to heavy throttle for quick starts – can also improve fuel economy.
• Dining Short-Cuts: Consider purchasing meal plans at theme parks to save on in-park dining. Meal costs also can be reduced by eating the main meal at midday to take advantage of lower lunch prices at restaurants. Many restaurants offer children’s menus and “early bird” dinner specials at reduced prices.
• Be Prepared: Sunscreen, sunglasses and sand toys are more expensive at local beach shops. Buy these before you go. 
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A Dream Cruise Down Under |
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| Like San Francisco, New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington boasts a stunning coastline surrounded by rolling hills that can be traveled by cable car. |
It’s the stuff of dreams: a 14-night cruise Down Under to experience some of the world’s most incredible modern architecture, miles of breathtaking coastline, vast mountains, ancient forests and active volcanoes.
Imagine sitting back on your veranda, watching the sun wash over Sydney’s famed Opera House as you sip an afternoon cocktail.
Or, after an exhilarating day of shopping in the chic district of Auckland, New Zealand, treating yourself to a chilled sorbet back onboard the ship.
It’s the stuff of dreams – and it’s also the stuff of AAA Southern New England’s 2009 Distinguished Member Cruise.
You’re invited on board Celebrity Cruise Lines’ Millennium, setting sail next March 15 from Auckland to Sydney.
The itinerary includes Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound, New Zealand; and Melbourne, Australia.
“This trip was planned based on many inquiries from members about running a trip to the land Down Under,” said William Sutherland, Vice President of AAA Southern New England’s Travel Agency. “There was a tremendous amount of interest in us organizing a cruise like this.”
Because this is the AAA Distinguished Member Cruise, you’ll receive the royal treatment – invitations to an exclusive document and preparation luncheon, as well as an onboard cocktail party, and the security of knowing a host from AAA will be on the cruise.
And as a AAA member, you’ll receive a $100 shipboard credit per cabin, based on double occupancy.
If the itinerary wasn’t spectacular in its own right, the ship itself will blow you away. The magnificent Millennium offers world-class restaurants, Broadway-style shows, a luxurious spa and amenities that rival the grandest hotel on land.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for members to participate in a trip of a lifetime with other like-minded AAA members,” Mr. Sutherland said. “And the fact that the trip is hosted by AAA will help make it an easy, worry-free experience.”
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TripTik Travel Planner Gets a Makeover
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| The new and improved TripTik Travel Planner takes advantage of AAA’s vast mapping and travel information. |
Just in time for your summer road trip, AAA has launched enhancements to the TripTik Travel Planner, available at AAA.com.
Features that have been added to the online mapping tool include the capability to create custom maps, a new travel guide section, easier navigation and an improved route modification tool.
The TripTik Travel Planner provides travelers round-the-clock access to AAA’s proprietary travel information, premier mapping information and booking capabilities — everything needed to plan an entire trip.
Travelers will find the new TripTik Travel Planner preferable to other travel Web sites whether they need quick maps and local driving directions or complete planning tools and destination information for cross-country road trips and fly/drive vacations.
Users also can access the latest fuel prices at more than 100,000 U.S. gas stations.
Enhancements include My Places spotting map capability, which offers the user the ability to create a custom map that includes their specified locations, including hotels, restaurants and points of interest.
Map printouts also contain TourBook information about each location.
The TripTik Travel Planner is even easier to use, with simplified ways to take advantage of all its features and access to information.
You’ll find AAA Scenic Byways, construction information, gas prices along the way, hotel ratings and recommendations on where to dine and what to see.
A new travel guide section contains information on North America’s popular destinations including “Don’t Miss Picks,” travel tips and insider information provided by AAA travel experts.
The route modification tool helps you customize trips to fit specific preferences and now has a new drag-and-drop feature to reroute directions.
One click can select a scenic route or a different way home.
“Every day, thousands of members turn to their local AAA office for trip planning expertise including reliable maps, driving directions, travel information and hotel reservations, “ said Jan Coyne, Director of AAA Geographic Information Systems. “The new version of the TripTik Travel Planner offers the best of both worlds, 24/7 access from a personal computer, coupled with the availability of AAA expert knowledge and support.”
AAA is continually updating and expanding its travel information, adding new lodging, restaurant, attraction and destination information.
One click on the handy map iconas opens AAA listings, many with photos, from AAA’s database of 58,000 AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants, 17,000 attractions, 22,000 events and 8,000 destinations.
Travelers also can display locations for 160,000 Show Your Card & Save member discount locations, 7,800 AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities and 1,100 AAA/CAA club offices.
Users can also access time-saving construction and historic traffic congestion information on AAA.com and the latest fuel prices at more than 100,000 U.S. gas stations, including E-85 fuel availability.
AAA members who visit AAA.com to book a hotel room are more likely to find a better rate there than on other leading Web sites, according to a recent survey.
In a review of several online travel booking sites, AAA.com offered AAA members the best publicly available rate on partner hotels 69 percent of the time.
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Study: People Admit Breaking Road Rules
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American motorists blame other motorists for unsafe driving, despite the fact many admit to doing the same dangerous practices themselves, according to a new report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
For example, Americans rated drinking drivers as the most serious traffic safety issue, yet in the previous month alone, almost 10 percent of motorists admitted to driving when they thought their blood alcohol content was above the legal limit.
“Where’s the outrage? Every 13 minutes, someone dies on America’s roads — yet the nation seems complacent about these preventable tragedies,” said AAA Foundation CEO Peter Kissinger.
“The ‘2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index’ makes clear that while motorists are quick to blame the ‘other guy’ for deadly practices like drunk, aggressive or distracted driving, too often those pointing the finger are themselves, part of the problem.
“When almost 10 percent of motorists admit to recently driving after drinking too much alcohol, the problem is much worse than people think. We need a big red flag to focus all stakeholders on real solutions for highway safety. Instead, we seem to be waving the white flag of surrender by largely accepting the carnage of 40,000 deaths on the road each year.”
Traffic crashes are the leading killer of people ages of 2 to 34, with the overall death toll on U.S. roadways exceeding 40,000 every year since the early 1960s with the sole exception of 1992.
With this in mind, the AAA Foundation launched its first survey of the driving public on a wide variety of issues.
Following are highlights:
• Three of four motorists believed they are more careful than others behind the wheel.
• 82 percent of motorists rated distracted driving as a serious problem, yet over half the same people admitted to talking on the phone while driving in the past month, and 14 percent admitted to reading or sending text messages while driving.
• Over seven of 10 motorists rated redlight running as a serious problem, yet over half of those same individuals admitted to speeding up to get through yellow lights, and 5 percent even admitted to having run a red light on purpose in the past month.
• Nearly three of every four motorists rated speeding as a serious problem, yet 40 percent of those same people admitted to driving 15 mph or more over speed limit on the highway in the past month, and 14 percent admitted to having driven 15 mph or more over the limit on a neighborhood street.
"All of us should work to build a better traffic-safety culture, where more than 40,000 deaths annually is NOT considered acceptable, where in conjunction with tougher laws, safer cars and better engineering, individuals take responsibility for their own driving instead of blaming the other guy,” said Mr. Kissinger.
“Known counter-measures could be put into practice today to cut the death toll on American’s roads in half. Buckle up, pass the keys to a sober driver, put down the cell phone or sandwich, slow down to legal speeds, be courteous and stay alert — it’s not rocket science, it’s common sense.”
To read the full report, log on to the AAA Foundation’s Web site at www.aaafoundation.org.
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AAA answers some of your most frequently asked questions related to auto travel.
By Molly Feit |
Q: What is the single best way to increase your vehicle’s fuel economy?
A: Modifying driving behavior by reducing speed is the best way to improve fuel economy. Reducing speed from 70 mph to 60 mph can noticeably improve fuel economy. Driving conservatively is also important. Gentle acceleration as opposed to heavy throttle for quick starts can also improve fuel economy.
Q: Is it more fuel efficient to use my air conditioner or travel with my windows down?
A: When at high speeds, it’s always better to keep your windows up to maintain your vehicle’s aerodynamics. When driving in stop-and-go traffic, there is a slight increase in fuel efficiency by cutting off the air conditioner and rolling down the windows. However, today’s air conditioning systems are much more efficient than in the past and do not put as great a drain on your vehicle as they once did.
Q: How much fuel efficiency do I lose when I secure items to my vehicle’s roof rack?
A: Anytime you put something on your roof rack, it creates more aerodynamic drag on your vehicle and will substantially reduce fuel efficiency. The amount of the decrease would vary based on the size of the object on top and the vehicle.
Q: If the owner’s manual says to use premium gasoline, will it damage the engine if you use a lower octane? Or do you only lose performance?
A: Not using the fuel octane level recommended by the manufacturer can decrease the performance of your vehicle and possibly result in a decrease of your fuel economy.
Q: With ethanol now blended into fuel, will it damage your engine or have other negative effects on your vehicle?
A: The amount of ethanol now blended into fuel – typically 10 percent or less – will not damage a modern engine. Since the 1970s, when what was then called “gasahol” was introduced, vehicles have been built to accommodate ethanol in their fuel. While ethanol delivers 25 percent less fuel economy when compared with an equal volume of conventional gasoline, a 10 percent blend of ethanol to 90 percent gasoline only reduces fuel economy by an estimated 3 percent while delivering other advantages including an expanded supply of available motor fuels.
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