When to take that summer trip? JUNE!

We just thought we'd give you a quick update on RV rental rates for summer travel. Some RV rental companies are offering daily rates that are 20% less if you choose the first couple of weeks of June to travel instead of the first two weeks of July. That's the type of savings that can make a huge difference in your total travel budget!

And while some RV rental companies have fixed seasonal rates throughout the year, some companies let their rental rates "float" with demand. So, all we can say to you, is if you are thinking of taking that National Park RV vacation with Tracks & Trails, book sooner rather than later in order to get the best deals that are out there. We pass on these types of savings to you when we can get them, so give us a call now (800-243-9490) because availability is starting to dry up as we speak!

It's confirmed - Las Vegas is a bargain!

We have been seeing that Las Vegas is an incredible bargain this year and that's good news for you if you are considering our most popular trip that starts in Las Vegas: Bryce, Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks. It's a great place to start your Tracks & Trails RV vacation to see some of the most beautiful geography in the western United States and see three National Parks!

Hotel rates are the lowest we've seen in years. Our favorites for families are on the Strip and include the MGM Grand, The Excalibur, Mandalay Bay and The Bellagio. You'll also find airfares at real bargains. We encourage you to check with your favorite airline to find the best deals or use your frequent flyer miles. The local ecomony in Las Vegas is suffering with high real estate foreclosure rates and high rental vacancies so their economy is looking for anything that can help!

We hope that this information helps in creating a wonderful family vacation and keeps it affordable and in your budget!

Yosemite National Park reservation window

For many intrepid campers out there, Yosemite is the pinnacle of the great outdoors. The vistas made popular by Ansel Adams are there for millions of visitors each year for hikers, climbers and photographers. And there are many choices of where to stay while visiting the park. From the classic Ahwhanee Hotel and campgrounds in the park to accomodations that just outside the park, there are choices for just about any budget. Some are definitely more luxurious and some are offer great value even inside the park.

For those that want to camp inside the park, you absolutely need reservations. With 35 million potential campers close by (that's the population of California) and limited camping inside the park, a campsite reservation is extremely difficult to secure. Of all the parks that we cover, Yosemite is the only one that has a five-month rolling reservation window. A new 30 day block of reservations opens on the 15th of each month. So, this Sunday, February 15th, you'll be able to book campsites up to July 15th. Yes, this is right in the heart of the summer camping season! And usually all those reservations are taken within 30 minutes.

Yes, we have many clients that want to stay in the park and we do our best to secure those reservations. We will have staff that will come into the office this Sunday to work the phones and the internet to secure those reservations. If for some reason, the campsites get all booked, we do have other options. There are other fantastic, secluded campgrounds just outside of the park that offer similar idyllic settings that we have scoped out for our clients (and we have never had a problem booking these alternate sites).

Yosemite is a must-see on many travel wish lists and we have the processes to help with making those dreams come true. To get a glance at one of our trips, check out Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks to get an idea of what's possible! Then call one of our trip consultants at 800-247-0970 to make it happen!

Why travel domestically? Better yet - why not?

We understand that many statistics show that around 80% of all United States citizens do not have a passport. We're not here to say whether that is bad or good. We'll leave that to someone else. And it currently takes about 3 weeks to process a passport application (a good thing to know if you're planning to take advantage of the dollar's exchange rate compared to last year). That still leaves many Americans that want to take a vacation this year with the awesome possibilities of seeing more of the United States.

Of course, we'd like to see many folks without passports see the great outdoors in our National Parks. We asked many times to help create a special vacation for families and friends that want to experience more that our country has to offer. And many of our clients live in areas that are different in topography, history and climate than the most popular National Parks such as Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Glacier National Park or Olympic National Park.

And you can still get some international flavor at our favorite vacation spots! Since these destinations are known internationally, you can rub elbows with many tourists from overseas. And luckily, many will speak English so that you can share your experiences during a ranger talk or just talking with your neighbors in the campgrounds. Last time I was in Yellowstone, one of our camping neighbors was from Vancouver. They had camped all over in their RV and it was great to listen to their experiences.

So, if you don't have a passport and are considering a trip to the western USA (including New Mexico!), we say "why not?". (FYI, we do our best to pass on any great deals that we can find for you!)

Summer Vacation vs. Spring Break

The family summer vacation has been steeped in the culture of the United States for many years. It seems that only recently (and I mean in the last 20+ years) that the spring break vacation has become required to battle the stresses of modern life. With all the teeth-gnashing stress of our current times, we have been keeping our collective ears open and listening for signs of which trip will suffer and which will benefit (and hoping that both are not sacrificed).

Our initial observations are that folks are forfeiting their family spring break vacation and using that part of their annual budget for their summer vacation. So far, we are seeing that there are fewer clients planning spring break vacations this year. We are also seeing that the average cost of our clients' summer vacations is higher than last year. And our clients are still taking RV trips to stunning destinations like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons or Yosemite. They are also heading to western Canada since the the exchange rate is so favorable compared to last year. And we have some clients that are taking advantage of using an SUV or minivan rental and staying in unique lodges or hotels.

If you are looking to get maximum value for your family vacation dollar this year, give us a call toll-free (800-247-0970) and talk to one of our experienced trip consultants. They'll help with creating a great vacation that will fit into your budget.

New United baggage shipment program

Sorry that we haven't posted anything yet this week. It's been a bit crazy around here.

We try to keep you informed of useful travel tips when we hear about them and here's a good one!
If you are looking to ship your luggage ahead and you are flying United, the airline has just introduced Door-to-Door Baggage service in conjunction with FedEx. This particularly works with bulky luggage items such as skis. They have a special introductory offer where you can save up to 45% on this new service. Check out this link to United's website.