Making Vacation Plans Over the 'Net?

rice_burners_suck asks: "For some reason beyond my comprehension, a whole bunch of family members are coming in to visit over the next month. The busiest weekend will take place when I'll have six guests to entertain, and I don't know where I'll take them or stay with them. I'd like to have a good time without breaking the piggy bank. Where, on the Internet, can I find good vacation places and compute a budget? I'm thinking of a service similar to AAA, but online. If something like this doesn't exist, how could I go about implementing one myself?"

Whats your aim?

[samjam]

Are you looking for a "legitimate occupation" for all your relatives so they admit by most standards that a good vacation was provided, or do you actually want to enjoy time-with-the-family (scarier; esp. if thats not what your guests are expecting).

If the latter, then it's not really what you do as long as you do something; you just need something to
a) fill the gaps between conversation
b) stimulate more conversation if neccessary

You could look at your local tourist office for things to do that "don't cost money" because they actually have to be fun; things that cost money are usually busy enough or expensive enough to justify themselves.

But I think the .net is just a distraction in this; better to get the old phone out and talk to the family who are coming and take ideas from them; plan it together; it won't actually matter what you plan - you may even end up working on your house; but it's the talking and getting to know that count.

Sam

ummm - how about LOCAL

[Dukebytes]

Disclaimer: Nothing wild here - no technology involved at all...

That said - egads man. You have 6 people over for ONE weekend and you're worried about how to entertain them. Good lord - quit writing so much code and get out once in a while. I bet that there are several great places to take them within driving distance of your house.

Railroad museums, local historical places, local businesses that are semi-famous usually have tours that they give, parks and state forests, very good local restaurants, and on and on and on...

Why does everyone always have to GO AWAY when people come in for a visit. We always have a BIG BBQ/picnic and tons of stuff for the kids to do. And we always take them to at least one local attraction and they have a blast. I have seen several local "tourist" spots in my area quite a few times. But I still enjoy going to them and I can always add some neat bit of info about the place or local legend stuff etc...

Its fun and not too costly. And I sure that's a big factor with you Mr. Rice Burner Sucks... Just gotta pay for that Harley man....... Hehehe...

Have fun with the "guests",
Duke

Travelocity

[Sentry21]

Travelocity is probably the only real suggestion I can give you. It's basically an online travel agent. They do flights, hotels, car rentals, trains, and vacation packages (as I recall). Check them [travelocity.com] out, even if you're Canadian - they rock, comparatively speaking.

Or you could - and I'm going to be radical here - leave your house (*gasp*) and go and actually talk to a real travel agent. They'd know more about the local attractions, as well as other nearby places you could take them too.

Seriously, the internet is not the answer to everything. Sometimes you have to go out into the big room with the green floor and the ceiling that's sometimes blue with a yellow heat lamp and sometimes black with little white status LEDs, and actually use more than twenty muscles for once.

--Dan