Budget Smoky Mountain Vacation Ideas

With the rising cost of living in America,you want to get the most for your money. Going on vacation is no exception. A Smoky Mountain vacation, whether it's based in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge or Townsend, can be both economical and exciting for the whole family. I've outlined several budget friendly tips to consider when planning your next Smokies vacation so you can have a great time without breaking the bank!

 

1. Take advantage of the free activities offered in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park- Everyone who visits the Smokies spends at least some time in the national park. But almost no one realizes that there are many excellent free and almost- free programs and activities offered by the National Park Service. Most programs begin in mid-March and continue through the end of October. Last year there were weekly campfire talks at Cades Cove , daily general park information and black bear talks at Sugarlands Visitor Center, and mountain crafts demonstrations at Mingus Mill just to name a few.  For a more complete list of activities and times, you can visit the Sugarlands Visitor Center at the Gatlinburg entrance into the park and check out my events page for free events happening during Smoky Mountain Springfest .

 2. Two days at Dollywood for the price of one - Dollywood has long had a policy that if you enter the park after 3pm you can also come back the next day on the same ticket for no additional charge. This can be an incredible deal if you plan your vacation well and take full advantage of it. In recent years Dollywood has expanded so much that there really is more to do than you can fit into one day, especially if you want to see many shows. If you ride all the most popular rides the evening of the first day (lines at Dollywood are always shorter after 6pm), then you will have plenty of time to see all the shows you want to plus repeat any rides you loved on the second day. Also check out the rest of my Dollywood tips . 

3. Shop around for the best deal on lodging - Lodging usually costs less during non-peak seaons. This is especially true for the many "mom-and-pop" motels and cabin rentals. When you call, ask if they offer a lower rate at certain time of the year. Most small motels and cabin rentals will be happy to tell you when their lowest rates are offered. In general you will find the best rates in January (after the 1st), February, early to mid May, November and early December (excluding holidays). Many businesses also offer incentives for stays of one week or longer. When you are looking for reservations it never hurts to ask if the business offers an incentive for longer stays. Check out the cabin rentals featured on our website as an excellent place to start.

4. Consider alternatives to "pay-as-you-go" nighttime entertainment- The most popular nighttime activity in both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is to walk (or drive, in Pigeon Forge) through the town spending money at novelty shops, playing mini-golf, racing cars, and myriad other activities that require a few dollars.  While this might be fun for one night of your vacation, there are plenty of other ways to spend time without spending dollars.  There are many seasonal events including craft shows and music festivals available throughout the year. Or try an evening drive through Cades Cove. Be sure to arrive before sunset, though, because the entrance to Cades Cove closes at dusk.  If you simply must try the evening entertainment available in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg be sure you pick up discount tickets at each city's Welome Center.

 5. Consider renting a cabin or chalet with full kitchen - While no one wants to do any "real" cooking on their vacation, it's very handy to have a place to prepare sandwiches to take into the national park. If you're planning on spending much time in the Smokies - and you should if you're visiting the area - you'll notice there are ample picnic tables and few - okay, no - fast food resaurants. There are also plenty of grills at most picnic areas in the park, so you could treat your family to a real old-fashioned picnic complete with hamburgers and hot dogs. In addition, if you rent a secluded cabin with a full kitchen you might find you'd rather prepare a meal at the cabin and spend the evening relaxing in a hot tub as you enjoy the sights and sounds of the Smokies. It's a budget idea with the added benefit of allowing you to actually relax on your vacation.

 6. Take advantage of the free water at Dollywood - Any Dollywood restaurant or snack stand that sells soft drinks also offers free cups of water. All you have to do is ask for it. This can be a great way to save some money at Dollywood if you will drink water with your meal. Of course if your eat at one of the buffets where drinks are inluded it won't help with the cost, but if you visit Dollywood in the summer you really should be drinking water instead of soft drinks anyway to stay hydrated. 

7. Park at Pigeon Forge's Patriot Park and ride the trolley to Dollywood - If your group consists of fewer than 7 people you will save money by parking at Patriot Park and riding the trolley to Dollywood. The trolley ride costs $1 per person round trip while parking at Dollywood is $7 per car for 2008. Another advantage of riding the trolley is that the trolley drops you off at the entrance to Dollywood and you avoid waiting in what can be a very long line at the end of the day to catch a tram back to your car in the parking lot. Another advantage, of course, is that you save the gas money it would cost you to drive to Dollywood (not much if your car gets good gas mileage, but it's a savings of about 2 gallons roundtrip for my SUV).

 
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