One June morning, I went to see what the tourists were up to in Chicago, where I live. My mission was to join them while adhering to a strict travel budget. So I started with a free Chicago Greeter tour of the downtown Loop, ground zero for visitors and home to popular attractions like Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Run by Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism marketing organization, the Greeter program pairs visitors with a local volunteer for a guided walk. Our guide, Janice Rosenberg, led me and eight visitors from Spain, Mexico and France on a 90-minute walk around the Loop. She pointed out famous sites like the Millennium Park sculpture by Anish Kapoor, “Cloud Gate,” known as “The Bean,” and hidden gems like the “Rushmore” mural, by the painter Kerry James Marshall, devoted to the women who have shaped Chicago. Ms. Rosenberg also identified hallmarks of classic Chicago architecture, including windows designed to catch lake breezes before air-conditioning was universal, and explained to the Europeans that a department store built in 1893 “is old for us.”
It was a dense serving of Chicago history and culture at an unbeatable price (though tips are welcome; I contributed $5).
Big cities, generally, are good places to cheap out as a traveler. Transportation options tend to be affordable. Chicago’s L train, for example, costs $2.50 a ride; day passes are $5.
And Chicago, newly popular with set-jetting fans of the restaurant-focused FX series “The Bear,” anchors the Midwest, a region known for its thrift. There are plenty of things to splurge on — the venerable Lyric Opera of Chicago or Michelin-starred restaurants — but you can experience excellence here in music, art, theater, food and more without digging deep into your pockets.
I spent a recent week living — and scrimping — like a tourist in Chicago. Here are some of my recommendations on how to save.
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
A late-summer or fall getaway is now possible without breaking the bank. Spirit Airlines recently discounted hundreds of flights to popular destinations such as Las Vegas, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and more. The low-cost carrier advertised the fare sale on their «Popular Flight Deals» section of their homepage, where travelers can enter in their home airport to find the best deals for them. As part of the popular deals, Travel + Leisure spotted deep discounts for under $29 including Dallas (DFW) to Las Vegas (LAS) for $22 one-way in August, and Baltimore, MD (BWI) to Orlando, FL (MCO) for $21 in September 2024. Additional flight deals include:
Travelers flocking to the World of Hyatt loyalty program increasingly have new ways to earn and use points — and the Chicago-based hotel giant isn't done adding more variety to its offering.
In conjunction with Make-A-Wish, Railbookers Group (RBG) a teen and her family to experience an overnight journey aboard Amtrak’s California Zephyr train traveling through the Rocky Mountains.
United Airlines is making it easier for customers traveling in basic economy to check in for their flights with a policy update that allows them to complete the process online.
When taking a transatlantic redeye, aka a flight that leaves late in the night in the U.S. and lands in the morning Europe time, you’re presented with some minor and major issues. With flights lasting about 5 to 8 hours, it’s hard to get great sleep on board, meaning you’re bound to be fatigued upon landing. Jet lag is going to hit at some point, even if you did get great sleep. And landing at 6 a.m. or even a bit later generally means that your room might not be ready for you to catch a much needed morning nap — leading to you making like a zombie walking through the streets of your European city of choice, looking for coffee or the will to keep your eyes open.
Though I am arguably biased as a local, Chicago in the summer is one of the greatest cities in the world. Part of that is due to the number of events on a given weekend, including Chase Sapphire events.
Planning and booking a fall or winter getaway just got cheaper. Southwest Airlines recently announced a new Wanna Get Away fare sale with airfares as low as $49 one-way to popular destinations. Best of all, travelers can snag discounted tickets to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and other warm destinations throughout the winter. The fare sale ends on July 29, 2024 at 11:59 PM PST, and is valid on travel through January 29, 2025. The sale may be especially helpful for anyone planning a vacation to Hawaii, as inter-island travel is also discounted. Passengers can score $49 one-way flights from Honolulu International Airport to Hilo (Hawaii Island), Kahului (Maui), and Kona. Travel + Leisure spotted a variety of the $49 one-way fares available including: