“Will Work for Travel”: IgoUgo Members Tell Travelers How to Take Free (or Nearly Free) Vacations This Summer — IgoUgo Members Offer Inventive Vacation Alternatives to Keep Costs Down

NEW YORK (EMWNews) July 14, 2008 —

IgoUgo:

Travelers who want to save this summer are willing to be creative

• Recent IgoUgo data shows that travelers are ready and willing to

  explore new and different vacation options to keep their costs at a

  minimum.

• Strategies such as home exchanges or traveling to lesser-known

  destinations are becoming popular with those who want to save some

  dough.

• IgoUgo members are talking about creative money-saving travel

  strategies that go beyond the traditional “fly

  and stay in a hotel” approach.

According to a recent IgoUgo survey

• 28 percent of travelers would consider camping or staying in an RV to

  save money.

• 23 percent would take it even further by offering up their own places

  in a home exchange.

• 27 percent would rent a room from a local, and more than half (51

  percent) are willing to travel to “off the

  beaten path” destinations if it means saving

  some cash.

IgoUgo’s editors list the best “free

savvy member community:

• The Home Exchange

One IgoUgo member swapped

her Hoboken, New Jersey, home for a place in Montreal during JazzFest,

scoring free accommodations at the peak of tourist season. The Montreal

house came with personal extras like “a

comprehensive list of favorite places to eat and shop.”

Swappers count incurring no costs, enjoying the comforts of a home, and

immersing themselves like locals as highlights.

• The Volunteer Vacation

Voluntourism opportunities are expanding —

IgoUgo travelers have taught

English to Tibetans in India, protected forests in Guatemala,

taught in Peru,

seeded organic farms in England,

and rebuilt after a hurricane on the Yucatan

Peninsula.

• The Wine & Bike Weekend

Leave overpriced bottles and cork fees behind while sipping through a

local wine country for less. Many U.S. wineries offer free tours and

tastings, as IgoUgo members have discovered from California

to Tennessee

to Florida.

For vistas with vintages, bring or rent a bicycle and make the journey

even more exciting than (and just as economical as) the destination.

Pick a weekend and get ready to guzzle wine rather than gas.

• The Camping Throwback

Remember when vacation meant pulling into a national park or onto a

beach, opening the station wagon’s hatch, and

setting up camp, for little more than a park fee? It still does, IgoUgo

members enjoy quiet spots like “best-in-California”

Jalama

Beach; Virginia’s Assateague

Island; and New York’s Lake

George, which even has private islands big enough for one tent.

• The Bright Light-on-Your-Wallet Trip

Ironically, the American city most often associated with glitz and greed

is the very one where travelers find the most freebies.

This is budget Vegas, baby: free live music fills the air; free trams

navigate the Strip; free shows delight kids and adults alike; and free

drinks are finagled when playing a pittance at some casinos. When it’s

time to head in for the night, just beyond the Strip’s

bright lights lay hostels (try USA

Hostels Las Vegas) and campgrounds where prices are next to nothing.

• The Timeshare Tour

No matter the destination, money can be saved when sharing time.

Massachusetts’ Berkshires charmed two IgoUgo

members who took free trips there on behalf of a timeshare company —

one was so enamored with the mountains that he indeed bought

a timeshare. Free vacations are not guaranteed, but attending a

presentation can at least get discounts on tours, shops, food or event

tickets.

For more free or nearly free vacation ideas from IgoUgo travelers, visit

the IgoUgo Travel Blog.

Quote

Attributed to Michelle Doucette, content manager at IgoUgo.com

• “The rising price of fuel and airline

  tickets is leaving many families without the ability to take a summer

  vacation.”

• “By getting creative and offering vacation

  alternatives, we are putting that option back on the table.”

About IgoUgo

IgoUgo is one of the most popular

online travel communities in the world. Its 350,000 members—world-seasoned

and passionate travelers—share firsthand

travel experiences, advice, and photos, with candid tips and inspiring

stories covering more than 5,500 global destinations. Site users can

search by keyword to find reviews by like-minded travelers, as well as

destination guides and helpful links. Members can easily contact one

another to ask questions, exchange information, and build friendships

without geographic bounds. In return for writing reviews, IgoUgo members

accrue valuable points redeemable for gift certificates and

frequent-flyer miles. IgoUgo has garnered top industry honors, including

being named one of Forbes’ “Best

Travel Sites” in 2006, a Webby Award for “Best

Travel Site in the U.S.,” a “Top

Travel Site” ranking from USA Today, and “Best

Travel Community” and “Top

Travel Site” commendations from Yahoo

Internet Life.