Last-Minute Tips on Getting Away Without Busting the Family Budget

So what if July’s gone. Relax. It’s not too late to snare a summer vacation deal. In fact, you’re in good company. More than half of families who travel don’t plan more than a month before taking off, the Travel Industry Assn. reports. Twenty percent plan just a week ahead.

Here’s how you can still get out of town with the kids this summer without busting the budget.

* Negotiate. Whether it’s a dude ranch, beach cottage or cruise ship, ask if there are any discounts for last-minute bookings. Often you have the best luck if you call direct. “Maybe they’ve had a cancellation. Maybe they’ll figure they’d rather sell the space now at a discount rather than not at all,” explains Dave Wiggins, whose American Wilderness Experience company represents dozens of Western ranches and outfitters.

Wiggins, for one, just knocked off $100 per person on a six-day multi-sport Colorado trip his company offers that has big teen appeal. It’s now $875 for adults, $825 for kids, and includes mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing and riding. Call (800) 444-0099 or see https://www.awetrips.com.

* Click your mouse. The Internet is particularly useful for finding last-minute travel deals and, increasingly, family-friendly packages. Start with your favorite resort, hotel chain or airline to see what unadvertised specials it is touting. America Online’s Family Travel Network lists dozens of just-for-summer packages. So do the big travel sites like https://www.1travel.com (check “specialty travel” for family deals), https://www.expedia.com, https://www.travelocity.com and, if you’re looking for a vacation condo, https://www.resortquest.com.

* Be an early bird. A brand-new resort or one that’s just been renovated may offer a special deal to entice your family. Chances are it won’t be completely booked, or completely finished either. “Ask about introductory deals when you call. It’s always negotiable in the beginning,” said Rob Delamater, whose company has just opened Costanoa Lodge and Camp an hour south of San Francisco on the Pacific, next to thousands of acres of hiking trails. Introductory rates start at $45 plus tax per night. Call (800) 738-7477 or see https://www.costanoa.com.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Four Seasons Las Vegas (where it’s very hot now) is offering an introductory family special through the end of August that includes room rates starting at $150, free breakfasts for mom and dad, a second room at half price, a kid’s welcome gift and free use of the Mandalay Bay water park in the same complex. Call the Four Seasons at (877) 632-5000 or see https://www.fourseasons.com.

* Aim high. You’ll find plenty of outdoor action--fishing, hiking, tennis and golf--sometimes at bargain prices, as traditional ski resorts retool themselves as year-round family vacation destinations.

The best part: “You don’t need to worry about the crowds here. We’re rarely booked solid,” said Myra Stratton, a spokesman for Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont, where kids can go to day camp free when parents sign on for tennis or golf lessons. The Family Adventure Packages--including luxury lodging, gondola rides (take your mountain bike up and ride down), rock climbing wall, skate area and the inside family fun zone--start at $130 a night (with a two-day minimum) for a family of four. Call (800) 787-2886 or see https://www.stratton.com.

Four-night family packages in Winter Park, Colo., near Rocky Mountain National Park, start at slightly more than $1,000 for a family of four, including lodging, river rafting, the oh-so-long alpine slide and a night at a rodeo where the kids will love watching the junior wranglers compete. Call (800) 729-5813 or see https://www.skiwinterpark.com.

* Hit the tropics. Many consider summer to be family season in the Caribbean; the weather is still balmy and prices are deeply discounted. Even in never-cheap Hawaii, there are summer deals. Bargain air fares may make one of these trips possible.

Choose a “Family Fun and Sun Time” five-night package at Outrigger’s Kiahuna Plantation Resort on Kauai and get two rooms plus family-size breakfast and goodies baskets for $1,200. Call (800) 688-7444 or see https://www.outrigger.com.

The all-inclusive Odyssey St. Lucia, which recently completed a $5-million renovation, is advertising rates of $284 a night for a family of four (with two kids under 12), including meals, drinks and parents’ and kids’ activities. Call (800) 777-1250.

A dozen Aruba resorts, meanwhile, have banded together to offer the “One Cool Family Vacation” program, which promises kids under 12 free breakfasts and hotel activities as well as discounts for the family on island attractions--even free diving for a teen accompanied by mom or dad. Call (800) TO-ARUBA or see https://www.family.aruba.com.

* Grab those freebies. Many vacation spots and cities throw in free breakfasts, kids’ activities or discounts on area attractions. Ask for them when you call.

The San Diego Visitors Bureau, for example, offers a free savings coupon book that includes discounts for major area attractions such as Sea World and the zoo, as well as area hotels and restaurants. Call (619) 236-1212 to request the book. See https://www .sandiego.org for more information.

If you’re hankering for a Western river adventure, Bill Dvorak Kayaking and Rafting Expeditions offers family discounts on multi-day trips during the summer. Call (800) 824-3795 or see https://www.dvorakexpeditions.com.