by Isabelle Esteves

Created on: December 22, 2011   Last Updated: December 26, 2011

When the weather outside is frightful, may people’s minds start to turn to warm sunshine locations. A vacation in the warmer climate is a great way to fight off the winter doldrums. Unfortunately, many destinations that are warm during the winter are also at their most expensive during this time as well. Does that mean that you have to forgo a warm sunny destination during the winter? No it doesn’t but you have to pick the right destinations and the right accommodations.

The first thing to consider is where you want to go. Do you want to head to Florida, Arizona, the Caribbean. It is all about choosing the correct destination. In Florida, you want to go inland. The closer to the beach you are, the higher the costs will be. Consider a place like Ocala, Plantation, Mount Dora or Altamonte Springs. These are all located inland. They all have their own attractions that make them a great place to spend some time during the winter. In Arizona, stay outside of the cities, Scottsdale has lots of amenities and the prices to go along with it but by going 20 miles away, the prices will come down accordingly and it is easy to drive to the amenities.

Once you have chosen where you want to go, it is time to consider the type of accommodation you want to have. If price were no object, there are always plenty of great hotels and bed and breakfasts to choose from. Depending on how long you want to stay in the warm destination, you may find that renting a timeshare or an apartment will be a better deal. For a vacation of a week or two, there are extended-stay hotels that include breakfast and some even have an evening snack. Many of these also have cooking facilities so that you can make your own meals  Hotels such as the Homewood Suites in Ocala start at $89 per night which is a good deal since it includes breakfast and the ability to cook dinner in. There is also a complimentary Welcome Home reception Monday through Thursday that includes a light meal and drinks. This would work well for a week or so but would get pretty expensive for an extended stay.

Sites such as Sky Auction offer the ability to book a timeshare accommodation for as little as $199 in some cases for a week. These are located all over the United States and are available in Florida and Arizona. For a longer stay, there are apartments and houses for rent in Florida and Arizona by the month and even by the week. For these, it may be best to use a broker to avoid unpleasant surprises.

When it comes to the Caribbean, an all-inclusive resort can be one of the cheapest ways to go. There are no surprises and the costs are almost all included. The other option is a cruise and in many cases because you don’t have to fly to the Caribbean the prices will be considerably less. Meals and entertainment are included and there are plenty of choices. Cruises are one of the cheapest ways to see the Caribbean and enjoy the warm sunshine and sandy beaches even in the winter time. Many cruises will also go to Mexico from both the east and the west coasts.

Going to a warm weather destination in the winter does not have to be expensive. What exactly is cheap will vary from person to person but if you take the time to research the area that you are interested in visiting, you will find that the downturn in the economy has created many deals that you can take advantage of.

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