Throwing a surprise vacay for my girlfriend and her brother... not sure if its better to fly or drive for fun, but we'll be going to Vegas and Los Angeles from Texas...

I'm pretty much going to be paying for everything, hotel, rental car, food, and purchasing stuff from stores, etc.

I want to say the whole thing will be 6 or 7 days total...

About how much money should I be saving up for? I got a while before we're going so there's time to save money.

I just don't want to go there and not have enough money to do anything. I know it can vary depending on what we do, but a ballpark number would be very helpful.

Call a travel agency and see if they have a 7 day package available. Then double that if you do it on your own.

The are cheap dives to stay and eat....but if you want comfort and cleanliness its going to cost a lot, lot more.

But seriously...if you don't have enough saved NOW...setting in the bank....you really need to reconsider blowing that much on a vacation and opt for something a lot cheaper. Speaking as someone who once barely made it paycheck to paycheck in his youth because of spending too much and not saving enough. You are one unexpected energency expense away from insolvency.

I think it is great that you want to surprise her, but how far into her pregnancy are you planning this trip? How is her pregnancy progressing? Her health may determine what your travel plans should be. It will also determine what she can do once she gets there.

Does she enjoy the shows and gambling? Will she be upset if she can't drink while there?

Are you planning this for after the baby is born? If so, that will add a whole different set of needs and expenses.

Hey guys! I'm planning a special trip for my girlfriend and her brother in the future. I imagine we will end up going before this years over, but I'm projecting anywhere from late October to mid November. I have decided to take my car since I think renting a car will be too expensive. I would like to know how much on a ballpark average I should save up so that we may have a good time on the vacation.

Some information that may help you help me.

1) I'm the only one paying for food, gas, and any expense.
2) To be on the safe side, I've calculated my ride to go 30 miles to the gallon.
3) San Antonio, Texas to Las Vegas, Nevada is 1278.02 driving miles.
4) San Antonio, Texas to Los Angeles, California is 1353.41 driving miles.

The plan is to drive to Las Vegas, stay at a hotel for 4 nights, then drive to Los Angeles and stay at another hotel for 3 nights. Then, drive from Los Angeles back home.

In Vegas, we want to go to a few shows, eat at some restaurants, and gamble very little (nothing crazy, maybe $200 or so).

In California, we want to go to a beach or something, and here I can't really say what we will do cause I honestly have no idea what there is to do yet, but I'm sure there's something.

How much should I save up on average to be safe? Please include variability because I know this question is difficult to answer since there are not exact specifics, since I myself don't know the details as of yet. I just would like to know a safe amount to save up so that we can have a good time and not get stuck over there, haha.

If there's any other question I can help answer, or an alternative one of you suggest to make the journey easier, let me know.

Thanks.

Glad you caught that cat1864... he's in for a LOT of expenses connected with the birth, even with good insurance... not to mention the costs in diapers alone... all will be far more than this trip will cost. When does he plan on starting to save for those... even without the trip, I doubt they can cover those.

All is well and good, but with a baby on the way... a more realistic set of priorities may be in order. Plus a very pregnant female is going to have a lot of issues traveling that far, and that long at a stretch. And if he's got nothing saved yet... I doubt he can set aside enough in the next couple months. Travel in the third trimester is NOT going to be pleasant for her if she's like most mothers I've known. In fact its going to be iffy for some in their second trimester.

Yeah I'm now reconsidering that this can be postponed till the baby is a few months old. A more family trip! Thanks so much guys.

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Originally Posted by rackcity

Yeah I'm now reconsidering that this can be postponed till the baby is a few months old. A more family trip! Thanks so much guys.

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I assume you will save enough money to take a babysitter as well. Infants aren't allowed in the casinos or shows in Vegas. In LA it is unhealthy to have an infant in the sun at the beach. Without a sitter, one of you is going to have a very boring time.