A trip to Gatlinburg with the family can run up the expenses pretty quickly, unless you find some ways to save money and still have a great time. Here are some tips on how to do just that.
There are a number of enjoyments available in the area that either don’t cost anything, or else cost very little. Riding the Gatlinburg Trolley is one example. It used to be dirt cheap, and now it’s absolutely free, to ride anywhere in Gatlinburg. This is a great way to explore Parkway first, before you walk it, and pick out your destinations. Otherwise, a blind stroll along this bustling street can present far too many inducements to take the kids into somewhere and spend money, only to find another place another block down the road.
It pays to study ahead before you visit, and to select the specific targets you want to hit. Our Things To Do section contains some of the best attractions in the area, and we’ve tried to give you a fair idea of what you’re in for before you go. Get with the family before you come, and choose your must-see places. You’ll never see everything in one visit anyway, so be selective. Take a look at our indexes to see all the offerings available here, including our Free section for more detail on saving money. Our insider views of local attractions, by the way, are a great free resource for you. We hope you find them useful.
The Smoky Mountains are some of America’s most beautiful scenery, and a visit to Gatlinburg offers lots of ways to get into Great Smoky Mountains National Park and enjoy nature. This is where you truly do need to map out the adventures you want to take in the national park. There are plenty of easily accessible trails and scenic spots such as waterfalls and nature trails, that the whole family can enjoy together in comfort, as we’ve pointed out in our numerous compilations, and as we highlight in that Free section mentioned above.
Staying in a cabin has to be the best deal in the area for a family to save money. You can actually live and hang out in a cabin, unlike other accommodations, and you can avoid having to hit the street to find breakfast or a late night snack. Filled with entertainments and amenities to keep the kids occupied while the grownups cook a meal or plan the itinerary (or laze in the hot tub, of course), the ideal cabin offers the easiest way to venture forth to your target destinations, and return home to regroup.
And finding the ideal cabin means knowing which parts of the area you’ll be targeting, and choosing a suitable cabin in that vicinity – which saves a lot of driving. See our index on Accommodations for an intro to choosing the perfect cabin for your stay.
Free Tickets to attractions can help the budget too, when you have a family to entertain – and we have lots of free tickets for you, as a guest on any of our cabins. In fact, we have the most free tickets of any cabin rental company in the Gatlinburg area, worth at least $1,350 – check out our Trip Cash coupons and the daily special offers for more information. A free ticket might just make the difference on an attraction that makes lasting memories for you all.
Finally, keep an eye on the Cabin Specials that we run much of the time. You can frequently save up to 50% on the price of a cabin, and have a fabulous time in a fully loaded, luxury cabin with great mountain views.
Check our Gatlinburg cabins, Pigeon Forge cabins and our Wears Valley cabins for your best place to stay in the Smokies.
