5 Ways to Maximize Your Gas Mileage with a Bed and Breakfast Stay

With gas prices averaging well over $4 a gallon, already reaching $5 in some parts of the U.S., vacationers’ thoughts turn to ways to stretch their gas dollars further while still taking a well-deserved vacation. A few days at a bed and breakfast can often provide good value for your dollar – starting your day with a hearty free breakfast and complimentary amenities like Wi-Fi and snacks that cost money at hotels.  ILoveInns (www.ILoveInns.com) has uncovered five additional ways that a trip to one of our many bed and breakfasts will make the most of the money you spend on gasoline this year.

Travel with friends – the more the merrier!
Share your vacation with friends or family, traveling in the same car and sharing the charges at the gas pump. The Carmel Country Inn in Carmel, CA, has several suites available, including two-bedroom, two-bath options, which are perfect for two couples or a family to share. You’ll have your own private living room, refrigerator, coffeemaker and wet bar but still be able to partake of the expanded continental breakfast buffet served every morning. You can even bring Rover along – this B&B is pet-friendly!

Try a Staycation – Take a Break Close By
A stay-cation involves staying close to your home environs and getting to know them better; some bed and breakfasts are now offering special discounts to nearby residents.  The White Cedar Inn in Freeport, ME, has an unbeatable offer for Maine residents – save $15 per night on your room for taking your vacation within the state in Freeport. While you’re at the Inn, you can use some of that discount for shopping at L.L. Bean or for a Maine lobster dinner, within easy walking distance.  

If you’d like to see more of the great outdoors, take advantage of the Green Staycation special rate offered by the Claiborne House Bed & Breakfast in Rocky Mount, VA.  Book online and save $10 per night on any room, any night. The B&B is located just fifteen miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway and is a short drive to Smith Mountain Lake with 500 miles of shoreline. Hiking abounds in the area, with the Sweet Mountain Laurel Loop trail offering interesting historic sites and the Peaks of Otter Loop wandering through a migrant bird ‘trap’ and songbird breeding area.

Park your Car upon Arrival in West Virginia
Guests arriving at the Thomas Shepherd Inn in Shepherdstown, WV – just 3 gallons of gas from D.C., Baltimore, and much of Pennsylvania – can park the car at the B&B and spend a few days exploring the area on foot or bicycle. The Inn is located on the main street of the historic small town and only one block away from downtown with restaurants ranging from fine dining to casual ethnic options, locally-owned boutiques, independent movie theater, and live music. Bicycles can be rented from Shepherdstown Pedal & Paddle or Blue Ridge Outfitters and used to explore Harpers Ferry via the scenic C&O Canal Path or the rolling farm vistas of Antietam Battlefield just a few miles away.  You really don’t need to get back in your car until you’re ready to check out!

Bicycle from Inn to Inn in Pennsylvania
Bicycling isn’t just good exercise – now it’s a way for you to see beautiful scenery in northeastern PA and stay at two lovely B&Bs – The Inn at Starlight Lake in Starlight and the Stone Bridge Inn & Restaurant in Union Dale. Both moderate and more challenging routes are provided, mapped out with the recreational cyclist on a mountain bike in mind.  You’ll be riding on scenic country roads and abandoned railroad beds, through wooded forests and tranquil smooth lakes. All meals – breakfast, a packed lunch, and dinner – are included with the tour and two nights at either or both inns as well as a shuttle service for your luggage and gear between the inns and back to your starting point.   

The Inn at Starlight Lake has cottage rooms in addition to guest rooms in the main house; for a family outing, there is a children’s menu at the restaurant, no additional charge for children under 12, and pets are welcomed in the cottage rooms. Treat the whole family to a gas-free bicycling vacation!

Look for a Free Gas Card with your Stay
Many bed and breakfasts are offering a cash rebate or complimentary gas charge with a stay. The Camellia Inn in Healdsburg, CA, has an Internet-only fuel special throughout the summer months – a $25 gas card for a single midweek night stay and a $50 gas card for two or more nights in midweek (Sunday through Thursday). In addition to luxurious rooms and suites and a full breakfast each morning, the Inn has a villa-style swimming pool, an evening sampler of wine and cheeses, and is within walking distance of the historic Healdsburg Plaza with antique stores, wineries and renowned restaurants. Check other ‘Refresh and Refuel’ packages on ILoveInns.com at https://iloveinns.com/RefreshandRefuel.htm.

Browse through the 19,000 Bed and Breakfasts and country inns that specialize in other events and locations that may interest you. Many of the properties listed above are also in the best-selling bed and breakfast guidebook Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns with a Buy-One-Night-Get-One-Night-Free Certificate. ILoveInns also offers Bed and Breakfast Gift Certificates, a perfect solution to help celebrate any occasion.

About American Historic Inns and iLoveInns.com
American Historic Inns, Inc. (www.iloveinns.com), founded in 1981, is the leading publisher of bed and breakfast guidebooks, with more than 2.5 million bed and breakfast guidebooks sold, and runs iLoveInns.com, a top bed and breakfast and country inns directory.