9 great trips for every sized tax refund

Congratulations! If you clicked this link, it likely means you got a refund from Uncle Sam this year. If you’re not already pouring your newfound riches into home improvements or squirreling the money away for a rainy day, why not use it to book a last-minute vacation? Here are 9 great trips for spending your tax refund based on how much you got back.

Also: 3 perfect days in Panama City, Panama.

$1,000 range
This may not seem on the outset like a lot of dough, butpart of our job is to help you stretch your travel dollars further. With that in mind we have some budget ideas that might be right up your alley:

Turks and Caicos

4-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise aboard the Carnival Breeze: As temperatures rise across the lower 48 and Canada, the urgency to make a dash to the Caribbean lessens, thus making late spring an ideal time for budget island getaways. The four-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise includes two relaxing days at sea traveling to and from Grand Turk Island, the largest island in the Turks and Caicos. Interior rooms start at $339 per person which leaves plenty for round trip airfare (for one person) to and from the port city of Miami.

Bally’s Las Vegas

5 nights at Bally’s Las Vegas: We love Sin City this time of year because as temperatures rise, prices drop (and if you’re fearing the sting of the desert heat consider that you have about 100 different pool parties as an option). Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel and Casino boasts an enviable mid-Strip location across the street from the Bellagio fountains and this package, including roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles, comes in at around $530 per person. You’ll have to spend more if traveling from a further distance, but you can stay within budget by choosing cheaper lodging (think Luxor, Gold Spike or the LINQ).

New York City

3 nights in NYC at the Jane You can take a bite out of the Big Apple on a modest tax return. The Jane Hotel, located in the infinitely romantic West Village is a budget bonanza and a super charming one at that (bellhops still wear the old time uniforms!). From most Midwest cities you can book round trip airfare for two and do a long weekend in one of their teeny bunk rooms (with a shared bathroom) and stay within the $1,000 range. If you’re not quite willing to scrimp on bathroom privacy, consider heading to Midtown where the Pod Hotels can get you an en suite room for just a fraction more.

$2,000 range
That’s a fairly generous chunk of change, and if you’re willing to devote it to a life of leisure (and we’re betting you are), we’ve got some pretty sweet itineraries lined up for you.

Cartagena, Colombia

11-night Panama Canal Sunfarer cruise aboard the Zuiderdam This autumn cruise couldn’t be a sweeter way to spend the better part of a fortnight including stops in the Bahamas, Aruba, Curacao and historic Colombian port city Cartagena. The Zuiderdam turns around while inside the Panama Canal and then hits port towns in both Panama and Costa Rica before swinging back to departure city Fort Lauderdale. Oceanview rooms are as little $1,399 per person which allows for plenty leftover for the round trip flight—but for just one person that is.

La Jolla Shores in San Diego

5-night stay at La Pensione in San Diego America’s Finest City is gorgeous, sunny and balmy in Spring (although coastal fog is often prevalent this time of year). La Pensione is a clean, bright and cheerful boutique hotel set smack in the middle of the city’s dynamic Little Italy neighborhood. From here it’s just a short Uber to the Gaslamp District, the ballpark, Balboa Park, Pacific Beach and charming central neighborhoods like Hillcrest, Mission Hills and North Park. Five nights will set you back about $900 for a queen room which should leave plenty for round trip airfare for two.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

5-night stay at the Gran Melia Golf Resort in Puerto Rico We love Puerto Rico because it offers all the tropical island splendors of other Caribbean hot spots but with the thrills of a big city nearby. As it happens, this 8-night package at the Hilton Ponce Casino and Resort offers each paradise seeker a king room with a pool or ocean view, one 27-hole golf course, four restaurants and on-site gaming action and it’s all situated within a stone’s throw from the Ponce Art Museum and Teatro La Perla. Round trip airfare from Newark plus accommodation will set you back $1,327 per person, so this one’s a bit of a splurge more.

$5,000 Range
Who is your accountant?! If you were lucky enough to receive a refund this large we’ve got some great trips planned for you. Hint: Prepare to have your passport stamped.

Saint Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands

12-night British Isles cruise aboard the Celebrity Silhouette Go big or go home we always say and if you happened to receive a generous refund this year you should book yourself a balcony room (starting at $1,299 per person) aboard the Celebrity Silhouette for the 12 Night British Isles tour which begins in Amsterdam and swoops down around the Channel Islands before taking in U.K. gems like Cork, Dublin, Liverpool, Glasgow, Paris and London. Even with roundtrip airfare you may just have enough for a plus one (and you’re welcome to take us!).

Ritz-Carlton in Maui

8 nights at the Ritz-Carlton in Maui We know a bargain when we see one and this 8-night stay in the Aloha State offers guests all the top-notch creature comforts synonymous with a Ritz-Carlton stay for just $1,533 per person from Los Angeles for select dates during the month of May. Packages like this one put visitors to Hawaii’s most popular island just a stone’s throw from the old whaling village of Lahaina while promising seclusion and tranquility. Don’t miss driving the Road to Hana, snorkeling the Molokini Crater and watching the sunrise at Haleakala National Park.

Forbidden City in Beijing

7 nights at the Sofitel Wanda Beijing If we had the dough we’d drop it on an Asian excursion in a heartbeat. This flight and hotel package priced at $2,364 per person including round trip airfare from LAX drops visitors right into the beating heart of China’s three millennia old metropolis where attractions like the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the National Museum of China await. Wanting something bigger and arguably more exciting? Scintillating Shanghai is China’s largest city and a similarly package priced at $2,474 per person puts visitors at the Hilton Shangai Hongqiao.

Tagged: California, Caribbean, Cruise, Europe, Hawaii, Las Vegas, New York