Fuel-Saving Tips to Stretch Your Vacation Budget

25 May 2000

  'Getting There' Should Be Half the Fun - Not the Expense - Of This Year's
                              Vacation Get-Away

    SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 23 While this spring's gasoline
price spikes irked drivers from Crescent City to San Diego, State experts
offered quick assurance that California's tourism trade would probably go
unscathed by fuel prices.
    In fact, vacation trips in California during the peak summer months are
forecasted to increase 3.6 percent over last summer, outpacing the nation
which is expected to see a 3.3 percent increase.
    Small wonder. California's reputation as a tourist destination reaches
around the world. The State offers vacation and business travelers an
unequalled array of world-class sights and sounds. An intricate network of
more than 175,000 miles of streets, highways and roads provides millions of
visitors a year with convenient access to the State's natural and man-made
attractions, such as Yosemite National Park and Disneyland.
    It's a transportation system so good, in fact, that in 1999, Californians
used more than 14.5 billion gallons of gasoline to take advantage of such
world-class attractions.
    As Memorial Day approaches and the Summer 2000 vacation season begins, the
California Energy Commission and the California Division of Tourism encourage
drivers to assess how gas conservation methods can help them get the most out
of their vacation budgets and help preserve the State's environment for
generations to come.
    While the foremost expenditure for tourists is usually lodging, gasoline
prices can be a sizeable consideration for automobile travelers. This list of
gasoline saving tips from the Energy Commission and the Division of Tourism
will help vacationers learn a few simple steps to control their fuel costs.

    Fuel-Saving Tips for the Vacation Season
    Most travelers would probably prefer to spend those hard earned vacation
dollars on good food, better lodging or entertainment than on wasted gasoline.
For this reason, the California Energy Commission and the California Division
of Tourism jointly offer the following fuel savings tips.
    -- Keep tires properly inflated. Low tire pressure reduces gas mileage and
       causes increased tread wear.
    -- Turn off your engine if you are stopping for more than 30 seconds.
       Restarting your car takes less gasoline than idling.
    -- Remove unused luggage, bicycle or ski racks and other extra weight you
       may have in your car.
    -- Have your tires properly balanced. You need to be "in alignment" to get
       the best gas mileage.
    -- Plan your trip before you leave. Getting lost or having to "back track"
       wastes fuel -- and your precious vacation time.
    -- Use your car's air conditioning prudently.
    -- Learn more about California's public transportation systems. A train or
       bus trip might add just the variety you need to liven up that annual
       trek to the coast or mountains.