Affordable Fall Getaway: Cape Cod's Provincetown

It's leaf-peeping season in the mountains and forests, and bargains aren't as easy to find as they are on the coast. If you're looking for a quick getaway that won't bust your budget, head for the shores of New England.

Here are seven tips for an affordable fall getaway in Provincetown, at the outermost tip of Cape Cod, MA.

1. Get there without paying a fortune on gas. If you're driving, Cape Cod is a one-tank destination for a considerable portion of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. If you want to leave the car at home, you might take one of the bargain bus services (http://busjunction.com) to Boston, then transfer to the Provincetown Ferry (www.boston-ptown.com), which runs through mid-October. Once on the Cape, you can get around on foot, by bike, and even pedicab.

2. Take advantage of fall packages and specials at B&Bs, hotels, and motels in Provincetown. At the Harbor Hotel (www.harborhotelptown.com), on the far East End of Commercial Street, you can nail down a great price on a cool day -- on weekdays in October, your room rate (including breakfast) is the temperature at 2pm in P-town. (The average temperature in October ranges from the mid-50s to the low 70s). The pool is still open, and there are bikes you can borrow for a quick spin around town or over to the dune trails. Locals crowd into the Whaler's Lounge bar/restaurant for free showings of first-run movies several times a month.

3. The beach is free. While it costs $15 per car per day to visit the Cape Cod National Seashore during the summer, there's no charge during this time of year. The water may be too nippy for a dip, but fishermen cast from the shore and bikers zip along the trails. The Salt Pond Visitor Center is open year-round from 9am to 4:30pm daily (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day). The Province Lands Visitor Center is open from 9am to 5pm daily from early May through late October.

4. Eat well without breaking the bank. Provincetown and the other Outer Cape towns are famous for their high-end cuisine, but you don't have to splurge at every (or any) meal. You can have breakfast at your hotel, and keep lunch fixings in the mini-fridge in your room, or take advantage of the excellent pizza and sandwich joints along Commercial Street. For dinner, Early Bird specials are a little harder to find this year, but Seafood Grille at the Waterford Inn (386 Commercial St.; www.thewaterfordinn.com) has well-priced prix-fixe specials and a solid Early Bird special. Dine before 7pm, and your $13.95 Early Bird special includes a cup of homemade chowder or salad, a choice of seafood and chicken entrées (try the mussels with Asian vegetables over noodles), and a homemade cake of the day. (Monday: Pineapple Upside-Down cake). As the fall moves into winter, some restaurants close down for the season, and others will offer a smaller (and usually lower priced) Winter Menu.

5. Shop at discounted prices. As you stroll Commercial Street, you'll see bins and garment racks of merchandise marked down as stores of all kinds prepare to close or curtail their hours for the winter. The prices on hoodies, jackets and T-shirts drop by the day (in fact, they're practically giving them away in January). The October prices are still pretty good, especially if you don't feel like driving hundreds of miles to buy a sweatshirt in the middle of winter.

6. Save on kennel fees. Provincetown is one of the most dog-friendly places around. Many, if not most, of the lodgings allow pets, and the shopkeepers along Commercial Street set out water bowls for dogs.

7. Enjoy the free festivities. Even as daily life slows down on Cape Cod in the fall and winter, visitors head to Provincetown for its free seasonal events. Highlights include parties and events scheduled for Halloween Weekend, Thanksgiving Weekend, the Holly Folly Festival, and other Christmas-related events in December. Visitors also show up on MLK Day Weekend, Valentine's Weekend, and Presidents' Day Weekend for affordable getaways.