10 Best Ways to Save on Summer Vacation
Temperatures are rising and the sun is shining and our thoughts are carried over to a fantastic summer getaway, which, let’s be honest, none of us have the time or money to spend on it. However, not all is lost. You can get away, even a little, and even on a tight budget. Here are some tips to help you get started.
10. Go out into nature
Not every fabulous vacation has to be an exciting getaway at a resort in a remote area. Some of them, of course, but chances are there are many beautiful natural spaces , from huge state or national parks to small green spaces in your area, you can lace up a pair of shoes, pack a small (or large) bag full of snacks. , drinks and goodies, and explore throughout the day.
Just remember to put on plenty of sunscreen and a good insect repellent and you’ll be ready to go outdoors – whether it’s a large national park with great rock formations and flowing rivers, or a lazy afternoon with snacks and a bottle of wine. or three in your public park. If you’re on a really tight budget, here are all the days you can get to the national parks for free .
9. Book transport at the best time
No matter how you travel, it is important to book your trip at the right time to get the best prices. After all, your plane or train tickets probably make up a large portion of your total vacation budget (and you have a vacation budget, right?), So the more you save on them, the more money you get when you get it. to the destination.
Some studies say the best time to book plane tickets is eight weeks prior to arrival , while others say it could be at least six weeks . Whatever you do, watch out for the prices , use such sites, like Hipmunk or Google ITA Matrix, to compare prices, flights and various connections , find the one that suits you, and then choose the best rate that you can get by booking directly with the airline. Remember to use these miles on your Bonus Travel Card while you are on it.
8. Take a trip
If the very thought of a plane or train ticket is still too much for you, consider going by car . You still have to pay for the fuel, but if you take a friend and offer to share it, you can see some great sights near your hometown in just a day or so.
We have several maps to help you plan your trip to the scenic United States through major cities or a tour of Europe . If you just want to enjoy the open road, here’s a guide . Use apps like RoadTrippers and FuelMyRoute to check points of interest on major highways or nearby routes, or chart your course and let the app suggest points of interest along the way. Give yourself plenty of time, a full cooler of snacks, and a great playlist, and hit the road. You can explore a lot with a little time for lunch and a couple of cans of gasoline.
7. Ditch an expensive hotel in favor of Airbnb or bed and breakfast.
Of course, you can always save on a hotel if you really want a hotel experience or prefer the comfort that a luxury stay offers. But if you’re ready to cook on your own, or maybe stay in a smaller, more charming place with more personality, consider Airbnb – or better yet, an original bed and breakfast – somewhere near where You want to go.
The old-fashioned bed and breakfast still offers some of the best travel and lodging experiences, and they still represent a fraction of the cost of a hotel stay and offer you much more. When you arrive, we have some tips to help you enjoy your time .
6. Take advantage of last minute travel deals
If you have flexible travel plans, one of the best ways to save money is to go to the other extreme in vacation planning: instead of booking everything in advance to lock in low prices, book everything at the last minute when planes, trains, and all hotels try. fill in the empty spaces (and are ready to take a break for this). In some cases, things like frequent flyer miles are even more efficient when booking at the last minute , so this should be considered as well.
5. Book the complete package
The internet – as well as the ease of booking things like hotels, flights, car rentals, and other specific elements of our travels – made it easy to compare every particular nuance and detail and seemingly save money on each one. However, there is a lot to be said for jumping on the vacation package instead. Maybe that involves using a travel agent who can coordinate everything for you and do it running around on your behalf (for a fee, of course.) Maybe it just involves using a package booking site to grab everything from a flight to a hotel for one low price compared to what you do yourself and see.
If you are booking something like a cruise, a guided tour or even a group tour, packages are worth looking at because you can get a discount just because there are several of you, plus many referral services such as a tour Agencies or cruise lines have preferred airlines , routes and other travel services they work with that will give you a break if they know you are coming.
4. Take a cruise instead.
Speaking of cruises, they can be a great way to have a cheap vacation if you know about all the problems with a cruise. In the end, for one price, you get travel, accommodation, the opportunity to see different places, and usually food and drinks. Best of all, cruises can be very affordable – as little as $ 30 a day if you can rock them .
And even so, there are additional ways to save on cruises, such as booking location change cruises that are one-way and catching a cheap flight home, doing your homework on what’s included and what’s not , skipping expensive shore excursions. Enjoy the exploration on your own as you explore the best rooms, decks and prices before you leave, and of course, find a cruise that won’t make you drink when you get on board .
3. Go somewhere in the off-season
Off-season travel to your preferred destination is undoubtedly one of the best ways to save money on a commonly popular and usually expensive destination. Why fight the crowds and the heat at the same time when visiting Europe during the height of summer, when the fall months are tourist-free and the lines to museums and popular attractions are short?
If “off season” for you means the middle of a cold winter where you want to go, but a very hot summer where you are from, you better think about “off season” when the weather is milder and crowds are still low (and prices are still significant ). Here are handy graphics for over two dozen popular regions to help you plan.
2. Capture a group
We touched on this a little higher, but planning a trip with a group – even if it’s just a group of friends that you travel with and book a block of hotel rooms with and then everyone gets interrupted and minds their own business – can save you a ton of money. Group buying gives you a big edge, and hotels and airlines are often willing to give you a break if you book tickets and hotel rooms for everyone at the same time.
It’s worth it if you and a group of your friends want to see the same place, just make sure you don’t drive yourself crazy in the process .
1. Stay close to home
Of course, sometimes the best vacation is outdoor recreation . It’s a concept that has come to mean everything from just staying at home and being a tourist in your hometown to actually booking a nearby hotel and taking a short break from your own home , but whatever approach you take, the best way is to save money on these things. like transportation or accommodation, of course, you just don’t have to pay for these things.
However, this is a vacation and you should plan it as such, even more so when you do Staycation. It can be easy to just laze around at home all your free time (and if that’s what you want to do, you should!), But a little upfront planning will make your stay as fun, energizing and exploratory as any trip away from home could be.