Are you planning to travel this summer? If so, you could be feeling the pain of sticker shock. Prices now seem to be a lot for absolutely everything, including hotels, airfare, vacation rentals, car rentals, train tickets, and many other things.
However, there’s also a silver lining: domestic airfare could drop by up to 16% in 2024, compared to 2023 at some times of the year. Even so, those of you who are planning international travel should plan to spend, as the same data shows that international airfare is up to 10% compared to last year.
It might be true that you could have to spend a bit more to have that much-needed summer vacation. However, there are also ways you can save money on summer travel.
Savings are also wildly available, whether you decide to dip into that hard-earned points stash, get a credit card that offers car rental elite status, or simply stay flexible with dates and be open to alternative destinations.
Here’s a list of efficient ways to save money on summer travel so you can fully enjoy the fabulous summer you’ve always wanted:
Shift your dates earlier.
This could potentially mean many, many things when it comes to summer travel. We all know that sometimes it’s almost impossible to avoid traveling when you have that Fourth of July family reunion, a Memorial Day destination wedding, or even have to follow the children’s summer break schedules.
If you have this option, consider trying to take advantage of the earliest, pre-summer shoulder season. According to more data from Expedia, airfare tends to stabilize in the period right after spring break, but somewhere before summer travel truly kicks off.
If you can shift your trip to early May instead of mid-July, you can also save a significant amount on travel costs. And here’s another cool perk: you can also avoid vacationing during some of the worst heat waves, which also tend to occur in many popular destinations (similar to Europe) during July and August.
Be flexible with your travel dates.
Beyond changing your summer travel dates, you might as well be flexible with dates. It just makes more sense. For no apparent reason at all, hotel dates and flights could be cheaper on one June date than another, or staying an extra couple of days in your destination could mean that a return flight is way cheaper. Try researching flexible dates when you’re looking for airfare, hotels, and car rentals to see what you can find.
Off-Peak Season Abroad: Europe
The majority of kids are still in school in June (at least in Europe), and plenty of cities in southern Europe are deserted in August when extreme heat pushes the locals to move to the beach. You might find that visiting a city such as Paris or Rome isn’t as expensive as you might have thought.
You just have to be prepared for the hot weather. Some off-peak award dates could vary on international airlines as well. For instance, the first 3 weeks of June are generally considered off-peak by Spain’s Iberia, where kids are still in school until nearly the end of the month.
This also means that if you plan a trip to Spain in the first 3 weeks of June, you will probably be able to get off-peak award rates during this time. Also, a trip to Ireland would be perfect in September and October (or beyond, if you are willing to consider a fall visit), especially when Aer Lingus’ off-peak dates run from September 2, 2024, all the way through December 12, 2024.
The Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico
The Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1 and ends on November 30. But, according to the National Hurricane Center, the majority of cyclonic activity takes place between mid-August and mid-October, and the most popular date for a hurricane is September 10.
Well, what does this mean for summer travelers? You could get more affordable pricing but avoid severe weather when you’re traveling to these destinations in June or July.
Also, remember that in some countries, such as Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Grenada, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago, you can sit outside the Atlantic hurricane belt and get a cheaper vacation than what you would normally pay to rent a lake house in a place such as Michigan during the summer, for instance.
We also recommend using a credit card with travel insurance to book that trip, because you never really know when it comes to the weather.
Open to Alternative Destinations
We’ve also suggested a series of ideal destinations and times in which you could visit Europe and the Caribbean, but it’s also very important to select more affordable destinations.
You can easily get to those pricier spots such as Saint Barts, New York City, and London eventually, but what if this is the summer of “going crazy” and visiting something else?
We’re thinking of Athens, Budapest, Cartagena, Chicago, Marrakesh, Mexico City, St. Louis, and many other places.
Where Your U.S. Dollars Stretch
If you’re determined to go far-flung but also save a couple of bucks, make sure you avoid trendy and expensive destinations such as the Maldives and Hawaii. Instead, you might want to consider islands such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, or Thailand, where your money can give you impressive spending power.
The dollar and the euro are still hovering very close to each other, so this is the perfect summer to go to Europe and see those dollars go further. Just as we mentioned before, skip some of the trends that usually end up being extremely expensive, such as Paris and London.
Instead, opt for affordable Eastern European countries or even secondary cities in Mediterranean countries.
Flexible Travel Rewards Cards for Statement Fees, Credits, Lounge Access, and Many Other Things
Some of the most worthy rewards are generally offered on flexible travel rewards cards. For instance, the Chase Sapphire Reserve has a travel credit of up to $300, and the Platinum Card from American Express has statement credits and additional perks for booking The Hotel Collection and American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts properties.
Each of these cards also has different levels of lounge access at airports, which could potentially help you save money on food and make your airport experience a little less stressful.
Some flexible cards also give you perks such as car rental and hotel elite status, discounts and time-sensitive credits for buying from specific travel vendors, and many other useful travel perks.
Co-branded cards for benefits at airlines and hotels
There are plenty of airlines and hotel co-branded credit cards that have all kinds of elite status or ways to earn extra points and miles. These can get you to status or a companion pass way faster.
These cards often come with perks like a free checked bag, upgrades, and priority boarding. All these benefits can save you money and make your travel experience way better.
Open a New Credit Card and Get a Welcome Bonus
If you’re really looking for a rapid infusion of points to use for summer travel, you can easily open a new credit card right away. Then, you only need to make sure you meet the spending threshold so you can earn those coveted bonus points right on time and use them for a summer award redemption.
Welcome bonuses generally ebb and flow, so you might want to find a card with a high bonus. With that being said, it’s also very important to get a card with points that you can actually use. If you’re eager to visit a specific destination but there aren’t any Hilton hotels around, just go with something else.
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