A summer vacation offers an excellent opportunity to spend time with family, and oftentimes it is just the break you need from work to recharge for the busy months ahead. Yet for those who are looking to stay out of debt, finding the financial means to enjoy time away while staying afloat can be extremely difficult. Here are some tips to planning a summer vacation while avoiding a major dip into savings.
Shop for plane tickets wisely.
Timing is a major factor in how expensive your plane tickets will be when you buy them. Most travel experts recommend purchasing your plane tickets about six weeks out from your departure date, on a Tuesday or Wednesday when airlines are scrambling to match deals announced on Monday evening. However, there is some leeway here. First, travel is much heavier in the summer than in any other season—outside of perhaps the holiday season—which means that lower priced tickets are going to sell out much faster. So when it comes to summer travel, it’s best to get your plane tickets as soon as possible. And if you have been following airline prices and don’t see any deals during the middle of the week, buy your tickets over the weekend when airlines are looking to attract leisure travelers.
It also helps to be flexible on which days of the week you’ll be flying. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are commonly the cheapest days to fly since they fall outside of the typical weekend trip departure dates.
One more tip to shopping for airfare is to frequently clear your browsing history as you shop. Plane ticket websites frequently keep track of your browsing and will mark up their prices when a customer has been closely looking into purchasing airfare.
Seek discounted accommodations.
Hotels are, of course, always the most expensive the closer you get to the heart of a major city. Staying just outside of a major city with easy access to the city via public transportation could end up saving you a great deal on accommodations. You can also save money by utilizing an accommodation rental site like Airbnb, swapping homes with a friend you know at your travel destination, or camping if your destination happens to have a camping-friendly climate.
Use public transportation.
Public transportation is almost always more affordable than renting a car. Make use of buses and subway systems when you can. Many cities even offer hop on-hop off bus tours that offer the luxury of a guided tour with the convenience of easy transportation around the city.
Don’t underestimate nearby destinations.
Don’t underestimate the travel opportunities that nearby destinations have to offer. Chances are there is a great deal in nearby cities—even those just an eight-hour drive away—that you’ve yet to see. With the wide variety of travel guides available for virtually any city online, there’s no reason why you can’t plan out a week’s worth of adventure in a city you’ve never been to.