19 Ways to Save On Summer Travel

Booking a fun summer vacation is always expensive, but travel prices for the summer 2022 travel season have been off the charts. Recent reports have shown that airfare prices were up 40% in March of 2022 from the first of the year, and hotel prices seem to be accelerating at a similar pace.

With that kind of increase affecting the price of travel, Americans are rightfully concerned how they'll be able to afford a summer vacation this year. This is especially true with high gas prices pushing normally affordable road trip vacations out of reach for many.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to save on summer travel if you're flexible and willing to consider many types of trips. This is even true if you want to travel in luxury this year, or if you want to jet off to some far-flung corner of the world.

Saving money on travel does take some legwork and plenty of flexibility, and that's especially true right now. The following tips can help you pay less for airfare and hotels so you can make fun family memories without breaking the bank.

If you want to save on airfare and you're fairly flexible on where you go, you can compare flights to different regions of the world using a free tool known as Google Flights. This tool lets you look for cheap flights to the "Caribbean," "Europe," or "Florida" instead of only a specific airport, so you can use it to find good deals you may not discover otherwise. All the major airlines are featured on the tool as well, so you can see which one has the best price before you book.

Whether you're looking for affordable airfare, hotels or both, being flexible with your travel dates can help you score the best deal. Once you begin searching for travel over the summer months, you'll quickly find that prices can be all over the place - even over the span of a few days or a few weeks. If you can save big on airfare or hotels by leaving a week later or a week earlier, why wouldn't you?

The Hopper App uses technology and algorithms to help you find the best prices on airfare and hotels. The company even claims the app can predict the prices for flights and hotels with up to 95% accuracy up to one year in advance. Not only can you use it to find the best prices for travel during any month, but you can make sure you actually lock in your travel when prices are the lowest.

As you spend time comparing prices for airfare, you should make sure to check out budget airlines like Allegiant, Frontier and Spirit. While budget airlines typically make you pay for extras like seat selection and carry-on bags, they frequently feature cheap airfare deals throughout the U.S. and other destinations they fly to. These airlines are not typically found within major search engines, so you'll have to visit each of their websites separately.

Cruise lines are still recovering from the pandemic, so there are plenty of awesome deals to be found throughout cruises that depart from the U.S. Many cruise lines are even offering special deals and extras that can help you save big. For example, MSC Cruises is currently offering onboard credits, free balcony upgrades and free drink and internet packages for several of their summer sailings.

Planning a summer road trip? Make sure to download the GasBuddy app before you head out, then use it diligently each time you are almost ready to fuel up. This app helps you find the best prices for gas all along your route, and it's free to use. According to the creators of GasBuddy, its users have saved more than $3.1 billion on fuel over the last 20 years.

While this isn't always the case, a quick comparison of airfare prices may show that most weekend flights cost significantly more. In fact, a recent study from FareCompare showed that Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are usually the cheapest days to fly. With that in mind, make sure you look at several travel dates over your available vacation dates before you book.

Also consider driving to a different airport if it helps you pay considerably less for airfare. After all, spending a few hours in the car and some extra money on gas can be well worth it if you save a lot more on flights for everyone in your crew. At a bare minimum, you should compare airfare prices for any airport that is within two hours driving distance of your home.

The vast majority of the time, you'll pay more for hotel stays that fall over Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. As a result, you can save big if you are willing and able to take a trip over the middle of the week. At the very least, you should compare travel prices to see how much you could save if you booked a trip from Monday through Friday or Sunday through Thursday.

If you're traveling solo or with a group of friends, don't forget you can always give hostels a try. While hostel-style accommodation is less common within the United States, you can frequently find hostels with shared rooms or private rooms in larger cities. Hostels are also incredibly common throughout Europe, where you can frequently stay overnight for less than $50.

Maybe you want more space to spread out during your summer getaway. In that case, booking a vacation home or rental condo could be the way to go. Options available through platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.com let you book a place with multiple bedrooms, living space and a kitchen where you can make some of your own meals. Just make sure to watch out for hidden fees, like booking fees and cleaning fees.

If you do plan to rent a larger place, why not go big and invite some of your family or friends? Renting a vacation home with a group can lead to lower costs for everyone involved, and you can even take turns buying food and cooking meals. Booking a vacation as a group can also mean securing a larger, more comfortable space, whether it's a cabin in the mountains or a villa on the beach.

Also note that you can save on travel if you don't have to fly anywhere, even though gas prices are high. The fact is, airfare is exorbitant right now, and you have to pay to park at the airport to boot. If you're willing to travel somewhere within driving distance, you can cut the cost of air travel from your budget completely. You can also skip the cost of a rental car for even more savings.

As you start shopping around for summer travel, make sure you price out and compare several options you're interested in. For example, see what it would cost to visit three or four different beach destinations, or compare prices at the same number of cruises you are considering. By comparing multiple options and prices, you can make sure you're getting the best deal.

You can also save on airfare by earning airline miles, either by joining a frequent flyer program and flying with airlines and or through credit card spending with an airline credit card. Many airline credit cards also give you perks like a free checked baggage allowance, which can help you spend less each time you fly.

Hotel points can also be useful if you're flexible with where you travel and when. Fortunately, many loyalty programs, including Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, make it easy to rack up points for free stays with their hotel credit cards. Some rewards cards in this niche also offer perks like automatic elite status, complimentary room upgrades and a free night award on your account anniversary.

Flexible travel credit cards offer the most bang for your buck when it comes to booking travel for free or at discounted rates, mostly because you can earn points early on then decide how you want to use them once you're ready. Many travel credit cards even offer welcome bonuses worth $500 or more when you can meet a minimum spending requirement within a few months of account opening.

Finally, don't forget how fun it can be to go camping or "glamping" (i.e. luxury camping). Camping gets you out in the great outdoors where you can spend time in nature and make lifelong memories with your family, and it can be cheaper than staying in a hotel or resort. If you're willing to tent camp somewhere rustic, you can even spend less than $30 or $40 for each night of your stay. Some state parks even offer dry camping spots for less than $15 per night.

A travel advisor works with several partners around the industry. They know the ins and the outs. An advisor has your back if something goes wrong too, which is absolutely valuable in today's world of travel. Plus, many do not charge any fee for you to book with them.