How to Save Money on a Last Minute Summer Vacation

Summer is the ideal time to travel, but vacations can be pretty expensive depending on where you go and what you have on the agenda. This is the peak time during travel season, but you shouldn’t let that deter you if you’ve changed your mind about writing off a small vacation for you and your family.

It’s still not too late to save on your last minute summer vacation with these ideas.

Drive to Your Destination

In most cases, if you are traveling domestically or just a few states aways, driving will be the cheaper option. It may take longer, but you can sight-see on the way, check out national parks and camp, etc. to entertain yourselves and keep costs down even more.

If you’re really on a budget, you can try to choose a destination that you can get to with only one tank of gas so you won’t have to worry about stopping as refilling as often. If you have a reliable and safe car, this is a great option to save on travel and create fun memories with your kids. Even if you decide to rent a car, the price will not be as high as booking a roundtrip flight for the entire family.

Avoid Hotels if You Can

Hotels are very convenient to book when you travel. But sometimes, this convenience can cause some hotel chains to hike up the price of their room rates. If you’re only interested in having a comfortable place to sleep while you travel and being able to explore the area you’re in for most of the day, consider avoiding booking a hotel and use an alternative option like staying with family or renting an AirBnb property.

If you are traveling near family, ask if it would be okay if you stayed with them for a few nights. As long as you’re polite about it, they may be thrilled and most likely let you stay at no charge.

If you aren’t traveling near family, check out AirBnb prices in the area which will most likely be much cheaper than a hotel. AirBnb is safe to use and the rooms and houses listed on the site are often more spacious and have practically everything you need including a kitchen so you can cook basic meals while you’re away to cut down on costs. If you want to split the costs of lodging even more, you can invite some friends or another family to vacation with you.

Travel During the Week Instead of on Weekends

Many studies have shown that traveling during the week can be much cheaper than the weekend. If you need to purchase plane tickets or hotel stays, prices may be lower during the week since it’s usually less busy and more businesses would like to appeal to people during this time to increase their profit.

If you’re on a budget, simply booking a flight in the middle of the week can possible save you hundreds of dollars.

Check Online for Deals and Discounts

When you are in the beginning stages of planning your trip, be sure to search online for coupons, discounts, and seasonal or monthly specials to save money. You can utilize sites like Groupon, LivingSocial, Tripadvisor, and Hot Wire just to name a few. It only takes a few minutes to search for discounts, but it can save you quite a bit of money.

Before I travel, I also check Groupon or LivingSocial to see if there are any local activities I can partake in or I’ll check online for vacation packages and monthly specials for the specific place I’m visiting.

Compare Different Options for Flights

If you have to fly to get to your destination, compare flight prices on sites like Priceline. Also, consider how flexible you can be when traveling. If you had the option to have a brief layover for 2 hours but a cheaper flight as a result, would you take that option? Are you okay with flying with a smaller airline or flying during an off peak time of the day.

If you have any credit card rewards or cash back, they could really come in handy when you’re booking your trip but if you don’t, don’t worry.

Go on a Cruise

Cruises are one of the most cost-effective options for a budget vacation. Plus, you don’t have to book your vacation extremely in advance either depending on which cruise line you choose. If you were choosing a Disney Cruise, you may need to plan in advance and book your trip several months in advance.

But if you wanted to go on a Carnival cruise on the other hand, they are much more affordable and have very flexible dates. Three-day cruises to the Bahamas this month with Carnival start at just $289 per person. Cruises are also usually all-inclusive meaning they not only include your stay, but food, non-alcoholic drinks, daily and nightly entertainment and more. This way, you won’t have to worry about the price of dining out and certain activities and you can truly relax while you are on vacation.

Bottom Line: Carefully Look at All Your Options

Last minute travel plans don’t have to be hectic or expensive. As long as you are committed to sticking to your budget, avoiding debt, and exploring all your options, you can find savings in almost every aspect of travel expenses. Make sure you’re flexible and open to new ideas and alternatives as you look at all your options.

Do you have any travel plans this summer?