Five Tips To Plan A Summer Vacation

 

Summer is just around the corner and I have my travel shoes on. This year I plan to work through my remaining U.S. States. However, the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is one of the most popular periods of the year for travel. Your summer trip could burn a giant hole in your bank account which would be stressful enough to defeat the purpose of relaxing vacations. Here are 5 ways—from pre-trip planning to travel hacks to use when you’re there—to help you spend less for an equally awesome summer vacation.
1. Plan as much as you can in advance.

This is a no brainer, but you want to keep in mind at all times how much booking ahead will save you ultimately. The data shows August is the cheapest month for airfare and that Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day are the busiest weekends of the year for rental cars. Travel experts advise to book over 45 days ahead for the best deals on hotels and airfare. 

My first stop for travel research has always been Expedia. As a member the points you earn from Expedia can be redeemed for travel later. Essentially, the more you book and travel with Expedia, the more benefits you get! GIVEAWAY* ALERT: Savings.com is giving away five $100 gift cards from Expedia to build up some excitement around planning your summer vacations! Click here to enter.

Pondicherry, India

2. Don’t plan your trip during the peak of the summer season.
The bulk of travelers (mostly families) plan trips during June-August months, and you’ll save big if you refrain from traveling during that time frame. In my experience, traveling in May or September can get you the best season along with the best deals.
3. Visit destinations that aren’t as popular during the summer.
Based on Expedia flight data these are the cheapest places to fly during summer based on average ticket prices:
Fort Lauderdale
Orlando
Myrtle Beach
Atlanta
Las Vegas
Chicago
West Palm Beach
Tampa
Dallas
Denver

Casco Viejo, Panama

4. Plan (and pay for) activities ahead of time.

Planning a vacation is a ton of work, so sometimes vacation packages can be your best bet, especially if you’re super busy and don’t have the time to separately book cars, hotels, activities and flights.
The best part about Expedia is that you can book all activities plus services you require in one place. So if you need a car in addition to a hotel and a plane ticket, you can book all that together. If you just need a flight and a car but are staying with a friend and not in a hotel, you can book that way too. This allows for some flexibility and various options for everyone involved.

Valletta, Malta

5. Be flexible if possible. 
Ultimately, the best strategy is to be flexible and use all the resources available above to book your next vacation. The more open-ended you are about destinations and dates, the more money you can save.
DON'T MISS: Get $25 back on Expedia.com purchases of $250+ when you complete the rebate form (here) by 12AM PT on July 1st.

*DON'T FORGET: Savings.com is giving away five $100 gift cards from Expedia to build up some excitement around planning your summer vacations! Click here to enter.

• Tuesday, May 22 at 12:00 AM ET to Monday, May 28th at 11:59 PM ET.
• Five (5) winners will receive a $100 gift card from Expedia.
• Users enter the giveaway by heading to the Expedia page on Savings.com and submitting their email address on the form at the top of the page.
• The winners will be chosen through a lottery drawing and notified on Tuesday (5/29) via the email address they used to enter.
• See complete Official Rules for entry instructions, full prize descriptions, restrictions and other important details.

Ultimately, using a website like Expedia to book your travel can be a great tool. Not only can you get great Expedia coupons and Expedia deals on their various deal-specific pages, but you can earn points while you travel and let them help plan your vacation for you. This post is sponsored by Savings.com