Traveling season is officially here! But between inflation, sky-high gas prices, and the increase in hotel and airline costs due to high demand and staffing shortages, going on vacation just got even more difficult and expensive.
No need to fret though, we got you covered. Whether your travels include a road trip or flying to an exotic location, our travel tips will help ensure that you save money along the way.
Save Money On Your Road Trip
- Don’t fuel-up off the highway
- Travel to states with cheaper gas
- Travel with friends
- Spend less on travel expenses
- Use the “1, 3, 6 travel rule”
Save Money on Air Travel
- Travel light
- Pack snacks
- Bring your own drinks
- Be flexible with your travel dates
- Travel during the week
- Catch early morning flights
- Fly on no-frills airlines
Save Money At Your Travel Destination
- Hotel rewards programs
- Shop at a local food market
- Travel during the shoulder season
- Cutback on souvenir shopping
- Use alternative lodging
- Visit free destinations
- Discounts and promotions
- Use public transportation
Save Money On Your Road Trip
With gas prices currently sitting at a national average over $5.00, here are five ways you can offset higher fuel costs and keep your road trip plans on track.
- Don’t Fuel-Up Off the Highway
If you can, avoid stopping at the gas stations right off the highway. These stations generally charge more because of their location and convenience for travelers. You can usually find cheaper gas just by going a few miles down the road to a local gas station.
Check out our article of how to save money on fuel for more gas saving tips!
- Travel To States with Cheaper Gas
Maybe you had plans to travel the Pacific Coast Highway this summer until you realized that the average cost of gas in California is the highest in the nation? Or maybe you were planning to take a cross-country road trip, but didn’t foresee that your trip would coincide with the highest gas prices in U.S. history (that antidote was a bit personal).
No need to fret, you can still travel the open road or make that cross-country trip happen if you’re willing to adjust some of your travel routes. Currently, the Southern United States has the cheapest gas prices in the nation (you can see what the average gas price is in the State(s) you plan to visit at AAA.com), which makes this a perfect time to explore great locations in the South such as: New Orleans, LA; Charleston, SC; Nashville, TN; the Great Smoky Mountains; the many beaches and attractions in Florida. Â
- Travel with Friends
Besides lodging, gas is going to be your biggest expense during your road trip. One easy way to lower that cost is to travel with friends and split the gas cost. Road trips are always more fun with friends, and with gas prices at an all-time high it’s definitely going to make them more affordable as well.
- Spend Less on Travel Expenses
As gas prices remain high, you may need to adjust your spending on other expenses to compensate for fuel costs. You can spend less on lodging (have you considered and Airbnb or camping?), on food (pack a lunch for the road rather than purchasing fast-food), or combine the two tips and book hotels that offer free breakfast or snacks.
We also like to use roadtrippers.com and furkot.com to help plan our trip. These sites helped us budget how much to allot for fuel and also gave us ideas of restaurants and other points of interest to check out. Both sites also allowed us to map out our routes and see how long it would take us to get to each destination.
- Use the “1, 3, 6 Travel Rule”
All road trips don’t need to be epic week-long multi-state journeys. You can plan a “nearcation” using the “1, 3, 6 travel rule” until gas prices come back down. This rule is designed to help you find local travel destinations based on the amount of travel time you have available.
Generally speaking, if you had ½ a day to spend somewhere, you should search something in a 1-hour radius, a whole day would be a 3-hour radius, and a weekend trip would be someplace in a 6-hr radius.
1, 3, 6 Travel Rule
½ Day Trip = 1-hour radius
Whole Day Trip = 3-hour radius
Weekend Trip = 6-hour radius
You will be amazed at how much you can do and see in your own backyard! For example, we’re based in D.C. so a ½ day road trip, or one hour of driving, could find us in hiking in Shenandoah National Park, eating crabs in Baltimore, or sailing in Annapolis; a day trip, or three hours of driving, and we can be eating cheesesteaks in Philadelphia; or a weekend trip, just six hours driving, and we could be exploring all that New York City has to offer.
Save Money on Air Travel
According to the travel company Hopper, the average price of a round-trip ticket stands at $330—up 40% from the start of this year. Even though airlines fares are increasing, there are still plenty of ways you can save some bucks starting today!
- Travel Light
If given the choice, would you rather spend your money packing for events and activities, or spend that same money doing them? Well, that’s the decision you’re making every time you decide to bring an extra piece of luggage with you on a trip.
For a 50lbs. checked bag, you can expect to pay an average of $30 for your first bag ($40 for your second) …each way! You can avoid checked bag fees by condensing the number of items you pack or by packing all your items for your trip in a carry-on bag and a backpack that’s able to be stowed under your seat.
Some other tricks you can use to travel lighter is to pack clothes that you can mix-and-match, bring clothes that are appropriate for various occasions, and only pack clothes you can easily wash and dry in a sink if laundering isn’t an option. You can also use packing cubes to make the most out your space and pack more items than you’ll normally be able to carry.
- Pack Snacks
You are allowed to bring solid foods items in your carry-on bag. By purchasing snacks at the grocery store to bring with you on your flight, you can cut down on purchasing overpriced food at the airport. Not only can you avoid paying the inflated prices for snacks, but they’ll also come in handy if you’re also saving money by flying on a budget airline that doesn’t provide free snacks.
- Bring Your Own Drinks
Did you know that you can bring alcohol on the plane with you? According to TSA guidelines, you can carry as many 3.4oz/100ml bottles of liquid (mini bottles of liquor are 1.7 ounces) that can fit comfortably in one, quart sized, clear plastic, zip-top bag.
But heads up! FAA regulations state that:
“no person may drink any alcoholic beverage aboard an aircraft unless the certificate holder operating the aircraft has served that beverage”.
So, this travel hack is perfect if you want to mix up your own cocktail before you board your flight, or you can see if your flight attendant can pour your drink for you.
Also, you can avoid having to purchase bottled water at the airport by bringing your own empty water bottle with you that can be filled up once you get through security.
- Be Flexible with Your Travel Dates
The more flexible you can be with your departure and arrival dates the more flight deals you’ll be able to catch. Websites and apps such as SkyScanner, Airfarewatchdog and Google Flights can help you find cheap flight deals, send you alerts when prices on flights change, and even help you find travel destinations based on your budget and timeframe.
You can also snag cheaper flights by booking your ticket 2-3 months in advance, or playing it a little bit riskier and waiting out for last-minute flight deals.
- Travel During the Week
The best days to fly for cheap airfare are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays compared to Fridays and Sundays when most people are traveling to or from their destination. According to nerdwallet, “for economy tickets, Tuesdays are about 24% lower than peak prices on Sundays, which translates to savings of about $85 per ticket. This means that if you’re able to travel during the midweek you can cut your airfare by ¼!
- Catch an Early Morning Flight
Fares for flights before 8am are cheaper and less likely to be cancelled than late morning, afternoon, or evening flights. Another benefit of early morning flights is that there tends to be less crowds at the airport, so you’ll have a smoother check-in process.
- Fly on No-Frills Airlines
No-frills, or budget airlines, are a great way to travel if you’re looking for a budget friendly way to safely travel to your destination. No-frills airlines such as Spirit and Frontier are able to offer more affordable flight prices because they eliminate traditional passenger services and amenities such as meals and free luggage.
If you do fly on a budget airline, make sure you look up the airline’s fee schedule – they usually charge extra fees for services you might’ve come to expect on more traditional airlines.
Save Money At Your Travel Destination
From rewards programs and discount codes, to choosing the best time to travel, there are a ton of ways you can save money before and after you reach your travel destination.
- Hotel Rewards Programs
Hotel rewards programs allow you to earn points through booking with them which can later be redeemed for free nights and room upgrades. Hotels.com has a great program where you receive one free night for every 10 bookings. Hotel chains usually offer their own rewards programs as well, so make sure you sign-up for their programs too, to gain all the perks and benefits that come with being a loyal customer.
- Shop at a Local Food Market
Once you get to your location, instead of ordering room service or purchasing snacks from the lobby, try shopping at a local food market. Not only will you get a chance to taste some of the local cuisine, but it’ll as be fresher and less expensive than the food you’ll find in a hotel lobby or supermarket.
Tastingtable has put together a great list of the best food markets in the United States. You can also use the USDA’s local food directory to find farmers markets across the U.S.
- Travel During the Shoulder Season
You can save a ton of money just by moving your travels dates a few weeks back or forward to visit your destination during the shoulder season. The shoulder season is the travel period between the peak (high) season and off (low) season.
By traveling during the shoulder season, you’ll save money on airfare, hotels, there’ll be less tourists, but you won’t miss out on shops and activities being closed due to the locals being on holiday themselves.
- Cutback on Souvenir Shopping
There are only so many shot glasses you can purchase before your collect starts to like you’ll need an intervention. Instead of purchasing a bunch of knick-knacks during your next vacation, try buying one item, like a painting, or something else with value and meaning that’ll remind you of your trip.
An easy and inexpensive way to bring back souvenirs is to also take pictures and create a photo album of your trip. You can also get creative and make custom postcards for your friends and family to give as gifts. These types of gifts are more personal, last longer, and sure to come with a story or two.
- Use Alternative Lodging
Hotels aren’t the only players in the game anymore when it comes to choosing a safe, clean lodging option.
Sites such as Airbnb and vrbo give you access to thousands of private homes you can rent out that allow you “live like a local” in locations you normally wouldn’t have access to if you were just looking at hotels. Hostels, B&B’s, and boutique hotels also offer a unique and quirky lodging experience usually for a fraction of the cost of a traditional hotel room.
If you’re really up for a unique experience, try going off the grid and going camping! Not only is camping affordable, but there are 61 national parks across the country that you can camp at and explore. Camp sites at national parks are often available at a very reasonable price, and offer numerous free and affordable activities such as hiking, horseback riding and rafting. There are also a ton of private camping sites available and some camp grounds offer curated “glamping” trips which are become a popular travel activity in and of itself.Â
- Visit Free Destinations
You don’t always need to spend a ton of money to have a great time while traveling. In most cities you can visit museums, monuments, landmarks, parks, food markets and local festivals for free or cheaper than tourist attractions.
Sites such as Tripadvisor, Eventbrite, or even a Google search are great tools you can use to search for free events, activities and even natural wonders at your travel destination.
- Discounts and Promotions
If you already have an idea in your head on what you’re planning to do on vacation, you can use sites such as Expedia to help you find discount codes to save a few bucks. But whatever you plan on doing, it’s always a good idea to do a web search by typing in the name of the activity and adding “discount code or promo” to the end of the search (ex. Grand Canyon discount code) to see if you can discovery some good deals and savings.
- Use Public Transportation
If you’re traveling to any major city, you won’t be at a loss for transportation options. Most cities have vast transportation networks consisting of commuter trains, subway systems, trolleys, buses, electric scooters, and bikes that are easily accessible and usually cheaper than renting a car. Even in more remote areas Ubers, Lyfts, and taxis are also readily available.
You will not only save money by using public transportation, but you’ll also discover new places that you wouldn’t have noticed if you were staring at a GPS the whole time.
If you can avoid renting a car, you can save money by avoiding the expenses that come along with them such as the cost of renting the vehicle, paying for gas (which is at an all-time high right now) and paying for parking. PRO TIP: Check to see if there is a Hop-on Hop-off bus in your city. These are a great way of getting around the city while also seeing and visiting all of their major landmarks and attractions. Not only is it a fun and different way to explore the city without worrying about paying for parking and gas, but usually the cost for local attractions and additional coupons are included in the ticket cost.
