While many, if not most of you, have your summer vacation plans on the books – for any procrastinators out there (hoping it’s not just me) – here are a handful of tips and hacks from the team at KAYAK to help you get a vacation plan on the books before back to school.
Europe is on sale. We’re seeing airfare drop to the tune of 20-30% from the US to major European cities like Zurich, Rome, Paris and Barcelona. If you have a European vacation on your mind, line up the in-laws for a visit (or if your kids are older than mine, take them too) and get out of town. PS: The cool kids are going to Lisbon and Reykjavik and one of the cheapest weekends to fly internationally this summer is the weekend of August 23rd. (But don’t wait too long to decide, airfares will go up as it gets closer!)
Check out Canada. Our northern neighbors are celebrating their 150th anniversary this summer and offering free national park admission along with a ton of events (not to mention, a favorable exchange rate). Look at Quebec City or Montreal for culture – Banff or Jasper National Park for nature.
Considering the Caribbean? FYI. Hot spots like BVI, Saint Thomas, Saint John are all showing price increases for summer 2017 travel. Price aside, Curacao is one of our summer trending destinations – so that might be one to add to your list to explore if it’s not already on your radar.
To save on hotels – go during the week. Our data shows that Sundays are the cheapest day over the summer to check-in. I’m seeing some great deals – as well as free breakfast offers (mandatory in my book when traveling with my kids) – from hotels looking to get more guests on weekdays.
For Labor Day savings. Avoid traveling the Thursday before the holiday (August 31) as that is the most expensive day to fly during that weekend with median airfare hovering in the mid to high $300 range.
If you need more ideas, check out KAYAK’s Explore tool. You enter how much you are willing to spend on flights and it will show you the places you can go within that amount. Prepare to be distracted for the next 10 minutes or so while you play with it. Happy travels!
Kate Williams (VP, Global Communications, KAYAK) and New Canaan Mom of two boys (4 & 1.5).
