Lock In a Great Deal on a Fall Vacation

People walk on a long bridge over fall foliage.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 4 July 2023

The number of people traveling this summer is the highest since before the pandemic, and airlines and hotels are raising prices to match the demand. But you can find deals on flights and lodging toward the end of August and heading into the fall, especially if you travel domestically. Domestic airfares are expected to drop 6% from July to August and continue to drop throughout the shoulder season, according to the travel site Hopper.

But thanks to high demand and fewer seats on international routes, international airfares are at the highest levels in at least five years, according to Hopper. Airfares to Europe are 24% higher than before the pandemic, on average, and flights to Asia are 60% higher than they were pre-pandemic, according to Hopper.

Flights to the island off Cape Cod drop by 60%, on average, beginning in August, according to travel site Kayak. Lodging can be pricey, but in the fall months, accommodations are more affordable. Even the renowned White Elephant Hotel — Nantucket’s iconic harborside hotel and cottages — drops its rates from $2,200 for a five-day stay in the summer to around $1,395 for five days in early October.

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Nantucket is also home to great food, and in September the island hosts Nantucket Restaurant Week. Participating restaurants typically offer three- to five-course dinners from $25 to $50. For a fresh organic eatery, stop by Lemon Press. Or for a taste of classic Nantucket seafood, try the casual waterfront restaurant Toppers at the Wauwinet, overlooking Nantucket Bay. Both restaurants participate in Restaurant Week. Look for the September dates to be announced and see a full list of participating restaurants at the Nantucket Restaurant Week website.

Just off Florida’s northeastern coast lies Amelia Island, which is home to 13 miles of beautiful beach. Summertime is peak season, as inland travelers flock to the coast for a breezy beach getaway. But the shoulder season on Amelia Island is calm and uncrowded, and average high temperatures are around 80 degrees in October. Round-trip flights to Jacksonville International Airport from major U.S. cities hover around $250 in October and, thanks to abundant routes by budget airlines such as Spirit, you can often find fares for less.

For a luxurious experience with award-winning golf courses just outside your door, stay at the Omni Amelia Island Resort (starting at about $357 per night for two people in the fall) or the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island ($4,995 for five nights in October). Even if you’re not a guest at the Ritz, consider checking out its signature restaurant, Salt, a AAA 5-Diamond restaurant that sources its seafood from the ocean and marshes surrounding the hotel.

Antigua is a standout for all-inclusive resorts. Consider the romantic over-water bungalows, complete with infinity plunge pools, at the Royalton Antigua. If you reserve via Marriott Bonvoy, you can earn or redeem points for your stay. Outside your room, you can enjoy activities such as tennis, cooking classes, beach volleyball, water sports (including an introductory scuba lesson) and dance lessons.

If you’re planning to travel internationally, be sure that your passport is up to date, meaning its expiration date is at least 30 days—or, depending on the country, six months—after your planned date of return. If it’s not, be prepared for a long wait to get it renewed. Standard processing times for passport renewals (which cost $130) are currently 10 to 13 weeks, up from eight to 11 weeks earlier this year, according to the State Department. At a congressional hearing in March, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the State Department is receiving 30% to 40% more passport renewal applications than last year.

You can pay an additional $60 for expedited processing, but the wait time will still be at least seven to nine weeks. Also, these estimates do not include the time it takes to actually mail your passport to the passport agency or center, which can tack on an additional two weeks. If you are traveling within the next 14 calendar days, you can request to make an appointment at a passport agency or center and provide proof of international travel for expedited processing.

Emma Patch joined Kiplinger in 2020. She previously interned for Kiplinger's Retirement Report and before that, for a boutique investment firm in New York City. She served as editor-at-large and features editor for Middlebury College's student newspaper, The Campus. She specializes in travel, student debt and a number of other personal finance topics. Born in London, Emma grew up in Connecticut and now lives in Washington, D.C.