Planning Summer Travel? Use These Strategies
To save money on summer travel, book your tickets well ahead of time, use technology and avoid popular destinations.


Looking to cut the cost of summer travel? We asked Brian Kelly, founder of consumer website The Points Guy and author of How to Win at Travel, for insider tips on how to score less expensive airfares, accommodations and insurance.
Airfares are expected to remain high in 2025. What strategies can travelers use to lower the cost of flying?
The number of people traveling is expected to increase, so you need to plan appropriately and use technology. Airfares can change multiple times a day, so you have little chance of finding cheap fares randomly on your own.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Set alerts on Google Flights for routes you plan to fly so that if the price drops below a certain point, you’ll be notified. Try sites like Skyscanner to search for and compare deals on flights.
In general, airfares rise more than they go down, so if you see a price that’s reasonable, book it. You’re guaranteed 24 hours to change your mind, so if the price drops the next day, you can rebook it without penalty.
How can travelers avoid extra fees?
People focus on airfares and don’t pay enough attention to fees. What the airline industry calls unbundling — charging additional fees for seat selection, carry-on bags and other services — has mostly hit economy class so far, but now fees are even starting to hit travelers in business class.
This is where co-branded credit cards really come into play. For the perks alone, if you’re regularly flying a certain airline, you need to have one of its co-branded cards. Even if you fly a particular airline only a couple of times a year, you may be paying up to $75 per checked bag.
So if the co-branded card has a $50 annual fee, your card will pay off with one round-trip flight a year. Look at the cost of the card and the benefits it provides, such as free checked bags, lounge access and priority boarding.
Any ideas on how travelers can save money on other costs, such as lodging?
If you’re going to the places where everyone else is going, you can expect to pay more. If you want to save money, don’t go to peak hot spots, like Italy in the summer. You’ll have a better experience going in the shoulder season to top destinations, like visiting Ireland in May. Think outside the box.
A key trend we’re seeing is people going to Europe in March and April. Scandinavia is a beautiful place to visit in the summer. Go to Iceland instead of Florida. Maybe do your yearly ski trip in the summer in Chile or South Africa, where the U.S. dollar goes even further than it does in Europe.
The news is full of stories about flight cancellations and delays for everything from weather to technical glitches. Should vacationers buy travel insurance?
Most travel rewards credit cards have trip delay and cancellation coverage, and since the pandemic, most airlines are pretty flexible about changing flights. So I don’t think you need insurance for domestic travel.
I do recommend travel insurance if you have a trip that’s nonrefundable, such as a once-in-a-lifetime African safari, where if you had to cancel, you’d get nothing back.
Usually, travel insurance is very reasonable — 5% or less of the cost of the trip. Don’t buy travel insurance through the cruise company or airline. Go to an independent website, such as InsureMyTrip, and compare the top three policies.
The devil is in the details, so take the time to review the coverage and limitations. Sometimes the most expensive policies have the least coverage.
The internet is full of travel hacks. Do you have a favorite?
Last-minute travelers can get a lot of value by using their points or miles. At a site such as Seats.aero, you can search for the amount of points you need to book specific flights.
If you are flexible and willing to be spontaneous, you’ll be shocked at what you can get if you go where the miles are. In addition, hotels in popular cities will often open last-minute deals for travelers who book their stay with points.
Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.
Related content
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Block joined Kiplinger in June 2012 from USA Today, where she was a reporter and personal finance columnist for more than 15 years. Prior to that, she worked for the Akron Beacon-Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. In 1993, she was a Knight-Bagehot fellow in economics and business journalism at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She has a BA in communications from Bethany College in Bethany, W.Va.
-
A Comfortable Retirement is About More Than Money
When it comes to a happy retirement, money can’t buy these things.
-
Four Ways a Massive Emergency Fund Can Hurt You More Than It Helps
Saving too much could mean you're missing opportunities to put your money to work. Redirect some of that money toward paying off debt, building retirement funds, fulfilling a dream or investing in higher-growth options.
-
Noctourism: The New Travel Trend For Your Next Trip
"Noctourism" is a new trend of building travel and vacations around events and plans that take place at night. Take a look at some inspiring noctourism ideas.
-
Eight Tricks to Shop for Glasses if You're Over 50
Shopping for glasses often gets trickier — and more expensive — as you age. If you've over 50, take these steps when you set out to buy a new pair.
-
My First $1 Million: Electric Utility Executive, 56, South Carolina
Ever wonder how someone who's made a million dollars or more did it? Kiplinger's My First $1 Million series uncovers the answers.
-
Ask the Editor, October 3: Tax Questions on the Charitable Deduction
Ask the Editor In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, we answer reader questions on the charitable deduction.
-
How to Turn Amazon Prime Day Into a Travel Windfall
During Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale, skip the fluff — here’s how to extract real travel value via gear, services and strategic credit cards.
-
Need a Reason to Retire Early? Consider These Eye-Opening Stats
The majority of people retire early, leaving the workforce before reaching their Full Retirement Age (FRA). Maybe you should, too.