Traveling off-season, booking early, playing around with flexible dates, and going somewhere off the beaten path are tried and true budget travel strategies.
But each year brings traffic patterns and perennial sales that can tell savvy travelers when to book and when to travel.
Whatever the timing, it pays to shop for travel to low-demand spots on the calendar well in advance. This means you typically book domestic flights 30 to 60 days and international travel three to five months in advance. Book accommodations in advance, but make sure they’re refundable so that if prices drop, you can rebook at a lower rate.
Despite the caveats, the following are key times to put on your calendar for the best travel buys.
January and February: “The best months”
The year kicks off with two of the cheapest months to travel — outside of ski destinations, anyway.
Most travelers have returned from holiday trips and the kids are back in school, leaving those with flexible schedules plenty of room for where to go for cheap.
“Prices are some of the lowest you’ll see all year,” said Hayley Berg, chief economist at travel booking app Hopper, “and it’s a time of year where you can even book last-minute flights moment and often get a deal.”
For travel in January and February, travelers can expect to spend 15 percent less on flights and 45 percent less on hotel rooms compared to summer rates, according to online travel agency Expedia.
During these months, cities like Washington, D.C. and Chicago attract visitors with dinner and theater events where meals and shows are discounted. New York is now combining its dining, Broadway and hotel offerings into one unique event, the NYC Winter Outing, from January 21st to February 9th.
“My advice for finding the off-season in any destination is to Google a city and a ‘restaurant week,'” said Samantha Brown, host of the PBS travel show “Places to Love.”
The period immediately after the New Year is not only a good time to travel, but also to book trips further afield. You might see tour sales — Exodus Adventure Travels has one until January 20 — and Omio, the transport booking app that covers trains, buses and ferries as well as flights, says January is the last chance to find low prices on European trips in May, June and July.
‘Season of waves’ in cruising
Sales in the cruise industry peaked in the first quarter, from January to March. This is the wave season, when cruise lines issue some of the biggest booking incentives of the year.
The offers aim to reach travelers as they plan their summer holidays at a time when the promise of life at sea is more enticing than the view at home.
Deals often come in the form of inclusions or upgrades, but discounts can also be found. Holland America Line launched its wave season sales this December, offering departures from $129 per person per day in an upgraded balcony cabin. Princess has offers up to 40% off and $99 refundable deposits.
Early bookings give ships a head start in terms of occupancy and enable them to resist future price cuts to fill cabins.
“Given the continued growth of travel overall and cruises in particular, planning ahead can yield huge savings,” said Jenn Lee, president of Vacation Planners, a network of travel agencies.
“Dead Weeks”
Busy spring breaks and busier summers seem to crowd out deals in the early months. But here and there throughout the year are some sweet spots that the travel industry calls dead weeks.
“The dead weeks are defined by a complete lull in travel, when hotels and airfares are significantly lower,” said Ms. Brown.
If you plan ahead, he added, airfare can be half the price and hotels about a third.
Bargain pockets pepper the calendar. Expedia calls the first week of March — roughly between Presidents’ Day and the start of spring break — and the last week of April for cheaper and less busy flights.
The last two weeks of August can also offer opportunities, as long as you avoid Labor Day weekend. Fares in late August average $140 less than peak summer fares, according to Expedia.
But the biggest dead period is right after Thanksgiving and before Christmas, a trough between peaks. There are exceptions – for example, European Christmas market destinations – but even among them, the first week of December can be the best time to visit before the holiday shopping crowds arrive.
Consider a Caribbean vacation just before or just after Thanksgiving, advises Andrew Hedley, director of business development at Tamarind Hills Resort in Antigua.
“The festive spirit is starting to stir, but you’ll avoid the premium prices and crowded resorts that come with the holidays,” said Mr. Hedley.
The fall in prices
Travel booking sites report that airfares usually peak in June. But they usually come back by September. Low fares tend to last through October. (Remember to book in advance to get the best deals).
“The best time of year, for domestic and most international travel, is September and October, when prices usually drop about 30 percent from where they are in June,” Ms. Berg, by Hopper.
According to the booking platform Vrbo, September is one of the cheapest months to stay in a tourist accommodation.
Fall’s credibility as a better market is eroding in some destinations as travelers try to escape the crowds and heat associated with summer travel. In a recent report, high-end travel company Kensington said autumn bookings in Europe were up almost 5% on summer bookings.
Be aware of weather hazards in tropical destinations in the fall, which coincides with the final months of hurricane season.
Offers for the end of the year
As a travel event, Black Friday has exploded in recent years as travel companies try to attract shoppers during the spending season. Black Friday sales often start in early November and run through Cyber ​​Week or the week after Thanksgiving, which includes Travel Tuesday.
Between Black Friday and Travel Tuesday, airfares are 25 to 30 percent lower than flights typically departing from January through May, according to Dollar Flight Club, a membership service that specializes in cheap airfare.
“The sweet spot for these deals is international flights, especially to Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, where airlines are competing to attract early adopters,” said Jesse Neugarten, founder and CEO of Dollar Flight Club.
If Bermuda is on your bucket list, check out the destination’s annual pink sale, which starts in late December and runs through January. Hotel deals tend to be 25 to 35 percent off for travel dates throughout the year.
Travel agents call the weeks of Christmas and New Year the “holiday season,” when travel prices tend to increase with holiday traffic.
But if you’re looking for a bargain city hotel, try the week before Christmas. On HotelTonight, an app for last-minute hotel deals in 94 countries, prices on Christmas Eve are about 37 percent lower than on New Year’s Eve.
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