7 Tips to Get Ahead of Summer Travel

A little planning and strategizing can save you time and money

an illustration of travel literature, a bank card, camera, open notebook and passports on a desk near a computer

Plan strategically for an affordable summer vacation.

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Elaine Glusac,

Updated May 13, 2026

AARP

En español

Updated May 13, 2026

Key takeaways

Timing and flexibility are important, as airfare and other travel costs are higher this summer.
Flexible reservations let travelers rebook if plans change or prices drop.
Looking beyond popular destinations can stretch a travel budget further.

If it’s spring, it’s time to think about summer travel, which is expected to be busy.

“This year has proved that travel demand is not slowing down, even amid challenges from rising costs and partial shutdowns,” says Katy Nastro, a travel expert with Going, a membership service that helps you find cheap airfares. She notes that airport traffic in March and April exceeded last year’s figures despite the conflict in Iran, long security lines associated with the recently ended partial government shutdown, and higher fuel prices (which hit airlines as well as consumers at the gas pump).

Airfares are up close to 15 percent compared with last spring. Hotel prices are also up 2 percent and food away from home, such as at restaurants or from vending machines, increased 3.8 percent, according to an April report from the U.S. Travel Association.

Despite these challenges, travelers can set the stage for a successful and affordable summer trip by using these planning strategies.

Book your summer flights ... in spring

To get low airfares, the airline booking app Hopper advises monitoring flights three to four months in advance for domestic departures and booking one to two months out. For international flights, expect to book three to six months before departure to most destinations, except Asia (the best prices are usually available five to seven months in advance).

For best results, consider traveling in late summer.

“Travelers should look to push their trips to August, if at all possible, [when] they can save upwards of $175 per ticket, versus trying to cram a trip into the start of summer,” Nastro says. She adds that if you can pick a time in August to go, the last two weeks are even cheaper.

Beware of cancellation penalties

While booking early can save you money, plans can always change.

For that reason, always book flexible flights that generate a refund or credit upon cancellation. Most major domestic carriers provide credits for cancellations without penalty, except on some of their cheapest fares.

Hotels tend to have more flexible cancellation policies, often up to 24 hours in advance. Don’t be tempted by discounts for nonrefundable reservations.

Travel insurance can help reduce the financial risks, but remember that standard policies can be invoked only for a covered reason, such as a death in the family, loss of a job or another major event. Changing your mind about traveling is not covered under most policies unless you buy a special cancel for any reason (CFAR) upgrade, which is relatively expensive and often will recover only half to three-quarters of your purchase.

Calculate the true cost of a trip

If you’re considering a package deal, be aware of what’s included when comparing options.

For example, summer cruises to Alaska start at less than $100 a day per person. But most bargain cruises do not include expenses such as alcohol or Wi-Fi. Additionally, shore excursions are priced à la carte. Add any desired extras into the cost of the trip to determine the real bottom line.

The same calculus applies to tours. Trips from operators such as G Adventures and EF Go Ahead Tours may not include all meals, whereas Road Scholar pricing includes more extras, such as meals and transfers. Intrepid Travel offers different pricing based on what’s included.

Consider alternative destinations

Florida, Mexico and Italy are among the popular destinations in 2026, according to AARP’s travel survey of U.S. adults age 50-plus. To avoid high prices and enormous crowds, look elsewhere.

“I always encourage travelers to think off the beaten path,” says Hayley Berg, lead economist with Hopper. “Central and South America have a lot of destinations that offer great experiences and stretch your budget.”

In lieu of the most popular national parks, Rob Stern, who runs the Raleigh, North Carolina–based agency RobPlansYourTrip, is sending clients to lesser-known parks, including Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California, for its lakes, mountains and hydrothermal attractions, and North Cascades National Park, near Seattle.

“People need to be open-minded, flexible, willing to consider new places that are lesser known or expect to have a lot of company,” Stern says.

Track your reservations

As long as you’ve made travel bookings with flexible cancellation terms, it can pay to track them to see whether rates fall so you can rebook at a lower price. Travelers can do this manually by checking in periodically with search engines such as Kayak, Google or Hopper.

Or you can use an automated monitoring service that alerts travelers if reservation prices for airfare, hotels or rental cars go down. In that case, travelers can cancel the earlier reservation — assuming it’s penalty-free — and make a new one at the lower rate.

Tracking services include free AutoSlash for rental cars and HotelSlash, a membership site, for hotel reservations, as well as Autopilot, which charges a commission on any savings for airfares and hotels.

Don’t succumb to rental car sales pressure

Travelers renting cars often encounter a barrage of extra offers when they pick up the vehicle, such as paying for fuel in advance and buying insurance.

Savvy travelers should decline the fuel offer, says Jonathan Weinberg, the CEO of AutoSlash. In this case, renters are paying for a full tank of gas, so unless they return the car on empty, they are likely donating fuel to the company.

Insurance is trickier. If you own a vehicle, your insurance usually covers rentals in the U.S. and Canada. And many credit cards, if you use them to rent a car, also offer insurance coverage for the rental. It pays to review both your own car insurance policy and your credit card perks before you reach the counter.

“It’s important to keep in mind that, typically, rental agents are more than just clerks; they are commissioned salespeople who are incentivized to sell add-ons like insurance, upgrades, prepaid gas, etcetera,” says Weinberg.

Splurge selectively

Though travel intentions remain strong among AARP poll respondents, travelers 50-plus are increasingly seeking deals to maximize their budgets.

Vacationers can level up with little luxuries, such as a day pass to an expensive hotel to use its pools. Websites and apps like ResortPass, Daycation and DayPass can help you find indulgences that cost as little as $25 a day.

Such shared-economy platforms can turn up special and often affordable experiences, including dining in the homes of locals through websites such as EatWith, Withlocals and Traveling Spoon.

As always, mind the cancellation policies, and don’t book anything restrictive until you’re as close as possible to your travel date. Bon voyage!

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The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Freelancer Elaine Glusac writes the Frugal Traveler column for The New York Times and is famous for her road-trip playlists.

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