Booking Summer Vacations on a Budget

Travel is expected to increase this summer, but times are still tough in a post-recession America and unemployment rates are starting to increase again. Traveling can be hard with airfares being sky-high and gas prices fluctuating continuously. Everyone should be able to enjoy a vacation, but a vacation can be even more enjoyable if you are able to save money.

There are several things that you can do to try to save on your vacations this summer.

Be Ready to Pay High Airfares

This probably isn't what you want to hear when you're looking to save money, but it's undeniable that plane tickets and fees are costly. Travel experts say that domestic flights cost 6 percent more than last year and international flights have risen even higher. There are some ways to try to find deals though.

Airlines constantly change fares throughout the day, so visit an online travel site and sign up for alerts that will tell you if a fare has been lowered via email. You can also visit a flight comparison site like Expedia.com that will provide you with several flight options at different rates. Also check individual airline sites because they may offer even cheaper fares. If you're booking far in advance, but you don't want to miss out on future deals, book a flight with JetBlue, Southwest Airlines or Alaska Airlines. These companies will let you switch to a cheaper flight in the future and they'll give you a credit to be used towards a future trip.

Don't Be Afraid of Connecting Flights

Although it may be more convenient to take a nonstop flight, it also costs more. A nonstop flight can cost about 20 percent more than a connecting flight. Go for the less direct route and you could save a lot of money. Just make sure to leave enough time between connecting flights. Also, it can be cheaper to fly with one airline and then using another to fly back home instead of paying for a round-trip with one airline. Do your research.

Avoid Peak Travel Times

Try to avoid peak travel times because busy times will cost you more. Plan to travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday because flights may cost less during certain times of the week. Early morning and late evening flights are also cheaper. July is the biggest travel month, so book a hotel for June or August to save as much as 6 percent. Also plan family vacations for mid-to-late August, just before kids are heading back to school.

Out-of-season Locations

People tend to head to ski-resorts in the winter or beach locations like the Caribbean to escape cold temperatures. Consider going to a ski resort in the summer, as they'll be cheaper and still offer fun activities like hiking or festivals. Prices are also surprisingly low for the Caribbean in June and July.

Big City Plans

Some of you may be planning a trip to a big city like New York. If you're heading to a city, go on the weekend, when business travelers and locals are out-of-town and hotel prices decrease. Europe is also facing economic problems, so less Europeans are flocking to big American cities and hotels and desperate to fill their rooms, so they're dropping their process.

Choose Various Accomodations

If you want to save money, stay in a lower rate three star hotel rather than a four-star one. Instead of staying in a hotel, consider renting. Vacation rentals are growing in popularity due to their cheap costs. You can rent a flat, a villa, a vacation home or even a room in someone's house. When renting a home, you can fit more people and split the costs, which will be cheaper than trying to squeeze several people into different hotel rooms for several nights. Rentals can be found on sites like Airbnb.com, HomeAway.com and VRBO.com. Also consider using Tingo.com to book a hotel because they'll rebook your room if the price falls after initial booking. Also check out what deals a hotel can offer. Many hotels may offer free breakfast which can save groups or families a lot on meals.

Don't Go Away

A vacation doesn't have to mean booking a flight and hotel and getting away to a far destination. Staycations are very popular. Simply enjoy the time off at home and spend money on local entertainment like movies or theme-parks.