we didn't travel much last summer

11 People on Why It's Never Too Late to Start Traveling

By Mark Ellwood

The first time you travel abroad can be daunting, thrilling, overwhelming, and life-changing—no matter what age you are. We asked a few Americans to share stories of their first overseas trips, from a 20 year old venturing to Italy as a nanny to a 60-something fulfilling her lifelong dream of seeing the Himalayas. These are their stories.

At 24, Utah-born Lila Emmer was living and studying in New York when she saw a sign for Olympic Airways from the bus, and jumped off to book a trip to Greece. That was almost 50 years ago.

I was taking courses toward my BS at Columbia, and had veered into Greek mythology via a course in biblical history. I wanted to go to Greece but had already signed up for a professor’s summer class—when I told him, he said, ‘My dear, go to Greece!’ So I spent two and a half months in Mykonos . I had a sense of complete freedom. I could do as I wished, when I wished. There were about eight or ten of us [on the trip]: Australians, Brits, Greeks, Americans, South Africans. We lived separately but were together constantly: having breakfast at the harbor taverna , sunning and napping on the beach, and watching the fisherman come in from night-time fishing. Oh, and dancing all night until closing at the Three Muses. That first trip overseas was the beginning of my love of wandering with minimal plans. Since then I’ve been to Tuscany, New Zealand , and northern Vietnam. Next summer I’m returning to Iceland to ride the horses there again.

Miami-born Philtrina Farquharson, 23, took her first trip abroad a year ago, to Thailand.

I had never been out of the country, let alone out of the city of Miami —I’d never cared to because I was afraid of the unknown. But after I graduated from college in New York, I had a new perspective on life: I went in a timid, antisocial student and four years later, came out open-minded, outgoing, and full of knowledge. I’d heard that Thailand was incredibly cheap, and I’m in love with animals, so I researched their elephant sanctuary. When my sister and I visited, I got a chance to bathe and feed the elephants and go on a night safari, where you drive through animals’ natural habitats. They would walk [right] up to you. It changed my life. [Since that trip] I've been to Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, and soon, I’m headed to Europe for two weeks.

"I felt like my heart was going to explode from the beauty and wonder of it," Janine Knighton says, of the seeing the Duomo in Florence for the first time.

Janine Knighton lives in Provo, Utah and runs the blog Putting a Pin In It . She was 20 when she spent several months abroad for the first time, working as a nanny in Florence, Italy in 2001.

[While studying Italian at college] I decided to put all my teenage babysitting skills to the test and get a job in Italy. I signed up with an au pair agency, and after a few false starts, was matched with a family that lived in Florence . I would work as their au pair for four months, taking care of their two-year-old daughter. Nothing prepared me for those first few weeks. I was lucky to be placed with a great family, but there’s no denying that being a nanny is hard. You are intimately connected with the family and yet, at the end, you are a paid worker. I had a hard time finding my place, and it took awhile to bond with my girl and create a solid relationship with the parents.

And yet, I was in Italy. I remember the first time we drove past the Duomo . It was at night, and the whole building was lit up. I felt like my heart was going to explode from the beauty and wonder of it. Unlike most first-time international travelers, who only have a few days or weeks to see the sites, I had the luxury of exploring the city in depth. I loved watching the street performers that would come out after the sun went down, or grabbing gelato and passing the siesta hour in the park, feeling like a “real” Italian.

On one of those afternoons, I opened my eyes and saw a young man standing cautiously above me. His name was Abderahim, but in Florence he went by Gino—he was from Morocco and had been living in Italy for a few years. [Our first date] was magical—two foreigners in a strange land finding a connection far from home. We stayed together for a whole year, and though the romance didn’t last, my love affair with Florence endured. I’ve been back several times to visit the family I nannied for. I even saw them last summer, when I was able to share the news that I was pregnant with my own child.

California-based Trang Pham-Nguyen first left the U.S. at 22, in the summer of 2012.

It was a hot and humid summer of 2011 when I met a Spaniard and two Brits studying abroad at my college in Virginia. Later, as I said goodbye to my new friends, I promised that one day I’d visit them—and I don't break promises. One year later, after working two retail/hospitality jobs at near minimum wage, I saved up for what I hoped would be enough money for a three-month trip around Europe. I flew into London because that was the cheapest flight I could find, and from there I took a mix of buses, trains, and planes, going as far west as Portugal and as far east as Bulgaria. In Spain I got extremely lost and wound up in a city that I wasn’t planning to be in, and a fellow passenger on the train, who spoke no English, helped me get a hotel for the night. It was a little moment that really showed me there are good people out there in the world. Now when I meet other first-time travelers on the road, I notice they have this little twinkle or spark in their eye. A certain type of energy. It’s kind of exciting to see how they see the same place you're in, but from a different point of view.

Sherry Smith grew up in the Midwest, but now lives in New York. Fourteen years ago, she took her first trip abroad, when she was 33.

By María Casbas

By Paris Wilson

By Madison Flager

By CNT Editors

I grew up in the Midwest and my mother didn’t quite encourage my desire to spread my wings, so I didn’t make my way across the Atlantic until I was 33. I forgot to sign my passport, and the guy who checked it [in the airport] laughed when he opened it—it was so brand spankin’ new it made a creaking sound. It was a quick trip— Amsterdam , Brussels, and Paris —and it was in Paris that I became determined to figure out a way to move to Europe. Not necessarily forever (I had a rent stabilized apartment in New York that I didn’t want to lose) but way longer than a vacation, for sure. I applied to grad school, got accepted, and [one year after my first trip], moved into my apartment across the street from the Louvre .

Melissa Smuzynski's first trip abroad was to Zurich, Switzerland.

Melissa Smuzynski was 31 when she first left the country. She lives in Oklahoma City and now works as a full-time travel blogger with Parenthood and Passports .

In 2013, my husband and I had just gotten married and decided to take a trip to Europe. We both spent our 20s building our careers and working extremely hard, meaning we didn’t travel much. My husband had always wanted to visit Switzerland and I’d always dreamed of traveling to Italy , so that's where we went. Although we didn't know many people who traveled overseas, we set off with our backpacks and our curiosity. The sights, the sounds, and even the smells were captivating. We got lost repeatedly as we clumsily attempted to navigate the European rail system, and with every wrong turn and new train platform we fell more in love with travel. After we had our daughter, Avery, people said our traveling days were over. They weren't. In fact, we traveled to 13 countries in the first three years of our daughter's life (her first trip was to Costa Rica). Our goal is to visit all seven continents—yes, including Antarctica —as a family before she turns ten. We’ve already visited four.

At 51, Shelly King decided to leave the U.S. for the first time, flying from her home in Kansas City to Nepal with tour company AdventureWomen .

We moved a lot when I was a kid, but my parents weren’t travelers. Our vacations consisted mostly of hunting, camping, and fishing, and as a young adult I didn’t think that much about travel because my life was fairly adventuresome already—I spent a few months in Alaska when I was 18, and lived in Jackson, Wyoming for four years in my twenties, hiking, skiing, and rafting to keep myself busy. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more interested in other cultures. When my 50th birthday came around, I decided it was time to do something big for myself. The mountains were my initial attraction to Nepal , and seeing them in real life was beyond description. We rose early each morning to get the best view of Annapurna, and I’ll never forget the misty fog rolling in and out of the valleys.

"In Madrid or Sevilla, you just need to find an outdoor café, get busy people-watching, and order a vino tinto or cerveza and a plate of tapas to start forgetting your problems," says Chicago-based attorney John Rauch.

Chicago-based attorney John Rauch took his first trip overseas at age 55, and has been back to Europe twice a year ever since.

The obstacle for me was my wife, Coleen, and our dogs. We had no good place to board them, and she had no real interest in traveling; later in life, she developed claustrophobia. But I really wanted to travel, especially to Europe, and my wife really loved to walk, so putting two and two together I came up with idea of hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. History and Europe for me, hiking and the outdoors for her. Her interest was sparked, and she was curious.

But then she died from breast cancer in December 2015. That was rough. A few months later, I saw Neil Young was going to headline a music festival in Madrid —it was like a voice from heaven. I had to go. Making my way on the Madrid Metro, all in Spanish, to get to my concert venue, was a big deal. I planned the route carefully, where to get on the train, where to get off; I asked for help at the customer service counter at the Sol station to confirm my plans; I double, triple and quadruple checked the signs and the map and the app on my phone… and on the train I realized that the stop to get out for the Neil Young concert was the one where all the other balding, pot-bellied old geezers in black concert t-shirts got out, too. It was just like going to a Cubs game in Chicago.

My wife was a huge Neil Young fan, too, so that trip was in large part a memorial to her and another friend, Brenda, who had also died. Before I went, I had photos of them both laminated and at the concert venue, I tied the photos to a structure where I was standing—part of a walkway through the crowd. Having them, or at least their photos, there with me made it feel like I was sharing the concert with them. I learned that traveling alone is nothing to be afraid of . My wife and I did pretty much everything together when she was alive, and I wasn’t sure how being alone for an extended time would be. I did get lonely a few times, but I learned that in Madrid or Sevilla, you just need to find an outdoor café, get busy people-watching, and order a vino tinto or cerveza and a plate of tapas to start forgetting your problems.

Myra Oldham is a retired English professor whose first overseas trip was to China at age 54 in 2002.

I had begun to travel around the U.S. several years prior, because my son was a pilot for a major airline and I got free travel—it was then that the “travel bug” bit me. Later, I heard an adoption agency owner from Lexington speak about an upcoming group trip to China to visit orphanages, and without hesitation, I signed up.

Things I wish I had known before that trip: wear compression socks/stockings (my legs were so swollen when I arrived in China and stayed that way for weeks); travel-sized peanut butter is a lifesaver, as are energy bars and other healthy, quick foods; pack light and pack quick-drying clothes; only take “tried-and-true” shoes to save your feet.

After that, I took a three-week Christian educational trip with a group to Mongolia , and during that time I signed a contract to return a few months later and teach English at a technological institute. So, at age 62, I packed up my home, gave away my dog, kissed my kids and grandkids goodbye and went to live in Mongolia—with total confidence that I could learn to function in a country where I didn’t know the language. I returned to the U.S. in 2009, but Mongolia was one of my life’s highlights . Many friendships have come as a result of my living there, and I love traveling to countries that have a culture entirely different from the U.S. It’s way more challenging and eye opening for me.

Ruth Griggs, who lives in Boise, Idaho, traveled with Road Scholar for her first trip to Europe when she was 50, along with her mom and her sister.

My mother is an avid traveler, and when I was about to turn 50, she said: “Every mother should get to introduce her daughter to Paris.” She raised me to have a great appreciation for art, and one of my so-called “bucket list” list items was to see the Louvre. The pure wonder of being there was unforgettable. Traveling abroad changes you forever—you never see the world quite the same ever again. After that Paris trip I knew I wanted to go everywhere and see everything I could. We’ve started a tradition of deciding on the flight home what our next trip would be—if I don’t have a trip in my future now, I’m not happy—and next up is a Road Scholar trip in October to Montreal and Quebec City. Strangely enough, I’ve never been to Canada, and I know about as much about Canadian history as most Americans, which is embarrassingly little. I think I should know more about our neighbor.

Elizabeth Ramm finally fulfilled a secret dream in her 60s: to see the Himalayas.

Retired Montessori teacher Elizabeth Ramm grew up in Bothell, Washington. She took her first trip overseas eight years ago, when she was 63.

My husband and I raised five children, which sort of took everything, and setting up travel had always seemed daunting. But then my husband and I decided to travel to Kathmandu, Nepal to visit one of our sons who was stationed there as an embassy guard with the Marine Corps. We had no idea how to organize getting to Nepal, so we turned to a local travel agent for help. It worked out perfectly.

We had to stop somewhere [en route] so we decided on Hong Kong , and I was in awe of the view of all the ships off the coast of Hong Kong as we got closer to land—I love to watch the maps on the seatback monitors and look out the window as we fly, even when it’s just ocean for hours. Once we were in Kathmandu, we took a local plane ride to see the Himalayas (a secret dream that I never expected to fulfill) and explored the countryside, too. Since that first adventure, we’ve worked with our travel agent to develop trips to Italy, Austria, Germany, South Africa, and Namibia . Our next trip begins in a week: We’ll be driving across the U.S. for seven weeks, checking out landscape, history, quirky places, and seeing friends and relatives.

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20 Summer Travel Tips: Beat the Heat, Avoid Crowds, and Save Money

By: Author Zachary Friedman

Posted on Last updated: June 5, 2024

Categories Travel Tips

Home » Travel » Travel Tips » 20 Summer Travel Tips: Beat the Heat, Avoid Crowds, and Save Money

Every season presents its own set of challenges while traveling. Even though the weather is beautiful, the summer travel season is crowded, hot, and expensive. In this guide, I outline some of the most important summer travel tips to help you beat the heat, avoid the crowds, and save money. Hopefully, this makes your summer vacation a little smoother and less stressful.

1. Use Sunscreen

Even though it’s annoying to apply, you have to wear sunblock during the summer. S unblock prevents one of the most common travel injuries, sunburn. A bad sunburn can quickly ruin a trip.

When purchasing sunblock, look for one with an SPF of at least 30. This blocks 97% of UVB rays. These are the most dangerous to your skin. Choose a waterproof sunblock if you plan to spend time at the beach or pool.

Read the label and follow the instructions on the bottle. How often you reapply depends on your level of activity, how much you’re sweating, and the intensity of the sun. Most recommend that you reapply every couple of hours while you’re out and about.

Also, consider the size of the bottle. Remember that you can only pack bottles that are smaller than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters in your carry-on toiletries bag. This is important if you’re an ultralight traveler.

2. Drink Plenty of Water While Traveling in the Summer

While traveling during the summer, you’ll sweat a lot. You need to drink a lot to stay hydrated. The amount of water that you need to drink depends on your level of activity and body size. Most people need to drink 2-4 liters of water per day to stay properly hydrated. If you’re having a particularly active day, you may need to drink far more than that.

It’s easy to forget to drink while you’re traveling. You just get too preoccupied with sightseeing and activities. It’s a good idea to carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go and sip throughout the day.

During a day of sightseeing in Delhi, I climbed into a rickshaw. The driver turned around to me and said with his Indian accent “Oh god, it’s so hot! 47 today!” When a Delhi native says it’s hot, it’s hot. All day, I was sweating as fast as I could drink. Over the course of a few hours, I drank 6 liters of water. I remember looking at my forearms and noticing they were dripping wet. I thought to myself, where did all of this water come from? It took me a minute to realize it was sweat!

3. Get Out of the Heat During the Hottest Time of Day

In many cultures, people take a break during the hottest time of the day to get out of the sun and rest for a bit. This is common in the tropics. For example, you ‘re probably familiar with the siesta if you’ve traveled in Latin America. This is a short nap usually taken in the afternoon after lunch. It’s a great way to beat the heat.

While traveling during the summer, try to get up early and go sightseeing in the morning. The hottest time of the day is usually around 3-5 pm. Find a shady or air-conditioned place to rest for a few hours during this time. Continue your day after it cools off a bit in the late afternoon or early evening.

4. Book in Advance during the Busy Summer Travel Season

Summer is the busy season for many popular travel destinations in North America and Europe. It’s important to book in advance during the summer. In some places, overtourism is becoming an issue during peak season. Some destinations are so overrun with tourists that you may miss out if you wait until the last minute to make reservations. Make your summer travel plans early. Ideally, you should book during the winter or early spring.

Booking your airline ticket in advance is particularly important. Flights fill up and last minute tickets are extremely expensive. Try to book a couple of months in advance for international flights and at least a month in advance for domestic flights. Generally, it’s cheaper to travel during the middle of the week on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Weekend flights are more expensive. Consider changing your travel date to mid week to save a few bucks.

I like to use Google Flights to price out tickets then I book directly with the airline. Google Flights allows you to see how the flight prices trend over time so you know if you’re getting the best deal or not. You can also set alerts and they will email you when there are price drops.

You should also book your accommodation well in advance when traveling during the summer. In some particularly busy cities, beds fill up a couple of weeks in advance. When I went to Amsterdam, I waited until the last minute to book. There was nothing available in my price range so I ended up camping just outside the city. I had the same problem in Paris a few summers ago, I waited until the last minute to book a bed in a hostel dorm. I ended up having to stay on the edge of the city because everything else was booked.

If you need a rental car you should also book well in advance. Rental cars can sell out. They also get extremely expensive when demand is high.

I don’t like having to book in advance. I prefer to keep my schedule open because it allows for more spontaneity in my trip. When I’m traveling to a busy destination during the summer, I always try to book at least a month in advance. Last summer, I tried to book a last minute trip to Europe but prices were way too high for me so I skipped it and went to South America instead.

5. Book Tours and Activities as Early as Possible

Some tours and activities must be booked far in advance during the summer. If you only have a limited amount of time for your trip, you can’t just show up and expect to find availability in the summer. Reservations are often required.

For example, some national parks now require reservations during peak season. Oftentimes you need a reservation to hike specific trails. This is necessary to control crowds. Many theme parks, like Disney World, also require reservations during peak season. Usually, there are some entry slots available but you may not get the best entry times. You may also need to book in advance to visit some museums these days. Sometimes walk-ups are no longer accepted. If you want to eat at the best restaurants, you’ll have to make reservations during the summer. Sometimes you even have to make reservations for pool side cabanas at resorts and on cruises.

Before your trip, you should research all of the activities you plan to do to see whether or not a advance booking is required. Showing up without a reservation could really spoil a trip.

Of course, if you aren’t limited by time, you can often wait around until there is a cancellation or opening. This is a good way to save some money as well. Sometimes you can score last minute deals in the summer but you shouldn’t rely on this unless you’re okay with missing out.

6. Pay a Little Extra for an Air Conditioned Hostel or Hotel Room

Most budget hotels and hostels in hot climates offer AC and non-AC rooms. Expect to pay $5-$15 more for an AC room. If you have room in your budget, I recommend you spend the extra money to have an AC room while traveling during the summer.

Traveling in hot climates gets exhausting. Sometimes the heat gets so intense that you just don’t want to do anything. It makes you feel sluggish. Having an air-conditioned room gives you a space to retreat to during the hot time of day and recharge. AC can greatly improve your comfort and quality of sleep. You’ll have more energy for sightseeing if you can escape the heat once in a while.

7. Be Prepared to Deal with Bugs During the Summer

Mosquitoes, ticks, bees, and ants are out in full force during the summer. Depending on where you’re traveling, bugs can be just a simple annoyance or a major health risk. Insects can carry a number of potentially deadly diseases including malaria, dengue fever, West Nile Virus, Yellow Fever, and Lyme disease.

Before you travel, it’s a good idea to do some research on which types of insects you could encounter. You should also take some precautions to avoid dangerous insect-transmitted diseases while traveling.

To stay safe, u se insect repellent. A good repellent is effective against mosquitoes, ticks, bees, ants, and many other annoying critters. You should also s leep under a bug net in areas where malaria is a risk. Protect yourself from mosquitoes while you sleep. It’s also important to c over up when the bugs are out. Wear long sleeves to prevent bites and stings. This is particularly important during the mornings and evenings while the bugs are at their worst. In the evening, check yourself for ticks if you’re spending time in the outdoors. You should also consider taking malaria prophylaxis if you’re traveling in malaria zone. Consult with a doctor to help you decide whether or not this is necessary for your trip.

If you begin experiencing flu-like symptoms including headache, fever, aches, chills, nausea, etc. visit a local clinic to get checked out. Some of the above diseases can hit you fast and hard if left untreated.

8. Wear Sunglasses

It’s a good idea to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Particularly UV B rays. Overexposing your eyes to the sun can lead to cataracts, macular degeneration, and other problems down the line.

If you wear corrective lenses like I do, consider purchasing a pair of prescription sunglasses. If you’re on a budget, you can purchase a cheap pair of prescription sunglasses from an online glasses shop.

For more tips, check out my guide: Tips for Travel with Glasses and Contacts.

9. Carry Some Warm Clothes

Even in hot climates, it can get chilly at night. Some destinations may be colder than you expect because of elevation, wind, or below-average temperatures. Some businesses crank up the air conditioning to an uncomfortable level. It’s important to at least pack a sweatshirt or jacket and one pair of long pants while traveling in the summer. You need something to keep you warm.

While camping in the Namib desert when visiting Sossusvlei , I decided I didn’t need any warm clothes. Temperatures were in the 90s every day, after all. I realized my mistake that night at camp. Temperatures dropped into the 40s and I froze in my tent all night. Luckily my buddy lent me his extra jacket so I was able to make it through the night. I didn’t get much sleep though. These days, I always travel with a jacket, even in the tropics.

10. Carry Wet Wipes

While traveling you sometimes find yourself in a situation where you have to go a couple of days without a shower. Maybe your flight gets delayed and you’re stuck in transit or maybe you’re visiting someplace remote.

Whatever the case, it’s nice at least to be able to freshen up a bit. This is particularly important during summer travel where you’re sweating a lot. After a couple of days without bathing, you begin to feel a bit gross.

I like to carry wet wipes so I can give myself a little sponge bath. Simply wiping the dust and sweat off my face and body makes me feel so much better. It’s not as good as a shower but at least I feel a bit less filthy after.

Wet wipes also come in handy for removing sunblock. Sometimes sunblock can run into your eyes and start to burn. You can use a wet wipe to wash it away.

11. Consider Choosing a Destination that’s in the Off-Season

Not everywhere is busy during the summer. In some destinations, summer is the off-season. If you don’t feel like dealing with the crowds, consider choosing a destination that is off-season during the summer. You can save money on airfare, hotel rooms, and tours. Beaches, restaurants, and tourist sites will be less busy as well.

For example, one of the most popular regions for travelers to visit is Southeast Asia. Tourism is significantly lower from June through September because that is the wet season. If you don’t mind dealing with a bit of rain every day, you can beat the crowds and enjoy lower prices. It’s not the best time to visit but it usually only rains for an hour or so per day.

You could also travel to the southern hemisphere. When it’s summer in North America and Europe, it’s winter in Australia, South America, and South Africa. These can be great destinations during the winter. I went to Argentina and Brazil last year. Prices were lower and it wasn’t crowded at all. The weather was a bit cool but it was comfortable. North American summer was a good time to go.

12. Pack Light

One of the best parts of summer travel is being able to pack light. You don’t need bulky boots or a parka. You can easily pack all of your gear into a carry-on size bag for a summer trip if you pack carefully.

Using only carry-on bags will also save you time and money at the airport. You won’t have to wait in long lines to drop your bag off. You also won’t have to pay for expensive checked bag fees. Carry-on items are also less likely to get lost, damaged, or stolen.

If you usually overpack and need some help cutting down the weight and bulk of your pack, check out my ultralight travel packing list.

13. Go Camping

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors. Camping is a great way to avoid the crowds and tourist traps in the city. As an added bonus, you’ll save on accommodation.

The nice thing about camping during the summer is the fact that you can get away with minimal shelter. You don’t need expensive gear to sleep outside on a hot summer night. 

These days, I always travel with a tent and camp whenever the opportunity comes up. There’s just something thrilling about sleeping outside under the stars. It helps with the budget as well. 

For some summer camping tips, check out my camping safety guide  and my car camping tips.

14. Pack a Pair of Long Pants and a Long-Sleeved Shirt

You can’t wear shorts and a t-shirt everywhere you go. For example, while traveling in conservative countries, sometimes you must cover up in order to visit some temples, mosques, and even museums. In some countries, bars and restaurants may have dress codes. If you don’t have the proper clothes, you won’t be permitted to enter.

While traveling in Thailand, a few fellow travelers and I decided to visit the Skybar from Hangover Part II. Before we went, we read about their dress code online. They required that you wear long pants to enter. One of the guys didn’t pack any long pants. He ended up waiting in the lobby while the others and I enjoyed the spectacular view. 

15. Consider Signing Up for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Clear

Airports can be extremely busy during the summer travel season. There are long security lines and long lines at immigration. These programs can save you hours in the airport. The right one for you depends on where you travel.

TSA PreCheck and Clear are expedited security programs. They allow low-risk travelers to pass through the security line faster. With TSA PreCheck, you pass through a separate line that is much shorter than the regular line. You usually don’t have to remove liquids from your bag or remove your shoes. It makes the whole security process much smoother and faster. TSA PreCheck costs about $78 for 5 years.

Clear is a similar program that is run by a private company. It is designed to expedite the security process. There is a special line for Clear members at the TSA checkpoints. In my experience, the lines for Clear are nearly as long as the standard lanes. Right now Clear is available at around 55 airports. It costs about $189 for 5 years. Sometimes you can get a discount through your travel credit card.

Global Entry is designed for international travel. With Global Entry, there is a shorter line at immigration that you can use when you return to the United States. Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck. It costs around $100 for 5 years.

16. Open a Travel Credit Card

Travel credit cards can come with perks that make travel smoother and easier. For example, some credit cards give you entry to airport lounges. Some cover Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Clear fees. You may be able to get some extra perks like upgraded hotel rooms or rental cars.

There are lots of different travel credit cards available. A couple of popular options include American Express Platinum card and Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Having the right credit card can save you a lot of money and make air travel a little smoother.

17. Do your Research and be Prepared

You don’t need to plan your whole trip out day-by-day, but you should research every activity you plan to do and create a rough outline of your trip. This is particularly important during summer travel because many destinations are just so crowded. You don’t want to miss out on something cool because you didn’t do your research.

Before you leave home, you should check your passport expiration date. Most countries require that your passport still have 6 months of validity. If your passport is expiring soon, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to renew it. It can take 6-8 weeks to get a new passport. You should also make sure you have enough blank pages. Some countries require at least 2 blank pages.

It’s also important to research visas. If you need to apply for visas in advance, make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Don’t wait until your departure date.

You should also take some time to research safety. Read travel advisories. Sometimes, there are neighborhoods or entire regions that you should avoid.

Of course, you should also research accommodation. Check the prices and availability. It’s also a good idea to research transportation. Check the schedules and pricing. If you plan to rent a car, book far in advance.

You’ll also want to research things to do. See which activities require a reservation and which don’t. Of course, you’ll also want to price everything out to make sure you have room in your budget.

18. Have Travel Insurance

Even though it is an extra expense, it’s a good idea to have insurance. In the event of a catastrophe, insurance can save you a lot of money and stress.

In the past, I never bought travel insurance. These days, I’m a bit more cautious. The expense is minimal when compared to what I’d end up spending if a major accident were to happen.

If you’re traveling with expensive gear like computers and photography equipment, you might consider buying extra insurance for your belongings.

19. Find Some Free Things to Do

Summer travel is expensive. To save some money, look for some free things to do. For example, you can take a free walking tour, look for free days at museums, go to the beach, go hiking, go to a library, visit a city park, or walk through some local markets. This is one of the best ways to save money. There are lots of free things to do. For more ideas, check out my list of free things to do while traveling.

20. Get Your Car Serviced If You’re Taking a Road Trip

Before leaving home, get an oil change and have the mechanic give your car a quick inspection to make sure it’s ready for the trip. Make sure the fluids are all topped off. Air up the tires. Check all of the lights to make sure they’re working.

If you’re planning a long trip, pack some emergency gear like blankets, a first aid kit, a flashlight, and some jumper cables. Make sure you have enough water. Consider paying for roadside assistance insurance so you can get some help if you break down. Also, make sure your cell phone is charged.

Final Thoughts

Summer isn’t the greatest time to travel. It’s the hottest, busiest, and most expensive part of the year. Dealing with the heat and the crowds gets stressful. Unfortunately, it’s the only chance many people get to take their vacation. Hopefully, these summer travel tips help you save some money and have safe travels this season.

Do you have any summer travel tips? Share your experience in the comments below!

Pin it for later!

More from Where The Road Forks

• Winter Travel Tips for Cold Weather Destinations
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Zachary Friedman is an accomplished travel writer and professional blogger. Since 2011, he has traveled to 66 countries and 6 continents. He founded ‘Where The Road Forks’ in 2017 to provide readers with information and insights based on his travel and outdoor recreation experience and expertise. Zachary is also an avid cyclist and hiker. Living as a digital nomad, Zachary balances his professional life with his passions for hiking, camping, cycling, and worldwide exploration. For a deeper dive into his journey and background, visit the About page. For inquiries and collaborations, please reach out through the Contact page. You can also follow him on Facebook.

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Is This the End of the Summer Vacation as We Know It?

This year, everything from scorching heat to fires, floods, tornadoes and hail storms driven by climate change have disrupted the plans of travelers around the world. A summer getaway remains a powerful desire, but it’s at a tipping point.

By Mac Schwerin

You can’t escape the orange. That’s what travelers this summer have been reckoning with — swaths of tangerine, traffic cone and burnt sienna on maps indicating record high temperatures around the globe. Four concurrent heat domes from the southern United States to East Asia descended on millions — Phoenix residents enduring 31 days of 110-degree-plus temperatures. Italians in more than a dozen cities under extreme weather warnings . And in South Korea, at least 125 people were hospitalized for heat-related conditions at the World Scout Jamboree.

In Florida, it got so bad in June that Jacki Barber, 50, a clinical social worker and eighth-generation Floridian, canceled a beach trip to St. Augustine. “The water temperature was like 89 degrees,” Ms. Barber said.

“We’re used to hurricanes ruining plans, tropical storms, even just bad thunderstorms,” she said. “But I don’t recall ever looking at anyone and saying ‘It’s too hot to go to the beach.’”

As the summer travel engine kicked into high gear this year, it wasn’t just the scorching heat affecting carefully laid plans. There were also fires, floods, tornadoes and hail storms. Eight inches of rainfall left parts of Vermont coping with catastrophic floods . Tens of thousands of people, including thousands of tourists, had to evacuate islands in Greece because of wildfires. (Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday offered a free weeklong stay in 2024 to those travelers affected — in spring or fall.) The popular music festival Awakenings canceled a date in the Netherlands because of concern over hail, lightning and thunderstorms .

Increasingly dangerous weather now hits classic summer destinations, with conditions growing more erratic, expensive and deadly. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States has experienced four climate disasters since May, each causing over a billion dollars in damages. The National Park Service estimates that more visitors have died of heat-related causes since June than do in an average year. The indirect toll is almost certainly higher: A recent study found that summer heat waves killed 61,000 people in Europe last year .

Summer trips have long been treasured. Sure, airport lines are longer and hotel rooms go quicker, but school’s out, the sun’s out and beaches beckon. Summer travel cuts across social class; whether you go to a state fair or Sardinia, you cash in precious vacation days. You suntan, you eat more indulgently and reach for your wallet with less angst. Travel helps you hide from reality, or at least pause it for a bit.

But even if the idea of a summer getaway remains culturally resilient, is it still practical? Where to go is certainly less obvious — you can’t hide from reality when reality is 100-degree seawater, or a raging wildfire.

For decades, science has confirmed that unabated climate change will cause more misery, more hardship and cost millions of lives in the years to come . We’re getting a taste of the results this summer. Our relationship to travel has reached a tipping point. What happens when we can’t just vacation through it?

Strong demand, migrating patterns

Despite all the crises, global arrivals — the total number of tourists who cross a border — are projected to be up 30 percent from last year, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit , a research division of the media company. The World Tourism Organization reports that travel to Europe is now at 90 percent of prepandemic levels.

And tourism is big business. The sector’s growth outperformed global gross domestic product growth by more than 40 percent in 2019 , according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. That same year it employed 333 million people worldwide — equivalent to one in 10 jobs — and accounted for more than 10 percent of the global economy.

So endless lines once again stretch toward the Louvre, around the Colosseum and up the steps to the Acropolis (which has already closed several times this summer during the afternoon hours). The visitors who line up there and at other destinations aren’t easily deterred by sweltering temperatures. They bought flights, they paid for rooms, and they scheduled and apportioned their limited time. A spokeswoman for Booking.com, Leslie Cafferty, said that the company was “not seeing any signals of people pivoting or rethinking their original travel plans.”

Susanne Becken, a professor of sustainable tourism at Griffith University, in Australia, said the issues we face are compounded in part by consistent global tourism practices over the past 50 years.

“Everything has been geared for that desire to seek the sun,” she said. Think of the airports, accommodations and other capital-intensive projects erected to serve the visitors of historically sunny places. “Accordingly, we’ve built massive infrastructure in the likes of the Mediterranean and Mexico and so on.”

Now Italy offers nearly 1.1 million hotel rooms; Finland has fewer than 65,000. Decades of predictable travel have dug deep grooves to popular hubs, complicating the most intuitive solution to a changing climate: simply going somewhere else.

Yet change is coming, whether or not cooler destinations have the room. The European Commission projects that tourism on the continent — already the world’s biggest tourist draw — will grow regardless of warming conditions, but that higher temperatures will migrate demand, sending more tourists to Northern Europe instead of the Mediterranean. Southern regions would lose nearly 10 percent of their current summer tourists in one scenario.

Already some travelers have been altering their itineraries.

Miku Sekizawa and her family planned to fly from Chicago to Athens in August, but the weather gave her pause. She’s expecting, due in November, and also has a 2-year-old. “We changed our itinerary last week since we realized how hot it is over there. I am no good at dealing with heat and being pregnant,” Ms. Sekizawa, a 36-year-old accountant, said. Since they booked with points and free cancellation policies, they changed their flights and are instead visiting Paris, Strasbourg and Amsterdam.

But temperate destinations are confronting their own climate issues. Avery Baldwin, a 27-year-old tennis coach who lives in Brooklyn, has regularly visited a small town in New Hampshire his whole life. Rain has pummeled the area this summer; a University of Massachusetts Amherst study found that more precipitation has fallen in New Hampshire every year in the past 10 years than the 20th-century average.

“It is definitely a frequent conversation topic,” Mr. Baldwin said. Wet conditions make the usual activities, like hiking, more treacherous and drive people indoors. “There’s always puzzles,” he said, adding that he plans to return this summer.

Some governments are implementing policies to reroute tourist traffic. China has committed to building large mountain resorts as part of a program it calls “22 degree destinations” — 22 Celsius (or 72 Fahrenheit) being the optimal holiday temperature, according to China — designed to lure domestic tourists from cities like Shanghai and Beijing during the hottest months. Dr. Becken, the sustainable tourism professor, attended a climate change conference at which the government unveiled the initiative. “They’re systematically building up resorts in the mountains,” she said.

Cancellations and rising costs

Hotels, tour operators and service providers too must contend with increasingly volatile conditions threatening their livelihoods and frustrating their customers.

“People are coming here generally to do something,” said Pierce McCully, the proprietor of Villa Trieste M in the Italian town of Asolo. Nestled in the foothills of the Dolomites, the villa is popular with hikers and cyclists. But this summer the area has suffered through a series of extreme weather incidents, from persistent rains to a hailstorm that made international headlines . Over a quarter of bookings canceled, and the visitors who do come rely more on indoor amenities. “We really wanted to avoid having TVs,” Mr. McCully said, but guests stuck in a room can raid the minibar only so many times.

Chris Kelly and Nina Rehfeld, a husband-and-wife team who own Grand Canyon Journeys , a tour business based in Sedona, Ariz., said they had become more cautious when offering hikes into Grand Canyon National Park and nearby Antelope Canyon.

“This year it seems downright dangerous,” Ms. Rehfeld said. Two women in their 70s booked a walk through Antelope Canyon during a heat spell; temperatures topped 110 degrees in the shade. Mr. Kelly took them on a driving tour instead, shuttling between landmarks with the air-conditioning cranked up.

Jason Danoff offers guided hikes and biking tours with Trail Lovers Excursions , also in Sedona. Cancellations have caused his revenue to drop from last year. “You’re getting hit on both sides, because you’re paying the guide plus refunding the money,” he said. But when the Forest Service unexpectedly closes a property, or a heat wave imperils customer safety, there’s not much he can do. At the same time, Mr. Danoff’s insurance costs have increased 60 percent. He intends to push more bookings to the shoulder seasons, but that has its risks too.

“You might spend a ton of money to try to ramp up, say January and February,” he said, “but then you could have 50-plus days of precipitation, and it could be a complete loss.”

Who is looking out for the tourists?

To mitigate the heat in Paris, the Eiffel Tower has installed overhead misters and water stations for those waiting in line, according to Patrick Branco Ruivo, the tower’s director general. It has also moved more of its ticket sales to an online reservations system, which cuts down on wait times for visitors.

That’s just one stakeholder. The travel industry by its nature is fragmented: A daisy chain of operators — airlines, rental-car companies, tour guides, insurance providers, hotels and restaurants, museums or cultural attractions — serve and profit from tourists, but they rarely function in lock step on any issue.

Indeed, a 2007 report commissioned by the World Tourism Organization, United Nations Environment Program and World Meteorological Organization said that academic studies of how local tourism officials and operators assess the risk of climate change found “relatively low levels of concern and little evidence of long-term strategic planning for future changes in climate.”

Historically, a tourism ministry was “a marketing office” with light research and investment capabilities, said Professor Becken. Tourism officials are given mandates to entice additional visitors and — aside from rare cases in some wealthy and over-touristed destinations, like Amsterdam — not turn them away on account of safety.

Some nations — not coincidentally, those most dependent on tourism — have disaster plans and agencies specifically for travelers. The Bahamas has established a Tourism Emergency Coordinating Committee to ensure that the industry can effectively respond in the case of a major hurricane.

Right now, many countries rely on local governments and volunteers. In Italy, “each region has its own civil protection system, and each city mayor has civil protection responsibilities,” said Pierfrancesco Demilito, the head of the press office at the Italian Civil Protection Department. The department helps allocate resources nationally, but “it is the mayor of Rome, or Florence, or Venice,” in the event of an extreme weather alert, who “decides the measures to be carried out,” he said.

But bracing for hotter conditions will require more synchronized efforts at the federal, state and municipal levels, and perhaps more dedicated agencies.

In the absence of national or unified support, planning may fall to corporations with pockets deep enough to marshal resources at scale. “Disney is sort of a poster child for a really good way to handle large numbers of people effectively,” said Daniel Scott, a professor of geography and environmental management at the University of Waterloo, in Canada. He suggested that the business model of globalized tourism may start to mimic the integrated resorts typified by Disney, where a single entity owns the infrastructure and controls visitor experiences with greater predictability.

It’s impossible to know where we go from here. But the cognitive dissonance of summer travel in a warming world is catching up to us. Tragic headlines and statistics are prompting hard looks at the nature of tourism: who benefits and who gets to participate. More people will find themselves confronting personal and increasingly tough decisions — and, like Ms. Barber, perhaps choosing a less appealing but more comfortable option: “We just all stayed home and huddled in a room with the air-conditioner on,” she said.

Lauren Sloss and Niki Kitsantonis contributed reporting.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023 .

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2024 Summer Travel Report

Erin El Issa writes data-driven studies about personal finance, credit cards, travel, investing, banking and student loans. She loves numbers and aims to demystify data sets to help consumers improve their financial lives. Before becoming a Nerd in 2014, she worked as a tax accountant and freelance personal finance writer. Erin's work has been cited by The New York Times, CNBC, the "Today" show, Forbes and elsewhere. In her spare time, Erin reads voraciously and tries in vain to keep up with her two kids. She is based in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Meghan Coyle started as a web producer and writer at NerdWallet in 2018. She covers travel rewards, including industry news, airline and hotel loyalty programs, and how to travel on points. She is based in Los Angeles.

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The days are getting longer and hotter, and millions of Americans are making plans for summer vacation. According to NerdWallet’s annual summer travel survey, nearly half of Americans (45%) plan to take a trip that requires a flight or hotel stay this summer, and they’ll spend $3,594, on average, on these expenses. That’s over 118 million Americans spending a total of more than $424 billion on airfare and hotel stays in summer 2024.

The survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, conducted online by The Harris Poll and commissioned by NerdWallet, asked those traveling this summer how they plan to save on trip expenses and whether they plan to rack up credit card debt on their vacation costs. Of those surveyed, 931 say they plan to take a trip that requires a flight or hotel stay this summer; they’ll be referred to as “summer travelers” throughout this report.

Key findings

One-fifth of summer travelers plan to go into debt for vacation: 1 in 5 summer travelers (20%) say they’ll use a credit card to pay for their travel expenses, but won’t pay off the balance within the first billing statement. Instead, they’ll carry over the balance, possibly racking up costly interest charges.

Travelers are taking steps to save: The majority of summer travelers (91%) are taking action to save money on their travel expenses, like driving instead of flying to their destination (42%). This is up since 2023 when 35% of summer travelers said this, perhaps due to falling gas prices over the past couple of years.

Some nontravelers are opting out due to inflation: Of Americans who say they aren’t taking a summer vacation that requires a flight or hotel stay this year, more than 1 in 5 (22%) say it’s because inflation has made travel too expensive. Last year, 23% of non-summer travelers said this, suggesting that the high inflation of 2022 is still weighing on consumers.

Events are taking some out of town this summer: We asked Americans who are spending at least one night away from home this summer what they’re traveling for. Of them, 12% say they’ll travel for a concert, 8% for a wedding and 4% for a bachelor or bachelorette party.

“Millions of Americans are hitting the road this summer, with many opting to drive to their summer destinations, which may be a more affordable option than flying,” says Sally French, a NerdWallet travel expert and spokesperson. “But the high cost of travel due to inflation is still holding some back.”

Some going into debt to pay for summer travel

The majority of summer travelers (83%) plan to pay for at least part of their vacation expenses — airfare or hotel stays — with a credit card, but not all of them have plans to pay it off right away. According to the survey, 20% of summer travelers plan to use a credit card for these expenses but won’t pay off the expenses in full within the first billing statement.

The most recent data from the St. Louis Fed shows that average credit card interest on accounts assessing interest is 22.75%. To put that in perspective, for each $1,000 you carry on a credit card per year, that’s around $228 in interest.

Aim to reduce interest charges

There are still a few months before summer, so even if you’ve already charged some of your travel expenses, there’s still time to reduce those interest costs. Scour your budget to see where there’s room to cut back, and divert extra money toward paying off travel expenses already on your credit card or saving up the cash to pay those future credit card charges.

If it’s not possible to get interest down prior to your trip, and you aren’t considering changing your travel plans, figure out how you can pay the charges as quickly as possible. Credit card debt is some of the most expensive consumer debt you can carry, and the high interest rates can make it more challenging to pay off.

“To pay off debt faster and minimize interest charges, make a plan you can reasonably stick to,” French says. “If possible, bump up your monthly payments. Even a small increase, like rounding your payment up to the nearest hundred dollars, or taking money received as gifts or from side hustles and applying it to debt, can help.”

Travelers are taking action to save money on summer vacation

There are plenty of options for getting trip costs down, and most summer travelers (91%) are taking steps to do just that. The top two money-saving measures are driving instead of flying to their destination (42%) and choosing a hotel/motel/resort based on price instead of amenities (39%).

More than a third of summer travelers (35%) will use credit card points/miles to cover expenses. This can be a great option to save money and use up accumulated points that might otherwise lose value over time.

Assess points and make a plan to use them

It’s tempting to save up your travel rewards for your dream vacation. But if that’s not in the near future, it’s a good idea to look at the points and miles you have and use them sooner rather than later. Over time, rewards can become less valuable, so if you’re saving them for a nebulous future trip, you may get less bang for your point.

“NerdWallet recommends saving in most scenarios — but saving travel rewards points is not one of them,” French says. “Points inflation is very real. Unless you’re saving for a specific redemption, it’s generally best to spend them on travel you’d otherwise pay cash for now.”

If you’re looking to rack up points for next year’s summer vacation, you may want to look into travel rewards credit cards with sign-up bonuses . Credit cards can be a great tool to earn rewards that make travel cheaper, but only if you plan to pay them off by the due date. Carrying credit card debt for the points generally results in paying more in interest than you’re earning in rewards.

Some nontravelers cite inflation as a reason for staying home

2022 was a year of high inflation, and while the U.S. inflation rate is getting closer to the targeted 2%, the dramatic price increases are still having an impact on consumer spending. Among those who aren’t planning on taking a summer vacation that requires a flight or hotel stay, more than one-fifth (22%) say it’s because inflation has made travel too expensive. Nearly as many nontravelers (19%) say that inflation has made their other expenses too expensive, so they can’t afford to take a summer vacation.

Around 1 in 6 nontravelers (17%) are still planning on getting away this summer, just not in a way that requires a flight or hotel stay. We asked what sorts of events are taking Americans away from home for at least one night this summer.

Some are traveling for concerts, weddings this summer

The vast majority of Americans (88%) say they’ll spend at least one night away from home this summer, whether or not this trip requires a flight or hotel stay. For many, this means a vacation with others or solo, but some are also traveling to attend events, like a concert (12%) or wedding (8%).

A hefty 22% of Generation Zers (ages 18-27) plan to travel at least one night away from home this summer for a concert. Perhaps they’re making plans to attend a summer music festival, or maybe they’re jetting off to Europe for the ongoing Eras Tour .

Start saving for next year’s summer vacation plans

No matter what your travel plans are, it’s a good idea to save up in advance to avoid going into credit card debt. If you can estimate what next year’s travel expenses will cost you, you can use a savings goal calculator to determine how much you need to save each month. You can also earmark a windfall — like a tax refund — specifically for summer travel plans.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of NerdWallet from Jan. 30 - Feb. 1, 2024, among 2,092 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom 931 will take a vacation that requires a flight or hotel stay this summer. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected] .

Summer travel is defined as June, July and August 2024, for the purposes of this survey.

NerdWallet disclaims, expressly and impliedly, all warranties of any kind, including those of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or whether the article’s information is accurate, reliable or free of errors. Use or reliance on this information is at your own risk, and its completeness and accuracy are not guaranteed. The contents in this article should not be relied upon or associated with the future performance of NerdWallet or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties as indicated by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should” or “anticipates” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements may materially differ from NerdWallet’s presentation of information to analysts and its actual operational and financial results.

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Going On Vacation? Here's What You Need To Know About The Summer Travel Boom

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Erika Richter of the American Society of Travel Advisors about the increase in travel this summer.

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NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Here’s how to salvage summer vacation, according to travel experts

There are still ways to plan a last-minute trip before school and office life returns

Most years, travelers make summer plans well in advance so they can fit in a getaway before life gets busy again in the fall.

But 2021 is not most years. Vaccinations in the United States only became widely available in the spring, some popular domestic destinations didn’t drop covid restrictions until last month, and global travel rules are shifting constantly.

That leaves vacationers without much time to fit in a trip before kids go back to school or adults return to the office. Many are scrambling to arrange last-minute trips, whenever and wherever they can over the next several weeks. And, of course, safety is still a top concern since the pandemic isn’t over.

“People definitely are raring to do something over the summer, and many didn’t plan as far ahead as we would normally recommend because they just didn’t know what was going to be happening,” D.C.-area travel adviser Sari Greene said.

Those who are venturing out while they still can are finding steep prices, limited lodging options, a dearth of rental cars and flight disruptions galore. So is it possible to scrape together a summer break? Experts say: Absolutely.

Travel was cheap when no one was traveling. That era is over.

Keep it close to home (just like last year)

Greene, an affiliate of Virtuoso agency Avenue Two Travel, said she has been helping clients plan two- to three-day driving trips close to home. Without having to worry about flying or rental cars, it is easier to plan at the last minute and go whenever a hotel has availability.

“People have so much more flexibility if they don’t have to get that flight, and they can go anytime,” she said.

Or go very far away

With many countries in Europe opening to Americans recently, the crowds are expected to be far smaller than in a typical summer — with prices following suit. Experts say international airfare is the only category of travel that isn’t more expensive this year than last.

Mike Salvadore, owner of 58 Stars Travel , said deals in places such as Italy should still be available this summer.

“I would call Europe definitely an under-the-radar opportunity that they can explore, especially this year,” he said. “Because next summer is going to be very busy.”

Summer trips all booked up? Don’t forget about the big cities.

Consider big cities

Metropolises such as New York City, D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago — which normally welcome domestic tourists, business travelers and international visitors — have a lot of hotel rooms and only a fraction of the visitors they would see in a typical year. Many of these destinations are putting on big events, running ads and otherwise trying to entice more tourists this season.

Think ski towns, but for summer

Greene said she has been able to find options for clients in places that would normally beckon in winter, including Colorado and Vermont. She is planning her own family vacation in August in Vermont — which, she said, would normally have never been a summer option. One additional item in Vermont’s favor: More than 82 percent of residents over the age of 12 have at least started their covid-19 vaccination.

Be flexible

Make plans around what is available, rather than try to stick to a specific date or destination. Caroline Teel, managing editor of SmarterTravel , said in an email that travelers looking for inspiration can go to Skyscanner and enter “everywhere” as their destination to find deals on flights.

Gamble on weather

Summer means hurricane season and a lot of potential weather disruptions. But for travelers willing to take the risk, there can be last-minute deals to offseason destinations including Cancún, Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands, Teel said. (In this case, travel insurance would be wise; policies need to be purchased before a storm is named.)

According to travel booking app Hopper, Florida — another destination at the mercy of tropical weather — is also the cheapest place to go domestically when considering hotels and airfare. Orlando, Fort Myers and Tampa are also among the cheapest domestic destinations.

Why airlines are canceling hundreds of flights — and what you can do

Expect to pay a premium

Last-minute travelers this summer are joined by those who were bumped from plans in 2020 and earlier this year. That is part of the reason prices are higher than last year — and in a few cases, higher than even pre-pandemic times.

“We have some people that come in and think they’re going to get a champagne trip on a beer budget, and they realize it’s going to be a champagne price these days,” said Mike King, owner of a Travel Leaders agency in Fredericksburg, Va. “There’s very few of what they think are going to be deals.”

Get creative with flights

Consider booking your outgoing and departing flights with different airlines in case that presents cheaper options, said Mark Crossey, U.S. travel expert for Skyscanner. He said travelers should also search multiple dates and airports, set up price alerts, and look at options for a whole month to see when the fares are lowest.

In a roundup of “new normal travel booking tips,” Hopper said that because prices spike in the couple of weeks before a flight leaves, it’s best to lock a ticket in no later than three weeks ahead of departure.

Flights in the middle of the week are typically cheapest, with return dates on a weekend most expensive, Hopper says. Traveling in late summer or early fall could save on average about 12 percent.

Given the recent rash of delays and cancellations, Hopper said it is also wise to build extra time into plans, especially if there is a can’t-miss special event on the agenda.

The newest status on cruise ships: Being vaccinated

Cruise from the Caribbean

Cruises have started departing from the United States again, but the number is still small and capacity is reduced. That means choices are limited and discounts are scarce, said Chris Gray Faust, managing editor of Cruise Critic .

But, she said, there are deals for those who are vaccinated and don’t mind flying to get on ships in places including the Bahamas and St. Maarten.

“There is plenty of availability right now and, for some, airfare from the continental U.S. to the Bahamas is comparable to what they would pay to fly to Florida for a cruise,” Gray Faust said in an email. Looking ahead, she said, cruises from the United States could be a better deal in the fall as operators have more and fuller ships sailing.

Think broadly about rental cars — and book early

Adit Damodaran, an economist at Hopper, said in an email that the best approach is to avoid trying to rent a car in popular places such as Los Angeles, Orlando, Las Vegas and Miami since demand is high and availability is low.

“If you can look slightly outside the city or at a less popular airport,” like Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami, he said, “you might find more availability and better prices.”

Experts also say travelers should book a rental car as soon as they book a flight. Even if it doesn’t help with the price, booking as far ahead of time as possible will increase the chance that a car will be available.

It’s the summer of reservations. Here are chefs’ tips for dining out while traveling.

Plan ahead for every part of the trip

Greene said she is emphasizing to her clients that they need to book dinner reservations and activities ahead of time.

“Those kinds of things are filling up like crazy, like we’ve never seen before,” she said. “Those are things that can be really disappointing when you arrive.”

More travel news

How we travel now: More people are taking booze-free trips — and airlines and hotels are taking note. Some couples are ditching the traditional honeymoon for a “buddymoon” with their pals. Interested? Here are the best tools for making a group trip work.

Bad behavior: Entitled tourists are running amok, defacing the Colosseum , getting rowdy in Bali and messing with wild animals in national parks. Some destinations are fighting back with public awareness campaigns — or just by telling out-of-control visitors to stay away .

Safety concerns: A door blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet, leaving passengers traumatized — but without serious injuries. The ordeal led to widespread flight cancellations after the jet was grounded, and some travelers have taken steps to avoid the plane in the future. The incident has also sparked a fresh discussion about whether it’s safe to fly with a baby on your lap .

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