Traveling in the summer can be a real pain in the rear: huge crowds, whining kids, strollers in your way everywhere, jammed “scenic” highways, packed national parks, and on and on. And if you’ve been to Europe in the summer the past few years you know it’s a real zoo in the big draw cities.
This year is going to be different. High unemployment and a plummeting stock market have a way of putting a damper on people moving around. Judging by all the “how to travel for cheap this summer” inquiries I’m getting from reporters, those who are going on vacation are more likely to be doing it close to home or will be seriously watching the budget. Here are the reasons this is going to be a much more pleasant travel summer than it has been in quite a while.
1) Airfares are low again. I’m routinely seeing round-trip flights to Europe for under $500, sometimes way under. Unfortunately those advertised rates rarely include the rugby scrum pile-on of fees, taxes and rapacious fuel charges you’ll get socked with, so click through a few screens to find the real price. I’m also seeing flights to Asia and Australia for three digits. Yesterday I saw a $425 flight from Miami to Lima inclusive of all taxes and fees–in the peak June travel period.
2) Deals and more deals at hotels. There are so many hotel specials out there right now that it’s rare to see a hotel NOT running some kind of “stay 2 nights, get one free” kind of thing. Priceline and Hotwire are brimming with choices these days since hardly any hotels are full. The big convention cities are running at historic low occupancy levels, which means deals in places like Orlando, Vegas, and San Francisco. Granted there’s not as much fluctuation at cheapo guesthouses and hostels, but you do have more bargaining power now and you’re less likely to be turned away from your first choice upon arrival.
3) Vacation home rental owners are cutting deals. In a normal year, many vacation home rentals in popular places are all booked up for the summer. Not this year. Many of these owners are freaking out and are slashing prices to get open weeks booked.
4) Restaurants want your business. One of the first things people do when cutting back on expenses is eat out less. That means more specials at restaurants and you seldom have to worry about finding an open table.
5) Gas is relatively cheap. All over the globe, gas/petrol is half the price it was a year ago. That means less money to fill up your tank for a road trip, but also fewer fuel surcharges on buses and trains.
6) The amusement parks are scared. If you’ve got a family, keep an eye out for deals at amusement parks and other family attractions this summer. Six Flags and Disney are scared &%@^less that this could be a historically bad summer, so they’re throwing out lots of discounts to lure in families on the fence. (As I’ve pointed out before though, your best bet is still a non-chain regional amusement park.)
7) Popular places won’t be as crowded. Unless the economy suddenly picks up bigtime in the next month, it should be less crowded this summer at the cafes of paris, on the ziplines of Costa Rica, on the pyramids of Tikal, and by the geysers of Yellowstone. Take advantage of it.
