When the day-to-day gets to be too much, waiting until summer for an escape can feel torturous, and a spontaneous getaway suddenly becomes very alluring. However, the thought of costly last-minute bookings stops us from opening our web browser to search the next available flight out of town. But booking a last-minute vacation doesn’t have to be as expensive as so many make it out to be.
Concerning affordable flights, a 2016 CheapAir study revealed flights are cheapest 54 days before takeoff. If saving a few bucks isn’t worth the wait, Independent Traveler reports the cheapest days to take to the sky are Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and along those same lines, the best day to purchase your plane ticket is Tuesday afternoon. That’s because most airlines post deals on Monday and then competitors price match their offerings by the end of the next business day. According to farecompare, booking a flight at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday might be your best bet.
But the there-and-back is only one component of planning a trip. Where will you stay? How will you get around? What will you do when you get there?
All of those questions can be answered by utilizing a variety of services offering airfare, hotel deals, car rentals and package deals.
If you don’t care where you go:
If you don’t know where to start, you can select Anything, Anywhere and Anytime as your flight options on Momondo and see where you wind up. If you have some idea of where you want to go, though, you can select the month of travel, country and kind of getaway (city, beach, etc.) and name your price. You can also sort between a host of filters, including most popular, cheapest, warmest, fancy, cultural, family-friendly, romantic and more.
Because some destinations are cheaper than others depending on the time of year, Skyscanner compares flights to find the best deal at a new and not as highly populated spot.
If you’re looking for a quick getaway:
If your wanderlust includes waves and sandy toes, this site can help your beachy dreams become reality. Featuring flights, resorts and cruises, CheapCaribbean packages have fast-approaching expiration dates for trips over the course of the next several weeks.
Expedia is among the most popular online booking sites out there, and it dedicates a section to last-minute deals. Users can search upcoming cruises, flights, hotels and things to do, and those looking to be anywhere but here can explore travel deals for that week or the next.
What separates Kayak from the other services on this list is its train search engine and travel guides, which can be filtered either by region or city. Car rental, cruise, flight, activity and package information is also available.
Owned and operated by Travelocity, another handy travel planner, this site is made for those who want to depart in the next week or two. Figure out everything in one fell swoop with flight, car and hotel pairings, but note that departures only occur Wednesday through Saturday.
In addition to allowing users to book flights, hotels and car rentals, Orbitz offers destination-specific ways to spend your time wherever you’re traveling. There aren’t any last-minute-specific searches or deals, but soon-to-be-vacationers can take advantage of weekly travel deals.
Priceline is unique in that you can name your price for flights, hotel, car rentals or even all three. When you find an offer that interests you, you can bid on it and receive your results within 24 hours, at which point you can either bid again or bid on something else that catches your eye. There are also cruise and vacation packages along with PriceBreaker deals, which are already significantly discounted rates for those who don’t want to go through the bidding process.
If you need a place to rest your head:
Dive right into your vacation destination’s culture by staying at a local’s home. Search by desired experience, home or city and immediately immerse yourself.
If you want the homey quality but aren’t quite ready to enter the world of Airbnb, BedandBreakfast.com is a happy medium. Search by destination or browse top picks and themed travel options.
Seasoned travelers, especially those traveling abroad, are no stranger to hostels. The only comprehensive worldwide hostels database, Hostelz.com compares pricing, user-generated reviews and photos so that users know exactly what they’re getting.
Hotels.com is the leading hotel aggregate site, and Booking.com, part of The Priceline Group, is a close second. Search by destination, proximity to a specific city or venue or check out the most popular deals. Just realize that if you’re looking to leave right away, you might have to relent some of the finer accommodations like pool and gym access.
Not willing to compromise luxury? No problem. SecretEscapes highlights current sales, tours, top destinations and 50 percent off deals on top-rated hotels and resorts. From the shore’s tranquility to New York City’s bustling streets, you can find places to stay that boast all-inclusive specs, spas and other resort amenities.
