Last summer was all about the “revenge” trip. Just throwing caution to the wind and booking that bucket-list vacation. This year things are looking a little… different. Generally, travel is a bit more expensive than last year – but on the positive side, Americans are also taking way more PTO (the average vacation is longer than it was in 2019). We respect that. In an effort to arm you for your upcoming summer travels, we’ve put together the 8 things you need to know, that’ll help you plan a better trip
1. Tis the season to use your passport.
You know what’s hot right now? International travel. International flight searches are up a whopping 42%, it’s not just flights, both hotel searches (+36%) and car searches (+35%) are up for international destinations, compared to last summer. So hop on the trend.
2. Renting a car is probably the only thing you won’t have to splurge on.
Trips are an investment – and like the price of eggs, they feel a bit pricier this year. But one bright spot is for rental cars: overall, daily rental rates are down 13% compared to last year. So you can expect to pay less for your ride. To compare, flights and hotels have seen a 35% and 5% increase in cost, respectively.
3. You’re gonna pay a bit more, and you’re gonna be ok with it.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use a budget website to hack your way to a great deal. But if we’re looking just at the data, we don’t see any domestic OR international summer flight destinations that have seen a significant drop in airfare when compared to last summer.* So across the board, expect to pay a bit more. (But it’s worth it, promise.)
4. If you’re traveling for a holiday, travel during the week.
Put in your PTO. The week of Memorial Day is (one of) the cheapest weeks of the summer to travel domestically. Similarly, the week of Labor Day is one of the cheapest to stay in a hotel in the US OR rent a car internationally.* So when everyone is back to the office on Tuesday, use that as your opportunity to be cool.
1. Tis the season to use your passport.
You know what’s hot right now? International travel. International flight searches are up a whopping 42%, it’s not just flights, both hotel searches (+36%) and car searches (+35%) are up for international destinations, compared to last summer. So hop on the trend.
2. Renting a car is probably the only thing you won’t have to splurge on.
Trips are an investment – and like the price of eggs, they feel a bit pricier this year. But one bright spot is for rental cars: overall, daily rental rates are down 13% compared to last year. So you can expect to pay less for your ride. To compare, flights and hotels have seen a 35% and 5% increase in cost, respectively.
3. You’re gonna pay a bit more, and you’re gonna be ok with it.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use a budget website to hack your way to a great deal. But if we’re looking just at the data, we don’t see any domestic OR international summer flight destinations that have seen a significant drop in airfare when compared to last summer.* So across the board, expect to pay a bit more. (But it’s worth it, promise.)
4. If you’re traveling for a holiday, travel during the week.
Put in your PTO. The week of Memorial Day is (one of) the cheapest weeks of the summer to travel domestically. Similarly, the week of Labor Day is one of the cheapest to stay in a hotel in the US OR rent a car internationally.* So when everyone is back to the office on Tuesday, use that as your opportunity to be cool.