Pretty much every barometer of travel intent is up for the summer travel season. Inflation and unemployment are low, and consumer sentiment and curiosity are high.
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What will prices be like this summer?
It depends on where you’re going. There’s good news if you’re traveling within the United States: flights and hotels are a little less expensive than last summer. But they’re rising elsewhere. Here’s the breakdown:
Airfares are mixed. Domestic roundtrip airfares for summer are averaging $325 per ticket, which is down 5 percent from last year, according to the travel platform Hopper. Flights to Europe are cheaper, too. They’ve fallen 12 percent from last year to $1,012. But flights to South America are up 4 percent and flights to Canada have risen 5 percent. You’ll pay an average of $759 to fly south of the border and $430 to head north.
U.S. hotel rates are down. Domestically, they’re down 7% to an average of $304 per night. Internationally, they’re up 2 percent to $314 per night, according to Kayak.
Car rental prices are rising. Average domestic car rental rates are up 10 percent this summer to $113 per day, according to Kayak. Last summer, rates dropped 14 percent after the car rental shortage ended. Internationally, rates are up 3 percent to an average of $88 per day.
But you can avoid the high prices with a little strategic planning, experts say.
When is the best time to book a 2024 summer vacation?
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Since this is going to be a busy one, the sooner you book, the better. Hopper recommends buying your airfare two to three months before your departure for domestic flights, and for international — well, it’s probably too late to get that rock-bottom fare. If you’re reading this in April, you can still find something for late August or early September, according to its airfare experts.
As always, you can save money by booking a flight for midweek instead of on the weekend — and, of course, by keeping far, far away from the big travel holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Also, if you’re going overseas, remember their holiday calendar is different. For example, half of Europe shuts down during August for summer vacation. It’s worth a look-up, otherwise, you could face some real disappointments.
Strategies for traveling better during the summer
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One tactic that consistently works is splitting your getaway into two sections. Take that required summer vacation with your family somewhere less expensive during the high season. Then, wait until shoulder season for the big trip.
That’s what Ross Copas, a retired electrician from Tweed, Canada, is doing during the summer of 2024. It’s a road trip across the northern U.S. by motorcycle — New York to Washington State, and then back east through Canada.
Then he’s heading to Amsterdam in September for a 23-day European river cruise. He says the late summer getaway will be costly, but he doubts fares will fall anytime soon. “So price be damned,” he adds.
With hotel rates rising in some places this summer, this is the right time to consider alternatives. Monica Fish, a writer from Glen Rock, N.J., is headed to Ireland to catch one of Taylor Swift’s performances. She says hotel rooms in Dublin are overpriced if they’re even available. But Fish found an affordable vacation rental.
“We just had to book it farther in advance than we normally would,” she says.
Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can reach him here or email him at chris@elliott.org.
