A spontaneous, last-minute vacation always seems like a fun idea until you’re hit with the harsh reality that traveling is expensive. And as anybody who’s needed to book a same-day flight the day before Thanksgiving knows, waiting to book can often mean paying even more exorbitant fees. 

But last-minute travel doesn’t have to mean draining your savings completely. It’s entirely possible to set up a fantastic and affordable summer vacation on short notice so long as you utilize a few tips for searching and booking smartly. 

1. Look for travel bundles that combine airfare + hotels

The best vacation deals often come from resellers who haven’t sold all the rooms and flights they’ve reserved for their customers–meaning they cut the prices dramatically at the last minute to ensure they make some of their money back.

So when searching for your last-minute travel options, consider looking up these bundles that combine airfare and hotel rooms, as you can often see dramatic savings when you’re booking shortly before travel. And while it may sound super old-school, don’t be afraid to look into using an outside planner like a travel agent or your credit card company’s concierge program–these people often get paid by the airlines/hotel companies, and are professionals who have built a career on finding travelers the best deals.

2. Double-check availability before you book

Not able to find a good bundle deal? That’s not a problem; they’re often tough to snag! Most travelers book all their resources separately, and so can you. Whether you start by booking airfare or your hotel room, make sure that you explore the availability of everything you need before you click that final “book” button on anything. 

That means ensuring that not only does your preferred hotel have open rooms, but that those rooms fit your family. Make sure your flight has the seats you want (especially if you’re traveling with young children and need to ensure you’re all sat together). And if you need a rental car, check to ensure availability before you settle on your dates! The last thing you want to do is find the perfect affordable flight only to end up in a one-bed hotel room or a cramped compact when you need a minivan.

3. Check every travel site–every time

After existing for years, most of us have a preferred travel booking site–usually one of the travel site aggregators like hotels.com, expedia.com, or kayak.com. These sites can be so helpful as they pull together offers from every corner of the internet and give you a one-stop shop to find the best deal… or do they?

A key tip to snagging a great last-minute vacation deal is to break out of your habit of only checking one of these sites, and check as many of them as you can–as often as you can. Prices can actually vary significantly between different sites, and even between different aggregator sites, so limiting yourself to just one can mean missing out on the best rates. These rates shift frequently too, even day-by-day or hour-by-hour, so check frequently to see when the best rates tend to pop up before you commit.

4. Stay flexible with your vacation dates

Most people are at least vaguely familiar with the idea that travel costs change depending on the date. For many of us, we think about that in terms of seasonality: traveling to a particular destination during the tourist off-season or shoulder season will be significantly more affordable than booking during peak popularity. 

But did you know that costs can also fluctuate dramatically simply depending on the day? For example, plane tickets can be significantly cheaper if you book outside of weekends or popular business travel days (eg: A Tuesday afternoon may be more affordable than a Friday afternoon). Similarly, hotel rates can vary wildly depending on availability–if a particular hotel has a conference or event going on, shifting your search dates by even a single day can avoid these popular (and costly) booking periods.

5. Explore alternatives to traditional travel options

When planning the best vacation, many of us get stuck in a mental rut of only looking at the obvious options for every part of the planning process: Fly to a destination, pick up a rental car at the airport, drive to a hotel, enjoy the stay. But breaking yourself free from these assumed necessities can open up a wide world of exciting travel opportunities!

Rather than using an airport rental car service, consider a car-sharing app like Turo, or pick a destination with strong public transit to remove the need for a car at all. Instead of a traditional hotel room or resort, Airbnb or Vrbo let you book a cool and unique home to stay in–often off the beaten tourist path and more affordable than a comparable hotel room. And while it’s hard to avoid a plane trip if you’re going overseas, if you’re staying on the continent, consider a good old-fashioned American road trip, or even taking the train for a totally new perspective on our beautiful nation.

Spotloan: A Smarter Way to Borrow

Hopefully these tips can help you find a fun vacation without breaking your bank account, but we’re here if you find yourself needing additional help making ends meet. At Spotloan, our simple online application process can help you qualify for the money you need, even if you have bad credit or need a loan quickly. All you have to do is go fill out our application to see if you qualify, and you could receive a decision within minutes. Fill out our application now!