Everyone wants a vacation. With the pandemic restrictions easing all across Europe and the Easter weather rapidly approaching, there’s no reason to wait with going away for a few days or even weeks. But as most travel agencies will try to tell you, it might already be too late. Prices are rising because of the pandemic so it is hard to get a good deal. But there are strategies to find a really good vacation even now. So here are at least a few strategies to help you find the best deal for a spring vacation.
Vacation packages
Many travel companies offer vacation packages that help you save quite a bit of money. Since they group together everything from transportation, accommodation, and the like, the prices of each can actually be much cheaper than if you bought them separately. Some packages even offer a rental car or some kind of an itinerary of things to do but depending on who you are and where you want to go, this might not be for you.
Location matters
Where you want to go will dictate the price just as much as when you want to go. If you want to catch some of the early warm weather and not break the bank, then going to less expensive places like Madeira or southern Spain and Portugal might just be the best bet. While they’ll be warm enough to sunbathe and swim in the sea, they won’t yet attract many tourists.
Also, consider visiting places that are not on the coast, but which are normally swamped with tourists. Places like Prague, Budapest, and even Porto are all wonderful and beautiful to explore, but during the summer, they tend to be overrun with visitors from all over the world. Easter holidays not only bring far fewer tourists to these cities, but you might even enjoy some of the traditional celebrations. And the best thing is, all the cities above are far from expensive.
Transportation
Choosing the cheapest transportation can also save a lot of money. The best days to book a flight, for example, are the earliest possible mornings on Tuesday and Wednesday. This is true of return flights as well, so make sure to take advantage of it. You can also decide to take your chances and have a last-minute flight, which are usually sold far below their normal price – but you have to be ok with not knowing where you’ll be going in advance.
Also, consider other modes of transportation. With flights being so popular you can find cheap buses and trains that also get you to your desired destination. And while they might take longer to get where you want to be, with the flight check-in and check-out counted into the travel time, it might not be that much of a difference. Busses are especially low-cost, so see if you can get to your desired destination that way.
Apps and social media
There are many apps and social media accounts that can help you find a great travel deal. Apps and sites like Hopper, Skyscanner, Kiwi, or Google Flights can help you find the best flights and see the best deals for hotels. Twitter accounts like @TPG_Alerts, @TheFlightDeal, and @JetBlueCheeps post about great discounts and amazing last-minute deals. You can also set price alerts for sites like Kayak, Scott’s Cheap Flights, and Airfarewatchdog which all further raise your chances. With the internet, you can easily find the best deals there are and not break a sweat.
