It’s finally October! Aren’t you excited for fall weather and pumpkin spice lattes? We know. We miss summer too.
Now that October is upon us, it’s time to plan your holiday travels. Thanksgiving is just over a month away, so you still have time to choose the perfect destination, find flights and book hotel accommodations, if you haven’t yet. We want you to have the best trip ever, so we’ve put together our travel secrets for holiday travel.
Choose a destination.
Where do you want to go? Interested in escaping the cold? Venturing out of the country? According to Bing Travel, flights to Europe and Asia are up 9-15% in price so break out your wallet along with your Passport. What about a road trip? Thousands of people flock to New York City for Thanksgiving for the annual Macy’s Day Parade. Give that a try! Or is it too traditional? How about a trip far, far away, to Hawaii? If you’re like us and live in a place with typically cold weather like Chicago (brrr!), traveling somewhere with a beaming sun and breathtaking beach may be perfect trip for you.
Now that you know where you want to go, let’s see if we can make it happen Captain.
Deals, Deals, Deals, Deals!
There are so many of them, why not put them to use? Check Groupon and Jetsetter for top hotel deals across the world. Explore these options first but just make sure to check blackout dates and the minimum number of nights required for each deal.
Find a Flight.
One of the most popular questions in travel: How do you find the cheapest flight? Now this can be a little tricky. You want to find the best deal, but searching for flights can be an overwhelming and daunting task.
- Best days to travel: Although we haven’t cracked the exact formula, thanks to Priceline, we now know the best and worst dates to travel during the holidays:
Best: November 19, 22, 24, 29, 30 December 1
Fair: November 24, Thanksgiving Day
Worst: November 18, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28
Did you know that Black Friday is one of the best travel days of the year? Maybe instead of waking up at the break of dawn to catch the best deals at the mall, you should grab an airline seat instead. Besides, there will be plenty of online deals on Monday.
- Best days to book travel: Buying tickets on Tuesday and Wednesday can save you some serious pennies! Airlines typically offer their lowest airfares on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, since most people book their flights over the weekend or when they’re back to work on Monday.
- Best tool to track flight prices: If you’re looking to book a flight or already have, check out Yapta.com. Yapta is a great site for tracking the price of flights over time. You can sign up for price change alerts on the flights you want. And, if you’ve already booked a flight, Yapta can alert you if the price drops far enough that you would be eligible for a refund from that airline.
- Best tool to share your plans: Once you know where you’re going and when, add your trip on gtrot or forward the flight or hotel itinerary to [email protected]. Make plans with friends that will be home the same time as you or just see who lives in the city you’re visiting. Who knows, they may make extra room at the dinner table for you.
Happy Holiday Travels!