Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we’re dishing out tips about traveling during high season. Of course, we love traveling off-peak and in the shoulder season, but sometimes summer and school holidays are the only times we can get away. So, we’re sharing our best budget travel tips for dealing with high season travel, whether you’re going to Europe in summer or Mexico for spring break.
Plan Ahead
Last minute deals are great, but they are a bit of a unicorn during the peak season. Depending on where you are traveling to, all of the accommodation may book up months in advance, leaving you with very few options. Flights are usually scheduled up to a year in advance, so you can keep an eye on flights and buy when the price is within your budget.
We also recommend booking as much as you can before you arrive. For example, if you are visiting Europe in summer, you will need to pre-book your tickets for popular attractions like the Louvre or the Colosseum. Make sure to reserve skip-the-line tickets whenever they are available. This may reduce your flexibility, but you’ll save so much time over waiting in line for some of these attractions.
Compare Different Websites
We’re pretty loyal to Delta, but that doesn’t mean we don’t check prices on several websites before purchasing. Many people use Kayak or Skyscanner, and the Hopper app will predict if prices are going to drop or increase. When you do your trip research, make sure you use “incognito” mode. Some websites use cookies to show you different prices based on your search history.
Consider Alternate Locations Near Your Destination
Many international destinations have fantastic public transportation systems to help you get around. So you can save a lot of money on accommodation by staying outside of the city you are visiting. For example, when visiting Amsterdam, I like to stay in Haarlem. It’s a quick train ride to Amsterdam, but much less crowded and much more affordable. You can easily explore Amsterdam as much as you want, and have the experience of another Dutch city that’s not so touristy.
Likewise, choosing less popular spots nearby allows you to avoid some of the crowds during high season. Rather than spending a week in Paris, maybe you go to the Loire Valley or Normandy. You still get to experience French culture, cuisine, and history. But you won’t have the crowds and the high prices of Paris. Many times, the smaller “out of the way” towns are some of our favorites of all of our travels.
Find Accommodation With a Kitchen
If you visit a smaller town during peak season, you might have trouble even getting a table at a restaurant! Service will be lacking and prices will be inflated, so we like to rent an apartment where we can do some cooking at home in addition to eating out. This also happens to be one of our top family travel tips, as eating out with kids three times a day can be tiring, especially in places like Spain where dinner is served very late.
How to Choose the Right Vacation Rental
Pay Attention to Amenities When Booking Accommodation
With inflated accommodation pricing, you want to be sure you’re not paying for anything that you’re not going to use. For example, we visited Crete for the beautiful beaches; there is no reason to pay more for a hotel with a swimming pool. By really zoning in on the amenities you need, you can save money on accommodation. Be realistic about how much you will use the gym or the spa while you’re on vacation.
Start Your Days Early
If you are visiting a city like Paris or Rome during the high season, the best thing you can do is to start your days early. Jet lag can usually actually help with this. Get up and hit the museums and attractions as early as you can, as the crowds will build throughout the day. Generally, things get going much later in these cities due to late nights and 9 pm dinners, so you can usually beat the crowds by heading out around 9 or 10 am. This applies to amusement parks like Disney World, too. People like to sleep in on vacation, so you can get a jump start on the day if you’re willing to get up earlier.
Pick Cheaper Destinations for High Season Travel
Since we know peak season travel means higher prices, you can help your travel budget by choosing cheaper destinations. Spain, Portugal, and Greece will be much more affordable than France, Germany or Switzerland.
Ten Best Affordable Cities in Europe
Be Open to Other Airport Choices
You can also save a lot of money by choosing other airports to fly into. When we last visited Greece, we actually found a great flight into Sweden, so we started our trip there. We got to visit some Baltic countries before heading to Greece, and we saved a lot of money on our flights. Just don’t forget to factor in all of your transportation costs, including train tickets, when you are comparing different destination cities.
Grab Some Wolters World Travel Gear!
We use all of these strategies and tips to save money when we travel during the high season. People always ask how we can afford to travel, and this is how. We save money where we can, and splurge on what matters. Money saved on a peak season trip may enable us to add another trip to our calendar in the off-season. Looking for more family travel and budget travel tips? Check out these other blog posts: