Use These 4 Travel Hacks in Spring To Save Money on Your Summer Vacation
Written by
Kerra Bolton
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Jenna Klaverweiden
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Travelers looking for an affordable summer vacation should start planning now. From saving money on roaming fees to consulting an expert to take advantage of hidden deals, a little strategy can result in major savings on flights, travel and experiences.
Here are four travel hacks to do in the spring to save money on your summer vacation.
Purchase an eSIM Card
International travelers can cut expensive cellphone roaming fees during their summer vacation by purchasing an eSIM card online before departure. Carriers often charge steep roaming fees, which can add hundreds of dollars in unexpected trip costs. Instead of paying high data charges or searching for unreliable public Wi-Fi, travelers can download an eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or Nomad.
Many eSIMs offer daily, weekly or monthly plans, depending on an individual’s travel needs. Unlike physical SIM cards, eSIMs can’t be lost, stolen or damaged.
Airalo is offering 15% off the first eSIM purchase with the promo code SPRING15 if travelers buy before March 31. With a discount code provided on its website, Holafly is offering a 5% discount on a prepaid eSIM card in March.
Nomad allows new users to redeem a 500-megabyte trial eSIM for free in 48 destinations. While a trial eSIM, for example, is a great way to test a provider before committing to a paid plan, 500 MB won’t last long for streaming, video calls or social media.
When choosing an eSIM provider, consider coverage, data plans, pricing and customer support to ensure the service aligns with travel and connectivity needs. And doing this in the spring for a summer trip ensures you’ll have enough time to compare plans and pick the best one for your budget.
Subscribe to Flight Websites
Abby Price, an avid skier, snowboarder and co-founder of Summit Skier, recommended subscribing to flight deal websites like Daily Drop Pro.
“It alerts me when there’s a good cash or points deal,” Price said. “I’ve found this extremely helpful for booking summer travel because that tends to be peak travel season. For airlines that offer spring deals for summer travel, I recommend checking out JetBlue or Frontier. Both airlines tend to offer some great deals around this time.”
Price recommended booking in advance and traveling during the weekdays to save money.
“Weekend travel, like Saturday and Sunday, can be much more expensive for both accommodations and flights,” Price said.
Lock In Low Fares
Many travelers make the mistake of waiting too long to book and relying on last-minute deals to save money.
“While that sometimes works for hotels, it’s usually the opposite for transportation,” said Matt Schoolfield, travel insights expert at Flix North America, the parent company of FlixBus and Greyhound. “Flights, trains and buses all get more expensive as demand spikes, so locking in lower fares early is critical.”
Schoolfield said budget-conscious travelers should consider bus travel if they do need to book at the last minute.
“Bus travel remains one of the most affordable options, even when flights are surging in price,” Schoolfield said. “Unlike airlines, which often charge a premium for booking within a few days of departure, busses tend to keep their fares more stable, making them a reliable option for spontaneous trips.”
Get a Travel Agent
While most travelers book their vacations independently online, travel agents can help save consumers money.
“Most don’t charge any fees, so you are getting their expertise and access at no additional cost,” said Steve Griswold, owner of Pixie Vacations.
Griswold recommended using a travel agent who has expertise in the types of vacations travelers would like to book.
“For example, if you are looking for an all-inclusive, Caribbean vacation, there are weekly deals for Sandals and Beaches Resorts that come out on Wednesdays called ‘777 Deals,” Griswold said. “These are limited, extra savings that can be added on top of other Sandals Resort special offers. But you would not know about these deals if you book directly or call into the call center to book.”
Griswold said travelers could find similar deals for cruises and Disney and Universal Family vacations.
“Contact a travel agent that knows a specific vacation destination, and they will hook you up,” Griswold said.
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