More Americans are planning to splurge a little this summer, upping their planned vacation budget to an average $2,800, according to a recent Adobe study.
That money will go further than it did last year thanks to lower airfares. Tickets are about 9 percent cheaper this year than they were in 2014, and they’ll be about 6 percent cheaper during the peak summer travel period, according to Hopper travel data.
Those prices, and a more stable economy, are causing more people to give in to their inner travel bug. About 222 million passengers are expected to fly on U.S. airlines this summer, up 4.5 percent from the same period last year, according to the trade group Airlines for America.
If you plan on joining those travelers, you better start booking now. The Adobe report found that consumers looking for hotel rooms that are $120 or less a night can save an average of 15 percent when booking hotel rooms 40 days prior to the trip. (There’s less price variation based on booking time for more expensive hotel rooms.)
Slideshow: The 10 Best Cities for Travelers on a Budget This Summer
You’re already too late to get the best deal on a domestic flight (which requires booking 90 days before takeoff), but you’ll still save by booking more than 20 days before your planned vacation. After that, flight prices rise just about 1.3 percent every day, according to Adobe.
Not sure where to go? WalletHub has identified the Best Cities for Summer Travel, based on 13 metrics including the cost of flights, local prices and the number of attractions. Click through to see which destinations made the list.
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