It’s always a good time for a vacation, but it’s not always a good time for your wallet to take that vacation, or to book that flight and hotel stay. Lucky for you, there are specific times of year in which you can vacation for less, and a method to the madness of travel planning. 

Here are the best times of year to vacation and when to plan for them.

1. Off-season

Like most purchases, when demand drops, prices will follow. Most travel destinations will have an off-season. This can be a general off-season, when most people are at work, or an off-season for a specific destination that may be caused by less-than ideal weather and/or fewer hours of daylight in that location. For example, it may not be ideal to tour most of Europe in the winter, when the weather can be cold and snowy and it’s dark by 5pm. Many will also want to avoid traveling to places with unbearably hot weather in the summer during that time of year. 

If you are an experienced adventurer and none of this bothers you, you can go ahead and travel off-season for a bargain-priced vacation.

2. Shoulder season

A better option for a less-expensive vacation may be to travel during the shoulder seasons. These seasons fall right between the high travel season and the off-season. While this will vary by location, for many popular travel destinations, shoulder season falls in spring and early autumn. Vacationing during these times can mean getting a lot more bang for your buck, sightseeing without the huge crowds and potentially having ideal weather conditions. 

The best time to book a flight

Airfare can be the priciest item in your vacation budget. And there’s always that challenge of finding the perfect time to book your flight: Book too early, and you overpay, but wait too long and you can end up with the worst seats and limited options for connecting flights. 

The data here can be tricky, and you may find a different recommendation given by every travel company. So when to book?

We’ve got the goods to help you score a great deal on airfare without compromising on your comfort or convenience. While this can vary by season and destination, in general, airfare tends to be lowest 6-8 weeks before the flight. This means if you’ll be traveling for the holidays, book your flights in September. 

To get more specific, here’s when to book: 

  • 6 weeks ahead for international airfare 
  • 47 days ahead for domestic airfare in the summer
  • 62-69 days ahead for domestic airfare in autumn and winter
  • 90 days ahead for domestic airfare in spring

The best time to book hotels

Just like airfare, hotel rates will fluctuate with demand. Here, though, you can score a great last-minute deal if you don’t mind waiting a bit to finalize your travel plans. Sites like HotelTonight and Hotels.com can help you find a steeply discounted hotel reservation just a day or two before you travel. 

The best time to book vacation rentals

You won’t have as easy a time canceling a vacation rental like an Airbnb stay. Most of these sites recommend booking your stay approximately four weeks in advance. If you don’t mind leaving your arrangements up to chance, you can always choose to wait until the last minute, when you may end up with a fabulous deal. Keep in mind, though, that you can also end up with a super-expensive rental that doesn’t meet your needs. 

The best time to book cruises

If you’d like to take a cruise in the next year or so, think April. You’ll find the cheapest cruise rates this month. It’s best to book that cruise sometime between January and March. This is the cruise industry’s “wave season,” when you can score the best discounts and promotions on cruise tickets. 

Missed the wave season window? You can still get a great deal on a cruise by purchasing tickets during a promotion, which cruise companies feature throughout the year.

Are you planning a vacation? Use our guide to find the time of year that’s right for your dream getaway and your budget, too!