Katherine Knoll said summer 2024 travel “is going to be expensive in every way.” And she should know that too.
She is planning a two-week adventure to Europe in June, starting with a marathon flight from Honolulu to Zurich, where she will speak at a conference. She then hopscotches across Europe to Vienna and then to the Olympics. Noor planned to stay in Nantes, France, for a soccer match, Lille for a basketball match, and Paris for gymnastics, boxing and swimming.
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In the end, despite her best efforts, including flying economy class and staying in the cheapest hotels, it ends up being a five-digit setback.
“No matter how much you try to save money, traveling is expensive,” said Noah, a lawyer based in Honolulu. “But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.”
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Summer travelers are looking for exciting and expensive vacations
Knoll is part of a wave of travelers making big plans for this summer. The itinerary is exciting, but expensive.
As we head into the summer travel season, nearly every barometer of travel appetite increases. Inflation and unemployment are low, consumer sentiment and curiosity are high, and summer 2024 will see an unprecedented level of interest in travel.
“We're seeing an uptick in bookings,” said Susan Schellen, who runs the travel agency Couture Trips. “Unfortunately, prices for hotels, tours, and flights aren't going down. So if you're planning on traveling this summer, be sure to spare some cash.”
According to travel agencies, reservations for the summer are flooding in.
“The travel economy is booming,” said Joe Iaracci, owner of Yacht Hampton Boat Club, a yacht rental company in Sag Harbor, New York. He expects rentals to increase 40% this summer compared to last year as Americans shift some of their vacation money toward domestic travel.
It's not just prices that are on the rise. Sangeeta Sadarangani, CEO of London-headquartered multinational travel company Crossing, said people's expectations for summer holidays are also higher than at any time since the pandemic.
“They're embracing the unknown,” she says.
And one thing that is very unclear is the cost of the trip. How expensive will it be?
What will the prices be this summer?
It depends where you go. Good news if you're traveling within the United States. Flight and hotel prices are a little cheaper than last summer. But elsewhere it is rising. The breakdown is as follows:
- Airfares vary. According to travel platform Hopper, round-trip domestic airfares in the summer can cost up to $315 per ticket. Flights to Europe are also cheaper. It fell 10% from last year to $882. However, flights to South America rose 2% and those to Canada rose 7%. If you head south of the border, you'll pay an average of $708, and if you head north, you'll pay $419.
- U.S. hotel prices are falling. Domestically, the average nightly rate is $206, about the same as last year.
- Rental car prices are rising. The average price for a domestic rental car rose just 3% this summer to $42 per day for a four-day rental, Hopper said.
But experts say high prices can be avoided with a little strategic planning.
Things to avoid this summer
John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Group, said American travelers are becoming more predictable in their summer vacation choices. Immediately after the pandemic, they embarked on a “revenge” vacation to far-flung locations. Now they are returning to more traditional vacations.
“This year we continue to see American travelers return to more traditional destinations across Europe, including London, Rome, Athens and Munich,” he said.
There are some places that will be very crowded and very expensive this summer.
- Paris during the Olympics. The Olympics will be held in Paris this summer. Some rooms are more than twice the normal rate. That's typical of the Olympics. Paris is already crowded with tourists during the summer, so you can imagine what it will be like when the Olympics are held. Zut, ah!
- Taylor Swift is touring Europe this summer. Prices will be higher and congestion is expected. Betsy Ball, co-founder of Euro Travel Coach, says, “If you're not planning on attending one of her concerts, I recommend planning a tour of European cities when she's in town.” Told. (Want to know if your schedules conflict? Here's Taylor Swift's concert schedule.)
- Other big summer events. Even if he distances himself from Taylor and the Olympics, he's not out of the woods yet. The UEFA Euro 2024 soccer tournament will be held in Germany in June. In July, there's the Tour de France, which starts in Florence and ends in Nice. France also hosts the Paralympic Games in August and September, which will be held in Paris, Nice, Marseille and Bordeaux.
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When is the best time to book your summer vacation in 2024?
It gets very crowded, so please make your reservation early. Hopper recommends buying tickets two to three months before departure for domestic flights, and for international flights, it's probably too late to get the lowest price. According to the airfare expert, even if he is reading this article in April, you will still find articles for late August or early September.
As always, you can save money by booking your flight midweek instead of over the weekend. And of course, you can save money by avoiding big travel holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.
Also, if you go abroad, please keep this in mind their Holiday calendars are different. For example, half of Europe is closed for summer vacation in August. It's worth looking into, but if you don't, you might be really disappointed.
Strategies to improve your summer travel
One tactic that always works is to divide your vacation into two sections. Take a much-needed summer vacation with your family during the high season and go somewhere less expensive. Then wait until the shoulder season for your big trip.
That's what former electrician Ross Copas, who lives in Tweed, Canada, will be doing in the summer of 2024. It's a road trip by bike across the northern United States, from New York to Washington state, then back east through Canada.
They will then head to Amsterdam in September for a 23-day European river cruise. He said late-summer vacations are expensive, but he doesn't expect fares to drop anytime soon. “So the price is crap,” he added.
In fact, that's pretty smart. I went on the same Viking River Cruise he was planning many years ago and it was worth every penny.
With hotel rates rising in some areas this summer, it's the perfect time to consider your alternatives. Monica Fish, a writer from Glen Rock, New Jersey, heads to Ireland to see Taylor Swift perform. Hotel rooms in Dublin are too expensive, she said, even if they are available. But Fish has found affordable vacation rentals.
“We had to book much further in advance than we normally would,” she said.
So let's follow the crowd this summer
I think it will be okay to chase the crowds this summer. I'll do it. I'm planning to rent an apartment in Switzerland for a month with long-term apartment rental company Blueground. Then I crash on a friend's couch in Spain, then head to Sweden to meet another friend and visit her brother in Finland.Yes, Travel Writers Know People wherever.
However, don't follow the crowds down the cliff. There are places even I don't go. You might take the four-hour train journey from Zurich to Paris in June to check out your favorite patisserie, but unless you book well in advance, you won't be able to find one near the City of Lights during the summer games in July. I won't go.
And what about Taylor Swift? Pu Riese. I'm more of a jazz fan.
Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and Elliott Report, a customer service news site. If you need help with a consumer issue, you can contact him here or email chris@elliott.org.
