No, it's not too early to start thinking about summer vacations in 2024. Then start thinking about smart travel strategies to get there without losing all your money (or your heart).
That's what Catherine Knoll does.
She has booked a two-week adventure to Europe in July. It begins with a marathon flight from Honolulu to Zurich, where she will speak at a conference. Then she hopscotches across Europe to Vienna and then to the Olympics. She plans to stay in Nantes, France to watch a soccer game, Lille to watch a basketball game, and Paris to watch gymnastics, boxing, and swimming.
After all, it would set her back five orders of magnitude.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure,” says Noah, a lawyer who lives in Kaneohe, Hawaii.
Summer travelers are booking 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, make sure you're willing to shell out a little extra.”
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. Dollars to domestic destinations, with rentals expected to increase 40% this summer compared to last year as Americans shift some of their vacations.
It's not just prices that are on the rise. People's expectations for summer vacation are also higher than at any time since the pandemic, said Sangeeta Sadarangani, CEO of London-based multinational travel company Crossing.
“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? (Here's my ultimate guide to summer travel.)
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 now cheaper than last summer. But elsewhere it is rising. The breakdown is as follows:
- Airfares are going up and down. Domestic round-trip airfares in the summer averaged $325 per ticket, down 5% from last year, according to travel platform Hopper. Flights to Europe are also cheaper. It fell 12% from last year to $1,012. However, tickets to South America rose 4% and tickets to Canada rose 5%. If you head south of the border, you'll pay an average of $759, and if you head north, you'll pay $430.
- U.S. hotel prices are falling. Domestically, prices fell 7% to an average of $304 per night. Overseas, prices rose 2% to $314 per night, Kayak said.
- Rental car prices are rising. According to Kayak, the average price for a domestic rental car has increased by 10% this summer to $113 per day. Last summer, prices fell by 14% after the rental car shortage eased. Overseas, rates increase by his 3%, averaging $88 per day.
But experts say high prices can be avoided with a little strategic planning.
Click here for popular summer travel destinations in Japan
These are the country's top destinations for 2024, according to Allianz Travel Insurance. In case you want to avoid crowds,
1. Orlando
Magic City's theme park and nearby beaches are popular summer attractions. Fun fact: Early September is the best time to visit Orlando. It's a ghost town. (I used to live there.)
2. Seattle
Great weather and low airfares are drawing people to the Pacific Northwest. And those views!
3. Boston
History and a New England summer — of course, this is a top-five destination.
4. New York
The Big Apple is always on this list. You can't visit the US without coming here.
5. Honolulu
surprise! It's not just a winter destination.
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 says.
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 to tour Europe this summer
Prices will be higher and congestion is expected. “If you're not planning on attending one of her concerts, we recommend planning a tour of European cities when she's in town,” says Betsy Ball, co-founder of Euro Travel Coach. . (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 is 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.
When is the best time to book your summer vacation in 2024?
It gets very crowded, so please make your reservation early. Hopper recommends purchasing tickets two to three months before departure for domestic flights and for international flights. Well, it's probably too late to get the lowest rate. 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 flights midweek rather than 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 strategy 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. His road trip involves riding his 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 says late-summer vacations are expensive, but he doesn't expect fares to drop anytime soon. “So the price is outrageous,” 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. She said hotel rooms in Dublin were too expensive, even if they were available. But Fish has found affordable vacation rentals.
“We had to book much further in advance than we normally would,” she says.
So follow the crowd this summer, but…
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 trip from Zurich to Paris in June to check out your favorite patisserie, but unless you book far in advance, you won't be near the City of Lights during the summer games in July. won't go.
And what about Taylor Swift? Pu Riese. I'm more of a jazz fan.
Where are you going this summer?
I would like to ask you about your summer travel plans. Our comments are open.
