What Are The best and worst times of year to travel on a budget

The best and worst times of year to travel on a budget.

Traveling on a budget, one needs to consider all the factors on the stake that will offer a cheaper experience. The best and cost-effective time to travel while on a budget is:

1 Winter
Many destinations preferably the U.S. have their low season in winter. This attracts low prices and is much more affordable to visit expensive destinations. Winter is the best time to look for cheap tickets to destinations that attract many people during the summer. During this time hotel rooms are offered at a discounted price as they try to attract customers. On various occasions, hotels give promotions to their customers such as free breakfast which is a benefit to a traveler on a budget. This helps save some money which can be used on other expenses.

Winter is the time with the fewest crowds since it is mostly you and the locals. During these times museums are mostly quiet which gives a great feeling. In cases where you need to inspect lodgings, this is the best time since it is difficult to do so when these rooms are fully occupied. Where you need to hit the roads, this is the appropriate time since the temperatures are dropping. As a budget traveler, traveling during winter will lower your costs in expenses such as air tickets, rental cars among others.

2 Early spring and Late Fall.
This stage is the transition between the expensive high season and Winter which is the low season. Traveling through this season is pretty affordable to a traveler on a budget. During this season there is a lower price for the air ticket and accommodation. Early spring there are much fewer crowds since the kids are in school thus a convenient time to travel. Late fall which is between October and early November is still a convenient time.

3 Off-Peak Days.
Unless you are a frequent traveler, it is hard to determine the cheapest day to travel. Data obtained from previous years and also from travel experts show that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to travel. In case you miss these days, the next available days are Thursdays and Saturdays.  

Saturdays are seemingly busy days but most travelers see Sunday as the best day to return from vacation so as to maximize their vacation time. On the case of business travelers, Monday and Friday are their popular days. Research also shows that the second flight of the day is cheaper as compared to the first. 

Due to high demands, there are correspondingly high prices in tickets and other travel expenses. The following times are unfavorable to a traveler on a budget.

1 Christmas and New Year.
The Christmas and New Year’s holiday extends to a 17-day holiday. Traveling during these days is far much expensive especially during weekends. This is because most people want to travel through a convenient longer weekend. Traveling expenses are high and you don’t have much of a chance to choose a preferred seat since most are already booked. Traveling during this time you spend a lot of money to sleep yet the hotels are not so nice.

2 Spring Break
Spring breaks vary with destinations but mostly occur from late February to the beginning of April. During this period most schools are on a break. Families with school children tend to go on vacation during this period especially to celebrate Easter.  Traveling during this time, you have to get passports ahead of time. Delays can occur due to a large number of people applying for passports at that time.

Most destinations such as beaches and family destinations tend to charge higher prices for hotel rooms and fares leading to that route. Examples of places in the U.S. that charge high prices are the Caribbean and Florida. There are other destinations that attract college students during this break, for instance, Punta Cana. For a traveler on budgets, these are not the best days to plan for a beach vacation.

3 Summer.
Summer runs from the start of  June to the end of August. This is the high season for most destinations. This results from the good weather experienced during this period. This is regarded as the busiest travel season. Fridays during summer have earned a notable mark as one of the busiest travel days. Fares and other traveling expenses such as hotel rooms and meals are high due to higher demand.

Planning to travel during summer can be a bit challenging to get travel tickets between booking early and getting the last-minute deals. Flight deals at this time are mostly unstable since the stock market at one point is up and down the next until the fare stabilizes. Most places are overcrowded and getting a hotel room of your choice is difficult.

During summer it is hard to find a quiet place if needed. Business meetings and conferences are not preferred during this time due to distractions resulting from many people. The three-day weekends which occur during summer, for instance, the Memorial Day and on July 4 are expensive days to fly. Memorial Day is the official kickoff for summertime travel is expected to be crowded. Labour day is the end of summer travel time. 

Roads and airports register increased traffic which can result in uncertainties such as traffic congestions bringing about delays.  Museums during this summer period are crowded thus you won’t get the best from visiting here. Budgeting and planning for this time are not suitable due to unstable prices hence a traveler on a budget should not consider this time.

4 Thanksgiving.
In the U.S. peak, thanksgiving traveling dates are much predictable since the holiday usually comes on the fourth Thursday of November. From Wednesday to Sunday around this period becomes the busiest travel time of the year. Airports are crowded while finding hotel rooms is difficult. The available rooms are expensive for a traveler on a budget.

Data from previous years show that the Wednesday before and Sunday after thanksgiving are the most expensive days. On the contrary traveling on the thanksgiving day offers the cheapest prices. Traveling during this time increases the chances of delays with some airlines due to high traffic.