Due to inflation and increased demand, airplane and hotel costs have skyrocketed in 2022—airfare alone went up nearly 20% in April. Not to mention that rental car costs remain high because companies have still not been able to beef their supply back up since selling off their fleets in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But there are some tried-and-true methods to save while traveling, and now is a great time to look into some of them. Topeka Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has four ways to save money while traveling.
- Take Advantage if You Have Flexibility
If you’re retired or otherwise easily able to travel during the week, choose to travel during the offseason of your particular destination or move your long-weekend travel to Monday through Thursday. Going to a popular summer destination could be far cheaper to do so in April or September, and most hotels have much cheaper rates on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights than they do later in the week.
- See if You Can Skip the Rental Car
Rental car companies have been unable to replenish their fleet due to chip shortages for new vehicles. With supply low, prices have remained high over the past year. If you’re traveling to a large city, you’re unlikely to need a car and can instead rely on much more affordable public transportation to get around. Many other smaller vacation hot spots offer trollies or other ways to get around, so it might be cheaper to just take a taxi or rideshare like Uber or Lyft to and from the airport instead of renting a car.
- Look for Airfare and Hotel Savings
If you live or are traveling to an area with several airports, be sure to check out all of your options before you book your flight. It might be worth an extra hour of travel in the car to save big on airfare. And while you should book airfare in advance, it’s more prudent to wait until about two weeks out to book your hotel. Research shows that it’s almost 15% cheaper to do so than at four months out.
- Take Advantage of Hotel Rates and Perks
Joining a rewards program for a hotel has its perks. Not only can you earn points for free rooms and upgrades, but you also may be able to book rates that are fully refundable. This means you can book your hotel once you see a rate that you’re satisfied with, but also keep checking the hotel’s website because if the price goes down, cancel your existing reservation and rebook at the lower price.
To learn more about Topeka Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://topeka-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.
