May is nearly here. Memorial Day Weekend is rapidly approaching. Then it’s summer. Hopefully, that means it’s time for a little vacation. So, now’s the time to start shopping for cheap flights, hotel discounts, and lowered prices on travel packages.
At the same time, the high season is on its way, which equates to higher prices in general. You have to have those alerts set and keep an eye out for sales if you want to save some serious cash on travel. It’s not all bad news. There are still plenty of deals out there, and we’ve got you covered.
We’ve compiled some of the best deals right now below. These are the cheapest flights, sweetest hotel rates, and steepest travel package discounts out there today.
TOP THREE DEALS OF THE WEEK:
$3 PER DAY CAR RENTALS IN EUROPE WITH RYANAIR
Europe has a great infrastructure with trains and buses crisscrossing the continent at high speeds and fairly accessible price points. Sometimes, though, a train or bus isn’t going to get you where you need to go. Sometimes you need your own wheels to get to that faraway restaurant everyone is talking about or find that hot springs in the backcountry.
Ryanair is offering a massive deal right now on car rentals across Europe. You can score a car for as little as $3 per day. There’s just no way to beat that price on any train or bus. Granted, gasoline costs about two to three times as much in Europe. Still, this is an unbeatable deal for a little extra freedom while you’re seeing Europe (especially if your American insurance or credit card covers the insurance on the rental).
$53 ONE-WAY FLIGHTS TO PANAMA FROM FLORIDA
We had to triple check this flight to make sure it was to Panama the country and not Panama Beach in Florida. Trust us, it’s Panama the country and it really is only $53 each way. That’s basically the cost of a night out to get to a whole new country in Central America this summer. What are you waiting for?
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SAVE UP TO 70% WITH AMTRAK’S NEW SHARE FARE
Amtrak has a new sale running that’ll help you and your crew see a new corner of America this summer. They’re offering a “Share Fare” discount that breaks down like this: Passenger one pays full price then passenger two through four receive discounts of 15, 60, and 70 percent respectively. Overall, that means that you and your travel crew will save 35 percent off your next trip.
BEST FLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:
$11 FLIGHTS AROUND ASIA WITH AIRASIA
When they’re not abruptly shuttering (RIP WowAir) budget airlines like AirAsia are dominating the game. There’s a good reason. Flights around East and Southeast Asia right now are only $11 one-way. You just can’t beat those prices. That’s basically the cost of a meal at McDonald’s for a ticket to a new place and experience.
FLIGHTS TO LONDON ON SALE WITH NORWEGIAN
Norwegian is the biggest game in town for trans-Atlantic flights since WowAir bit the dust. Currently, they’re running sales on flights to London this summer with one-way prices ranging from $179 to $359 depending on which coast you’re flying from.
ROUNDTRIP FROM PHOENIX TO BOGOTA FOR $374
Now is the time to book fall travel. Flights from the southern U.S. to Bogota, Columbia are only $375 roundtrip in October. Prices may not be that cheap again this year.
ROUNDTRIP FROM DC TO MADAGASCAR FOR $624
Looking to go further afield and chase a bucket list destination? We’ve got just the flight for you. You can score a roundtrip from Washington, DC all the way to Madagascar for only $625. That’s close to half-off an average fare.
ROUNDTRIP FLIGHTS FROM WEST COAST TO AUSTRALIA FOR $750
Prices on flights to Australia with Qantas are going through another sale cycle. Unfortunately, this sale doesn’t hit the $500 roundtrip lows of last February. Still, we’re looking at roundtrips from the West Coast for around $750 and $850 from the East Coast on a variety of carrier. Prices are only going up from here.
BEST TRAVEL PACKAGES OF THE WEEK
BOOK A 5* HOTEL AND FLIGHT WITH EMIRATES VACATIONS
Sometimes booking your hotel and flight at the same time can save you some serious cash. Emirates Vacations is the place to save that cash right now. They’re offering combination packages on flights from U.S. destinations to spots all over Europe, the Middle East, and Asia for as around $1,200 per person.
That price includes economy flights plus five-star accommodation for your summer vacation.
SAVE $500 OFF THEMED U RIVER CRUISES
U River Cruises is offering the hippest summer cruises for travelers looking to experience Europe in a unique way. Their themed cruises this year will welcome celebrity drag personalities and some of the world’s biggest tattoo artists and models on two different sailings. To sweeten the deal, U is also running a sale which shaves $500 off the bottom line.
That’s enough to cover a good chunk of your flight if you shop the budget airlines.
20% OFF TRIPS TO ANTARCTICA WITH INTREPID TRAVEL
This one is a bit of a splurge but not so crazy that it’s inaccessible. Intrepid Travel runs trips to Antarctica that range from $5,000 to $6,000 per person. If you can book early, you can score a 20 percent discount off that price tag. And by early, we mean for the 2020/2021 sailing season. We know that’s a long way out but 20% off of five grand is a cool $1,000 in your pocket.
BEST HOTEL DEALS OF THE WEEK:
SAVE UP TO 25% OFF ZERO GEORGE STREET CHARLESTON, SC
Charleston, South Carolina has one of the most interesting food scenes in America. If you’re heading there this summer to eat, you’ll need a killer place to crash. Zero George Street is uniquely Charleston with a whimsical locked-in-time feel and plush luxe accommodations. They’re also offering 25 percent if you stay four nights or more. That’s a free night in a great city.
SAVE 20% OFF YOUR STAY AT THE COSMOPOLITAN LAS VEGAS
The Cosmopolitan is the party spot in Las Vegas. Their pool club pops off daily. The restaurants are bucket list spots. The speakeasy bars behind janitor doors hide amazing live venues. You can have all that fun with a nice 20 percent savings right now. The offer applies to mid-week bookings or any stay over two nights, and you’ll definitely want to stay more than two nights. So, win-win.
SAVE UP TO 25% OFF KIMPTON HOTELS
Kimpton Hotels operates some of the best boutique hotels across America. It’s where unique design meets high-end comfort and hip settings. Currently, they’re offering 20 percent off room rates across the brand if you book in advance. You can also snag 25 percent discounts at select properties, but you’ll have to shop around the site for those sales.
TRAVEL WITH PRIDE WITH PREFERRED HOTELS
To celebrate Pride Month in June, Preferred Hotels is offering a chance to earn 25,000 Preferred Points when you book a room anywhere within the hotel’s vast array of worldwide hotels and resorts. Those points translate to services from meals to massages to discounts on upgrades and even rooms.
Room prices range from $50 to $750 per night.
BEST WILD SPLURGE OF THE WEEK:
BOOK A LUXURY SMALL GROUP JOURNEY WITH ABERCROMBIE & KENT
Abercrombie & Kent run some of the most in-depth adventure trips in the business. Their small group journey packages are deep dives with local experts that are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. So, yeah, these don’t come cheap.
Currently, prices for trips where you spend 17 days in Tibet run close to $9,000 per person. Another trip, which lets you spend two weeks running alongside the great migration on the Serengeti runs closer to $15,000. Still, you get what you pay for as these are the trips that stay with you for the rest of your life.
