The warming weather has turned Our attention to the summer travel season — and for good reason. Vacation time is coming up and there are already some deals out there.
To help with your travel plans, TripAdvisor, one of the most trusted review sites on the web, recently released its "Best Time to Book" report, revealing when travelers can "consistently find and book the lowest hotel prices for summer trips."
Planning a trip? Here’s the best time to book a hotel
The results come after the site reviewed historical pricing data from hotels to analyze the precise time periods when rates would be at their lowest at popular destinations around the world. “The ‘best time to book’ is when hotel prices were consistently less than the destination average,” a TripAdvisor press release says.
The best time to book a hotel, according to the report, is within one month of the trip. "The average rate for a U.S. hotel this summer is $236 per night, and travelers who book within a month of their trip can save as much as 15%, compared to early year peak rates," the release says.
According to the site, you can look forward to savings of up to 40% this summer in any one of these 10 domestic cities: Boston, Chicago, Orlando, San Diego, Las Vegas, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Thinking of going abroad? Save up to 25% by booking a place in Europe about five weeks out, the site says.
Best time to book a flight
Lodging is important, but we need a way to get there. So we have to know when is the best time to book a flight. Money-saving whiz Clark Howard says his his #1 rule of cheap travel is to find a bargain first — then figure out a reason to go.
"The more flexible you are and the more spontaneous you are about where you go, the more money you're going to save," Clark says.
For example: If you have your mind set on visiting Rome but find out that Milan is hundreds of dollars cheaper per person, then it would make sense for you to set your sites on the Milan Cathedral rather than St. Peter's Basilica.
The money you save can go toward upgrading your lodging arrangements or even enjoying more amenities out on the town. Better yet, it could stay in your bank account.
RELATED: This handy tool is what the pros use to find cheap flights
Clark.com