Each year, 55 percent of Americans don't use all of their paid vacation time. Over the past year, more than half of Americans didn't take a leisure trip of more than four nights. Whether it's by plane, boat or car, it's time to get out of the office and take a trip.
Lonely Planet picked Salzburg, Austria as the number one city to visit this year, followed by Washington, DC, and Cairo, Egypt. Italy tops the list for luxury getaways and Croatia heads the list of emerging destinations. So, what's keeping you home?
If cost is a major consideration, fly in winter months as almost all the major U.S. cities have their lowest hotel costs this time of year. Forget about what you heard about Tuesdays being the magic day to purchase flights. Expedia found travelers who booked flights on a Sunday saved 20 percent. However, Sunday happens to be the most expensive day to book a hotel.
To get the most bang for your buck, set up a price alert on sites such as Google Flights or Kayak, which will then email you once there’s a price drop. Skyscanner is great for a quick overview of prices, and Airfarewatchdog for alerts on cheap deals.
Finally, check out Skiplagged to save money on your flight. It reveals “hidden cities” you can fly into for better, cheaper rates, located near those ideal larger destination cities. Simply save the money on your flight and catch a cheaper ride the rest of the way.
If you are looking to travel in a group but no one you know seems interested, try researching travel groups online. For example, EF Ultimate Break is a group for anyone ages 18-29, that identifies as being a young adult “Spring Break” travel group to destinations like Europe or Asia.
