Sometimes in life you just have to grab an opportunity when it appears. And what could be better than the sudden chance to go on vacation! Unfortunately, making last-minute travel plans tends to cost more than if you had planned for your vacation ahead of time.

But just because you are planning a last-minute vacation doesn’t mean you have to prepare yourself to break your budget! Take a look at these helpful tips on How to Save Money on a Last-Minute Vacation!

How to Save Money on a Last-Minute Vacation

1. Look for Last-Minute Cancellations

Just as you may have decided to take a vacation at the last-minute, someone else may have had to make a last-minute cancellation! This can work to your advantage! To save money on a last-minute vacation, call any resorts you’re interested in and inquire if they had any last-minute cancellations. In most cases, the resort will resell last-minute cancelled rooms at good discounts, even up to half off!

2. Vacation During Off-Peak Days

If you’re planning to take a three day weekend for your last-minute vacation, you could save more by taking Monday off and having a full vacation day on Sunday. That’s because many people take Friday off, planning to get home for work on Monday. That leaves hotels emptier on Sunday nights, making Sunday prices cheaper! And if you’re planning to vacation over several days, try to set your flights to and from your destination for weekdays, as rates will be lower than on weekends.

3. Drive

A lot of the cost of a last-minute vacation comes from making last-minute travel plans. So a great way to save money on a last-minute vacation is to drive yourself to your destination! In some cases, such as vacations overseas or across the country, this isn’t feasible. But if you’re just planning to go vacation further south in your own state, why not drive there instead of flying or taking the train?

4. Clear Your Cookies

In the same way that a random ad may know what books you like, travel sites know when you’re planning a vacation. It’s all because of cookies! Using data from cookies, travel sites can figure out that you’re suddenly very interested in taking a trip. As a result, the prices you see on their websites may be higher than if you’d gotten rid of those browser cookies!

5. Travel Early or Late

Few people want to travel at the crack of dawn or the dead of night. But if you want to save money on a last-minute vacation, you may have to travel at those unfortunate times. That’s because travel companies will be desperate to fill the seats, lowering prices as a result.

6. Buy a Package

As with most big purchases, you can save a lot by buying a package or bundle deal. Also, many packages have set departure dates. As that date approaches, you may see packages’ prices getting lower as companies try to entice more people to buy into the deal. Remember, it’s always better for them to have someone pay less for a room than to not have anyone at all!

7. Consider Fees

Just as there are fees for last-minute cancellations, you may find yourself being charged fees for last-minute bookings, especially on flights. So when comparing different airlines and flights, make sure to add any possible fees to the prices as well. And if you’re some sort of premium member with any airline, check and see if members with your status get last-minute booking fees waived.

Have you ever taken a last-minute vacation? Were you able to save money on it?