The ever-increasing cost of fuel is, yes, driving up the cost of vacations this summer.
And we’re not just talking about road trips. Airfares have also shot up, with ticket costs in March 2026 coming in 14.9% higher than in March 2025, according to a report from NerdWallet, which crunched numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index. Additionally, the research found that restaurant meals and entertainment prices were higher by 3.8% and 6.2%, respectively, year over year.
All of this means it will take more advance planning and more money-saving strategies than usual to have an affordable vacation.
Here are a few smart ways to save, whether you’re traveling by plane or car.
Saving on Flights This Summer
If you plan to fly this summer—or anytime in the next 6 months—buy your tickets NOW.
Don’t wait.
Prices have risen sharply since the start of the war in Iran. In a recent earnings call, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told investors airfares have gone up five times since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and United, like other carriers, is planning more increases to keep profit margins secure.
A Southwest Airlines executive admitted to the same number of increases in talks with Wall Street analysts.
Both executives added that they don’t see prices dropping anytime soon.
But even if they're wrong—and the Iran crisis gets settled and airlines are forced to lower prices to keep seats filled—that unlikely scenario presents little risk for passengers who book plane tickets early.
Should prices drop, you can cancel your original airfare, use the credit you'll get to rebook the cheaper flight, saving the remainder of the credit to use at a later date.
This will work for all but basic economy tickets for all the major carriers.
There is one caveat, and it has to do with how stressful some air travel could get this summer.
If jet fuel runs out in Europe and Asia—which could happen in less than 6 weeks, according to projections—many flights may be canceled. As we noted last week, Lufthansa has already canceled 20,000 flights for the coming months.
Most experts do not expect the fuel shortage and cancellations to have an impact on international flights, so American travelers won't likely be stranded abroad.
But shorter hops within the continents of Europe and Asia may be affected. So it may be a good idea to look at rail and bus connections if you're considering visiting a secondary city or a smaller country within those regions.
Don’t check bags.
It’s not only airfares that have been going up. As we reported earlier in April, airlines have hiked up checked luggage fees considerably.
By packing lightly, you could save a bundle on your bundle of belongings.
Use points and miles.
If you’ve been hoarding credit card rewards points and frequent flyer miles, now’s the time to apply them. The savings could be significant.
Fly off-peak on Tuesdays or Wednesdays domestically, Fridays for international flights.
In a recent study by Expedia that we covered, data showed that Tuesdays and, to a lesser extent, Wednesdays are the least expensive days of the week for domestic flights.
Flights out of the country, on the other hand, cost the least on Fridays, according to the statistics.
Consider August or September for your summer vacation.
More and more schools now start in August, meaning there are fewer family travelers competing for airfares and lodgings in that month compared to 10 or 20 years ago.
In September, prices dip even further. So if your schedule allows and you can endure the dog days at home, give yourself a late summer trip to look forward to. Anticipation is a big part of the fun of travel anyway.
Saving on Road Trips This Summer
Drive in the states where gasoline is less expensive.
Gas prices vary greatly from state to state due to a variety of factors, ranging from distance to refineries, to state taxes on fuel, to local laws regarding the composition of the fuel that goes in your car.
Right now, Oklahoma, Kansas, and North Dakota have the lowest prices nationwide. They are followed by more states in the middle of the country: Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia.
The highest fuel costs are on the West Coast, with California coming in at nearly $6 a gallon on average today.
Sounds like maybe this is the year to skip Yosemite and head for North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park instead.
And if you insist on getting your kicks on Route 66 during its 100th-anniversary year, you might want to focus on the segments in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas rather than following the Mother Road all the way to its Californian endpoint.
Use apps and online tools to budget for gas and find the cheapeast filling stations along the way.
AAA has a free Gas Cost Calculator to help you estimate how much you’ll spend on gasoline over the course of a trip. That way you can budget for other expenses.
Simply enter your starting destination, ending destination, and any stops in between, plus the year and make of your car. AAA's caclulator will then spit back what your expected gas cost will be. Bingo! Budget set.
Also useful: the app Gas Buddy, which relies on crowdsourced info from volunteers who report the prices at gas stations in their areas. Thus equipped, you can find the cheapest places to fill up on the road.
The app now has a credit card for fuel purchases that supposedly takes off as much as 33 cents per gallon. (We have not yet tested the card so we can't endorse it.)
Consider a hub-and-spoke vacation.
What we mean by that: Choose a destination that you can drive to and then settle in (that would be your hub), making day trips (the spokes) on foot or by bike (more spokes!) in the vicinity of your lodgings.
In addition to being rewarding, slow travel could mean good savings.
Drive like it’s 1974.
In 1973 and '74, OPEC cuts quadrupled the cost of gas, leading many Americans to change the way they drove in order to conserve fuel. Some of the lessons from that time still apply today.
First off, doing regular maintenance, keeping up-to-date with oil changes, and propertly inflating tires can really make a difference when it comes to gas mileage.
Just as important, you use less gas when you drive under (rather than above) the speed limit.
Obviously, that's much safer, too.