How to get away for less this fall

(NC) Did you miss out on a summer vacation this year? Don’t worry, fall is a great time of year to go away: you won’t have your energy sapped by the summer heat, foodies can get their fill at a harvest festival, and you can see the leaves changing colour amidst idyllic backdrops. Here are four ways to plan an affordable fall holiday. 

Book early 
Booking as early as possible has two key advantages. For one, you’ll have the best selection of locations and venues before the prime spots get booked up. Plus, the further in advance that you book your holiday, the better the deals you’ll likely find. Once your travel and accommodations are confirmed, look into pre-booking tickets for any bucket-list excursions to avoid disappointment. 

Tap into seasonal sales 
The laws of supply and demand definitely apply to vacations. With most families with children looking to travel during summer vacation, most destinations charge a premium during those summer months. If you can hold off until fall or early winter, you’ll find that flights are less crowded, there are more hotel and resort rooms available, and most locations offer off-season rates. 

Comparison shop 
Think about the type of consumer you are: do you like to choose things a la carte, or do you prefer package deals? With some travel operators, such as Air Canada Vacations, you can try both. You can play around with different flight times, the calibre of accommodations, and the excursions and attractions you’re interested in to find an itinerary that fits your budget. Or you can search through various curated self-guided or guided tour packages that take care of the planning for you. Pre-set packages often build in volume discounts so you can see and do more for less. 

Use your points 
Most of us have a variety of rewards cards or apps that we use for different purchases. With some, such as Aeroplan, you can use the points to book everything from flights and hotels, to complete resort stays, including travel. 

Find more tips on how to save on travel at aircanadavacations.com.