Weekend Getaway Guide: How to save on a weekend getaway?

With summer in full swing, millions of Americans are getting out to enjoy the warmer weather, and departing on their long planned summer vacations. When the post-vacation blues hit, travelers can look towards fall for amazing deals on getaways domestically and abroad. 

Nearly 40% of Hopper users planning to book a trip in the next 6 months are flexible on dates, destinations or both. These travelers are set to get the best deals for fall travel, especially if they can be flexible on both dates and destinations. We have rounded up our top tips for stretching your travel budget further when planning a weekend getaway this fall!

When to Fly

Domestic: September is a fantastic month to get away, with airfare every weekend of the month after Labor Day averaging about $270 per round trip domestic ticket. Prices begin to rise in October and will peak over the Indigenous People’s Day long weekend. Travelers looking to fit a getaway in between October and November can find the lowest prices over Halloween weekend or the weekend prior. Booking a getaway over one of these lower priced weekends will save travelers as much as 21% off peak prices, or about $70 per airfare ticket! 

Caribbean: For those travelers looking to take a trip to the Caribbean, a popular region for travelers getting away in early fall, September is the best time for deals. Travelers planning a trip over the weekend can save $100 per ticket, or about 22% per ticket if they shift travel to the least expensive dates. 

If you plan a trip to the Antilles this fall you will overlap with the final few weeks of hurricane season, so be sure to add Flight Disruption Assistance to your booking in the event of any bad weather before or during your travel. 

Europe:  With flights from some east coast airports to cities like London, Dublin and Reykjavik clocking in at 6 hours or less, the weekend away to Europe is a possibility for some savvy travelers. Unlike domestic trends and flights to the Caribbean, airfare to Europe remains high in September, slowly declining until a drop in the first two weeks of November as Americans shift focus to domestic holiday travel. Plan your weekend away to Europe the first two weekends of November to save $164 per ticket, or about 27% off September prices. 

How to hack the long weekend away

Many travelers planning a weekend getaway will look at trips leaving Thursday or Friday, and returning Sunday.Sunday is the most expensive day of the week to fly on so savvy travelers will stretch out the weekend by adding an extra day or two onto the trip to maximize the weekend and minimize prices. 

Domestic

The most expensive long weekend will be departing Thursday and returning Sunday, averaging $273 per ticket this fall. Shifting travel to depart Saturday and return Tuesday will save travelers an average of 17% or $50 per ticket for a getaway. Traveling Friday to Monday can save travelers about7% on airfare as well. 

Keep in mind, airfare for one night trips departing Saturday and returning Sunday will cost about the same as a 3 night trip starting on Thursday. If calendars are flexible, extend the trip for the same price, or shift dates to save!

Caribbean & Central America

Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean sit just a few hours flight from most major US airports, making them the ideal destinations for long weekend getaways. As with domestic trips, it pays to shift travel to off peak dates to save on airfare. 

For trips to the Caribbean, fly Saturday and return Tuesday to save up to 11% or $44 off each ticket. For trips to Mexico and Central America, save up to 14% or $68 per ticket by making the same shift! 

Europe

Travelers can save around 17%, or about $133 per ticket, by skipping the Saturday departure and booking a late in the week flight. Travelers headed to Europe for a long weekend will find the lowest prices departing on Thursday and returning on Monday or Tuesday following the weekend. 

Accommodations

Weekend stays in the US this fall are ranging between $212 per night and $278 per night on average, meaning checking in on the right day could save you as much as 23% off your room. Saturday is the most expensive day of the week to check in, averaging around $278 for the night, while Sunday is the cheapest day to check in at $212. Travelers staying midweek will see prices around $250 per night. 

Travelers looking to getaway over the weekend should consider skipping the weekend stay in these cities, where the premium for a Saturday night stay is incredibly high. These cities are typically cities that attract a leisure traveler- like those going to Atlantic City or Las Vegas for a weekend of entertainment and gambling. 

Cities that cater more for business travelers during the week are likely to see prices drop over the weekend, or at least remain the same. If you’re thinking about a weekend away, or a staycation, consider one of these cities where the weekend may actually get you the best deal! 

International travelers should expect to find the best deals on Sunday night stays, too. Prices in these top 10 international cities for weekend getaways will spike over the weekend, meaning there are deals to be found for Sunday night and mid-week stays. 

Last-minute deals still available to book for late summer / early fall weekend getaways:

Domestic 

• Boston, Massachusetts to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for as low as $73 round-trip on Hopper

• Los Angeles, California to Phoenix, Arizona for as low as $75 round-trip on Hopper

• New York City, New York to Atlanta, Georgia for as low as $86 round-trip on Hopper

• Dallas, Texas to Tampa, Florida for as low as $102 round-trip on Hopper

• Chicago, Illinois to Miami, Florida for as low as $103 round-trip on Hopper

• New York City, New York to Chicago, Illinois for as low as $105 round-trip on Hopper

• Boston, Massachusetts to Orlando, Florida for as low as $105 round-trip on Hopper

Caribbean 

• Boston, Massachusetts to San Juan, Puerto Rico for as low as $146 round-trip on Hopper

• New York City, New York to Nassau, The Bahamas for as low as $260 round-trip on Hopper

• New York City, New York to Saint Thomas Island, United States Virgin Islands for as low as $326 round-trip on Hopper

• Boston, Massachusetts to Montego Bay, Jamaica for as low as $352 round-trip on Hopper

• Chicago, Illinois to Mexico City, Mexico for as low as $353 round-trip on Hopper

• New York City, New York to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico for as low as $365  round-trip on Hopper

• Boston, Massachusetts to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico for as low as $379 round-trip on Hopper

• Chicago, Illinois to San Jose, Costa Rica for as low as $356 round-trip on Hopper

Europe

• New York City, New York to Amsterdam, Netherlands for as low as $411

• Chicago, Illinois to Barcelona, Spain for as low as $439

• New York City, New York to Dublin, Ireland for as low as $428

• Boston, Massachusetts to Oslo, Norway for as low as $431

• Los Angeles, California to Palma de Mallorca, Spain for as low as $456