Tips to Make Vacations Cheaper

OK, so you want to travel like the Kardashians, but your budget is more like the Griswolds. You can still leave home, have a great time, and not break the bank. NPR has tips on common pitfalls to avoid, and things to try instead:

• Dream destination? Try 'destination dupe.' Yearning for Napa? Try sipping some Riesling in New York's much more affordable, yet still picturesque, Finger Lakes region. Forget Paris. Try wandering the streets of a closer-to-home European-tinged city like Quebec or Montreal.

• Stay out of the city center. You can save a bundle, get a non-touristy experience, and take public transportation in to see the main sights.
• Airbnb and the like aren't always cheapest. Look into options like budget hotels, hostels, home swaps, and house-sitting. Even rates at hotel chains like Hilton rose just 7.8% from 2020 to 2023, while AirBnb rose a rather more substantial 36%.

Much more here, including flexibility on when you travel and on putting the plastic away.