Every major tourist destination has a peak season and off season. A budget minded traveler can use the off season to his or her advantage. During the off season, rooms are cheaper, flights are cheaper, and less people will be getting in your way. If you want to go during the busy season, go during the week if you can. Even during busy times of year, the weekdays will generally be much cheaper than the weekends. Want to go to Colorado and hike around the mountains? Go in May before everyone takes their summer vacations and after the skiers have left. Just going a month earlier could mean that you're saving a couple hundred dollars.
I did a quick search on Kayak for the first week of May and the first week of June in Estes Park, CO. I looked at the Discovery Lodge for a reference. Discovery will cost you a total of 262 dollars for four nights in May. Once June and summer vacations start, the total for 4 nights in June jumps to 461 dollars. Just by going a month earlier, you can save basically 200 dollars. Are you missing out on some warmer weather for your trip? You probably will be, but its a trade off that the budget minded traveler won't mind.
The Discovery Lodge in Estes Park
One of the biggest destinations in the country can have certain weeks, weekends, or months where prices vary greatly. Las Vegas is that place, and if you want to get there on a budget, there will be a lot of options. The problem with Las Vegas is conventions. If there are big conventions in town, the hotel rates will go way up. Big sporting events like the Super Bowl or March Madness lead to lots of people in town, so don't bother trying to get a room for cheap. Certain holidays in Las Vegas can also lead to very expensive rooms, so be very aware of the varying prices of the rooms. Once again, in Las Vegas, one of the best times to go is in early May before all the summer travel. Weekday rooms at nice Strip hotels are attainable for around 60 dollars a night at places like the Monte Carlo and New York New York. In Las Vegas, if you don't care about your lodgings or location that much, there are plenty of options that you could book for less than 40 dollars a night.
Basically, if you're looking at taking a trip somewhere, and it doesn't matter too much when you go, use it to your advantage. These hotels want to fill their rooms, and during the off season and weekdays, these rooms are going to be cheaper. I'll definitely get into more specific tips later on when I go through a specific destination guide. Here are a few links where you can play with dates and days and see what kind of prices you can get on different dates. Enjoy the searching, and find the right vacation destination for you!
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