How to pay less in your July 4th getaway

SSome excellent news for Fourth of July travelers: Gas prices and domestic airfares are down from last yr, making attending to Independence Day destinations cheaper for road trippers and jetsetters alike.

A gallon of standard gasoline currently costs a median of $3.47, in keeping with the newest Data from the American Automobile Association (AAA). This represents a decrease of three% in comparison with the identical period last yr.

At the identical time, domestic airfares for the 4th of July weekend have fallen by 18% in comparison with last yr and are actually Travel Outlook as of July 4, 2024 by Hopper, the travel app for locating bargains. The booking site Kayak’s Forecast from July 4 is similarly rosy, predicting a 16% drop in domestic airfares in comparison with last summer.

According to Hopper, rental automotive prices nationwide have remained stable year-over-year at $48 per day. “Most travelers are booking five-day rentals, in comparison with four-day rentals last yr, reflecting a desire to increase their vacation over the long weekend,“ writes Hayley Berg, senior economist at Hopper and writer of the report.

Get the perfect flight price

Want the perfect flight deal this long weekend? Remember that prices are determined by supply and demand. Since mid-May, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has experienced several days that rank among the many 10 busiest in its 22-year history.

Hopper estimates that 24 million seats will depart U.S. airports through the seven-day travel period from Wednesday, July 3, to Tuesday, July 9 — a 7% increase from the identical period last yr. But not every travel day will see the identical passenger volume, in keeping with Berg.

You’ll pay less in your flight should you avoid the busiest travel days: Wednesday, July 3, when 3.5 million seats will depart U.S. airports, and Sunday and Monday, July 7 and eight, when over 3.7 million seats might be scheduled on each days.

Hopper recommends departing on Thursday, July 4 and returning on Tuesday of the next week. “This saves travelers an average of 32%, or about $121 per ticket, compared to the more popular Wednesday-Sunday trip,” Berg writes.

Or book a visit to the Old Continent to save lots of much more. According to Hopper, airfares to Europe are down greater than a 3rd (37%) in comparison with the identical weekend last summer. “Prices to Canada and the Caribbean are under $500 per round-trip ticket for travelers who take their passport with them, while trips to Europe average over $900 per round-trip ticket,” says Berg.

Get a superb hotel deal

Over the past yr, hotel rates have increased in certain markets (akin to San Francisco and Las Vegas), but on average and across the country, they’re virtually unchanged in comparison with 2023. In its report for the week ending June 15, industry analytics firm STR notes that the national ADR (average each day rate) rose only 80 cents, from $160.90 to $161.70 per hotel room per night, a 0.5% increase from a yr ago.

But that is for a typical week during off-peak season. Hotel rates are significantly higher over the Fourth of July long weekend, averaging $232 per night, in keeping with Hopper. That’s 18% higher than last yr, when hotel rates over Independence Day weekend averaged $197 per night.

There is a silver lining for procrastinators. “Holiday weekends like the Fourth of July are a great opportunity to snag last-minute hotel deals, especially in cities that are empty on the weekend,” advises Berg, pointing to a tried-and-tested strategy that will not be for the faint of heart. “Book at the last minute – within 24 hours of check-in – to get the lowest hotel rates!”

Avoid traffic

Meanwhile, the AAA predicts 60.6 million Americans will travel by automotive 50 miles or more from home through the Independence Day holiday – a 5% increase over last yr.

61 million road trip travelers seems like an enormous number, but consider the auto association’s methodology. A visit of “50 miles or more” is an especially low hurdle, and AAA doesn’t even require an overnight stay. You’re taking the children to a barbecue at Grandma’s two hours away? You’re driving an hour to satisfy friends for a hike? You’ve met AAA’s threshold, but you almost certainly don’t consider that “travel.”

Note that between last summer and today, AAA made a notable change in the way it defines the Fourth of July travel window. Last yr, the vacation weekend included five days, Friday through Tuesday. “If the Fourth of July falls on a Wednesday, it is considered a six-day holiday period; if it falls on any other day of the week, the holiday period is a five-day window,” the statement said. AAA explains his methodology last yr.

This yr, July 4th falls on a Thursday, so AAA would should use five days, right?

Instead, the AAA has expanded the long weekend travel period to nine days, including two full weekends. The association notes, “For the first time, the AAA has included the entire week of July 4, plus the Saturday before and Sunday after the holiday.”

Why switch to a for much longer travel window? “We think it better reflects the reality of the holiday travel season,” said AAA spokesman Andrew Gross Forbes in an email. “Since pre-pandemic times, more people have flexible/hybrid work schedules, allowing them to leave earlier and return later and do a bit of work while they’re away if needed.”

In addition, the association said the comparison was a comparison of equals. “Because we extended the travel period, we looked at the actual numbers from the last five years, looking at the same nine-day period around Independence Day, which includes two weekends. Therefore, the numbers we report, including the comparison, are accurate and not inflated,” the AAA said in an announcement.

Accordingly INRIXa provider of traffic data and data, the worst times to drive are Wednesday, July 3, and Sunday, July 7. “Car trips can take up to 67% longer than normal during the holiday week,” warns Bob Pishue, a traffic analyst at INRIX, who recommends monitoring traffic apps for up-to-date information on road conditions.