A Travel Expert Shares How You Can Save Money On That Last-Minute Trip
Want to book a last-minute trip but worried about how much it’ll cost?
Last-minute travel can be an exciting and sometimes stressful experience. However, with the right tips and resources, it can also be a fun adventure. When it comes to booking last-minute travel, there are a few things to keep in mind. Don’t forget to pack smart and efficiently, as last-minute trips often require quick thinking and minimal luggage. With these tips in mind, you can make the most of your last-minute travel plans and enjoy a spontaneous getaway.
According to Metro UK and Go2Africa travel expert Justin Chapman has good news for you! There are some tips you can follow that’ll help you keep the costs down when booking a last-minute trip. Here’s what you have to remember.
- Alerts are your friend. Sign up for alerts from travel companies and airlines, this way you’re pinged when there’s a special offer or a decrease in price.
- Compare, compare, compare. Be sure to use comparison websites but also manually check by looking at the airline and hotel websites directly.
- Be flexible, where possible. Be flexible with your destination, and the airport you’re planning to fly into and out of. Lots of times, an airport in the city center is more expensive than one outside.
- The power of a package. A few weeks before the date, the prices of packages tend to drop because agents are trying to fill empty spots.
- Split up your group. Search for flights individually instead of booking together. When you’re booking more than one ticket, the site looks for a number of seats at the same price point. This means if there aren’t enough “cheaper” seats left, they won’t even show you that as an option.
- Go direct. Sometimes calling hotels and resorts directly can get you a better rate. They’ll know firsthand if they have rooms to fill and you may get a discount.
8 Seemingly Unreal Places to Add to Your Travel Bucket List
Antelope Canyon, Arizona
This Arizona canyon was naturally carved by rainwater streams within the sandstone. The Navajo Nation gave it the name ‘The place where water runs through rocks.’ Visit Arizona explains that the Upper Antelope Canyon tour is more frequented due to increased sunlight and towering walls reaching 120 feet. Alternatively, the Lower Antelope Canyon tour is equally remarkable, providing visitors with an immersive encounter among the swirling sandstone walls.
Left_Coast_Photographer/ Getty Images
Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming
Among the world’s largest springs, the Grand Prismatic measures an expansive 370 feet in diameter, exceeding the size of a football field. Its vibrant appearance stems from bands of orange, yellow, and green that encircle the deep blue waters. These diverse colors originate from different strains of thermophile bacteria, thriving in the progressively cooler waters around the spring, as explained by Yellowstone National Park. For a bird’s-eye-like view of the Grand Prismatic, they suggest visitors follow the half-mile Fairy Falls trail to a lookout.
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The Door to Hell, Turkmenistan
Located in Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert, the Door to Hell is a large fiery crater. It emerged when a natural gas field accidentally caught fire in 1971 and has been burning continuously since then, according to National Geographic. A well-visited tourist spot, the Door to Hell permits visitors to hike down into the crater for a close view of the flames and an opportunity to experience the unique atmosphere of the site. The Door to Hell, also referred to as the Darvaza Gas Crater, is located in a rural part of the country.
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Diamond Beach, Iceland
Found along Iceland’s South Coast, the Diamond Beach is a volcanic black sand shoreline adjacent to the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. Ice blocks from the glacier lagoon wash ashore after breaking into smaller pieces at sea, as mentioned in the Diamond Beach Travel Guide. The beach is also a natural habitat for seals.
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Mendenhall Glacier Caves, Alaska
According to the Tongass National Forest, the Mendenhall Glacier is among the numerous expansive glaciers originating from the Juneau Icefield, an area spanning 1500 square miles of rock, snow, and ice. The glacier gradually advances under the influence of gravity, descending down the slope. Over time, it carves the bedrock and erodes during its 13-mile path until it reaches Mendenhall Lake.
SeanT313/ Getty Images
Thor’s Well, Oregon
Located on the Oregon coast near Cape Perpetua, there’s a large sinkhole that appears to swallow seawater continuously, resembling a bottomless pit. According to Yachats Oregon, it’s often called the “drainpipe of the Pacific.” They explain that the well is actually a hole in the rock that gives the impression of draining ocean water. Some researchers believe this well might have started as a sea cave shaped by waves. Over time, its roof likely collapsed, creating openings at the top and bottom, which spray ocean water.
Morgan Somers/ Getty Images
Crooked Forest, Poland
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Found close to the town of Gryfino in West Pomerania, Poland, the Crooked Forest consists of 400 peculiarly contorted pine trees. As revealed by Discovery, these pine trees were planted approximately in 1930, back when the area was part of the German province of Pomerania. Starting from the ground, the pine trees exhibit a distinctive feature: they grow with a sharp 90-degree bend towards the north, before gracefully straightening up towards the sky.
Pink Beach, Padar Island, Komodo National Park, Indonesia
Jordan Comley/ Getty Images
The beach is named for its pink sand, which comes from tiny organisms in the coral reefs nearby. Visitors can swim, snorkel, and see marine life like sea turtles and manta rays in the clear water. The beach also has great views of hills and turquoise waters.
