Sep 24, 2026

Don't Let Tariffs Ruin Your Fun: 4 Tips To Save Money on Fall Vacations Now

Summer is officially over, but there’s still time to save on vacations as fall really takes hold. As a result of tariffs, the War in Iran, and other economic and political factors, consumers have seen prices continue to rise in many areas, and travel isn’t immune.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, gas prices and airfares are about 25% higher than they were a year ago, and in July, travel prices were 7.1% higher than they were in July 2025. Despite rising costs, there are ways to make fall travel affordable, including leveraging savings apps, taking advantage of travel rewards and using booking hacks.

Discover More: I Asked a Travel Agent Which Stores Offer the Best Money-Saving Travel Perks

For You: 10 Subtly Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money — That You Should Do, Too

1. Leverage Savings Apps

Cashback apps let you earn back a percentage of your travel costs. Rakuten and TopCashback, for instance, both offer cashback deals when you book through sites like Expedia, VRBO, Hotels.com, and Priceline as well as through hotel and airline sites directly. Through Rakuten, cashback ranges from 8% to 14%, and TopCashback offers range from 5% to 10%.

2. Be Flexible on Travel Dates

According to the 2026 Hotel Price Index from Hotels.com, travelers can save 15% by starting their stays on Sundays instead of Fridays. In fact, Friday is the priciest check-in day in the U.S. — Saturday is the priciest international check-in day.

If your schedule is flexible, you can also save by booking your vacation on short notice. Travelers who booked eight to 14 days out versus four or more months in advance saved an average of 23% on their hotel.

3. Take Advantage of Your Rewards

The Forbes Advisor’s State of Travel in 2026 report revealed that free checked bags was the perk that mattered most to today’s travelers, with 43% of respondents choosing it as one of their top perks. When respondents were asked about their preferred way to earn travel perks, 41% said hotel loyalty programs and 36% chose airline loyalty programs.

But here’s the key to joining a rewards program: You have to use the rewards. Seventy-eight percent of survey respondents said that they had at least one benefit that they rarely use, and hotel perks topped the list at 23%, followed closely by travel reward points at 21%. If you want to save on fall travel, it’s worth taking a look at the rewards that you haven’t been using.

4. Set and Stick to a Budget

This is one of the most practical ways to save on fall travel, but it’s also one of the most difficult. When you set aside a certain amount of money for your travels, you can make sure you’re not dipping into money meant for something else or running up your credit card balance. Actually saying no when you’re on the road, however, is more difficult than it seems.

Tracking the money you’ve spent throughout your vacation will help keep you in check. You can even set up a separate bank account with a debit card specifically for the trip, so you’re less likely to overspend.

This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.

More From MoneyLion:

Written by

Stephanie Mickelson

Edited by

Zuri Anderson