If you're itching to get away soon, here are five tips on how to save money on a summer vacation . . .
1. Book your plane tickets now. Try to book your summer vacation plane tickets a few months in advance. Last-minute sales used to be more common, but more airlines are jacking up the price for business travelers booking their flights a few days beforehand.
2. Be flexible. If you're flexible on dates and destinations, you've got a WAY better chance to score a good deal on plane tickets and hotels.
3. Try to take your trip in early June or late August. Those times are more likely to have better prices than July.
4. Travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Those are generally the cheapest days to fly, while Friday and Sunday are usually the most expensive.
5. Check out the Southern Hemisphere. If you really want to get some bang for your buck, consider postponing your summer vacation until the winter. Going somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere like Australia or Argentina lets you still take a "summer" vacation in our off-season. And booking it now should be cheaper, since it's still early.