How to Find the Best Last Minute Vacation Packages

Last minute vacation packages are in abundance because vacation package providers usually slash prices when the travel date is very close and there are still several un-booked packages left.  If you can stand the suspense, waiting until the last minute to book can be very rewarding.  There are also cancellations to think about so even if the packages are fully booked, you can come across a great bargain every now and then when someone cancels their trip.  In that case, you may want to get on a waiting list to ensure that you are given priority when someone cancels.

In order to find out about the best last minute vacation packages, you will probably want to sign up for email alerts on websites that publish travel deals and last minute bargains.  To avoid having your email inbox filled to the brim with travel deal emails, you may want to create a separate email account solely for the purpose of receiving travel deal alerts.  Typically, the best last minute packages are found around three weeks before departure.  However, you may be able to find really good deals at the very last minute, such as within 48 hours of departure.  If your schedule is flexible, you can take advantage of such bargains.  In order to stay on top of all the deals, email alerts are very helpful.

By searching on some of the major travel deal websites, you can get an idea of the median prices of last minute packages to your desired destination.  If you’re pretty flexible about where you want to go on vacation, simply enter your departure city on one of these travel deal sites and view all of the packages that are available.

In some cases, packages will allow you to take a vacation for a cost that is half of the trip’s actual value.  Airlines and hotels want to fill as many vacancies as possible so as the travel date approaches, prices tend to drop significantly.  Rather than signing up for alerts and doing online research, you can also contact a travel agency and let them do the research for you.

You can find the best deals by being flexible about what time and date you travel.  The best deals are usually found for trips that depart mid-week.  It is more expensive to travel during the weekend.  A Saturday night stay is usually required in order to take advantage of the lowest airfares.  If you want to travel over the weekend, search now for vacation deals that depart the upcoming weekend.  Low airfares are published on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for travel during the upcoming weekend.

Just remember that if you travel at the last minute, you have to be very flexible.  You may not be able to stay in your hotel of choice.  The key to finding the greatest bargains is being open to accepting whatever deals turn up.  This kind of flexibility will enable you to grab great travel opportunities when they arise.