Erin Florio, executive editor at Condé Nast Traveler, joins Cheddar News to discuss how to travel on a budget this summer.

Between Bells

How to Travel on a Budget This Summer

between falls back on cheddar news, have one ball in the budget is still the vibe this year amid rising cost of goods, but where does one even begin? We all have money to save. However, when the time is to let loose and enjoy some time off, one dark shadow hangs over our heads and that's the cost of all of this. So help break down how to travel on a budget. We're joined now by erin Florio, executive editor over at Conde Nast traveler erin, always such a pleasure to have you here. So what are some solutions this summer to get out on vacation but on a budget here? Yeah, I mean, I think the most important thing is that I know we are a little bit strapped for cash at the moment, things are looking more expensive than they have in past years, but please keep traveling, you earn your vacation, take your vacation day. So let's just find a smart solution to do it. I mean, of course, you know, there's a lot of chaos happening at the airports at the moment, airlines are getting canceled and delayed um but if you are going to travel by air, uh you know, try to look at midweek flights are always gonna be a little bit cheaper, you know, try to avoid travel on the weekend, you're always gonna save a little bit more money that way. And of course, you know, if you're looking at places to stay, Airbnb is, can be really expensive if you're going for just a weekend, you might want to consider, you know, staying at an Airbnb, stretching it out, doing a little bit of remote work while you're there. Um And also just consider the distance that you're traveling if you are traveling by road, which of course is the great american summer pastime, you know, taking a road trip, don't maybe don't go so far from home, maybe do something that's sort of, you know, within a 5 to 10 hour driving radius um and not, do you know like the cross country road trip this year. Save that for next year. Yeah, we know, especially this big heavy holiday weekend, everybody's gonna be traveling by car if they're not flying this weekend. If travelers are going to try to save money. You mentioned obviously baby booking their trips during the week. Where else can they sort of make and save some money here? Yeah, I think you want to be smart with your use of apps, you know, if you want to do something like google flights, uh they, the algorithm there can help you find really cheap flights. The thing you have to do is be a bit flexible in the destination. You can't really choose it if you're using that app, but that can also be a little bit of fun. You know, also use things like hopper um to help you get around like download your gas apps that will show you the closest gas station with the cheapest gas available. So just be very, very savvy and how you're actually doing your planning and when you're before you travel and when you're on the road. All right, so let's talk about when we actually are traveling, where we're going to you guys at Conde Nast Traveler just released your 2022 hot list. So what destinations internationally made the list but are not going to break the bank here erin okay, surprisingly enough, european cities are always a smart move in summer because most of the people that are traveling through europe and even the locals in those countries are going to the coast Madrid made our hot list this year and it's a great fabulous city nowhere near the coast, which means yes, it's gonna get a little bit hot, but you're also going to find good deals in the city. There's a lot of new openings, great new hotels, they have an amazing food scene. So don't think that you can't do Madrid or even paris for that matter this summer, you can find really good deals. Okay, let's talk about if you want to just do a long weekend, let's just say maybe places you could go, where should we be looking at for? Maybe a nice long weekend. Sure, well I, I'm in new york city, so you know me and my friends like to, you know, check out what's going on Long Island or maybe go up the coast a little bit, a really nice spot to go this summer would be the North Fork on Long Island if you are in the tri state area, it's a much more affordable scene than the Hamptons but it's not that far away from the Hamptons and they've got some fabulous new openings. The shells is the new favorite of ours at Conde Nast Traveler. Um It's a great new motel, it's called a botel. They have places for your boats to dock. Um it's it's sort of changing the game and that's that part of that part of Long Island. I love that. Okay, so what will be the sort of short and long term effects here Aaron of the remote and hybrid work on the travel industry? Are we expecting this to be actually may be a boon because as you said earlier people can now rent that Airbnb and work remotely that for that week. Yes, I see it only as a positive the fact that so much of the office culture is changing to allow people to work more remotely. Um tie that into your vacation. You know, don't go for the long weekend somewhere, stay for a week and get a great Airbnb work remotely from their great tip would be if you are on the east coast and you want to go to the west coast, get an Airbnb work new york city hours. It means you get your, your afternoons free wherever you're staying. Plus you still have your weekends. Um so it's, it's a really really great move. And also hotels, I have to say I have done a lot to change their culture to accommodate the remote worker. So a lot of the hotel brands that you might book for this summer will have you know, quiet workspaces set up. They're always going to have the strongest wifi. So the whole industry is really supporting this and um I think it's only a win win. Do you think Aaron? Because prices are so high on everything that now is the right time to use your credit card points for anything that you may be accumulated. I think if it's gonna be a good solution for you getting your vacation now it would be a great time to use your credit card points and your miles and see how far they can get you. I think the most important thing is that you don't cancel a vacation you just become more flexible with where you go when you go and how you get there. If it means that this year you can't do the big trip that you had. You know your your sights set on that you have waited for for these past two years, it's okay there's always going to be next year and be a little bit more flexible. Absolutely I'm already planning my next vacation now after this conversation erin Florio executive editor conde nast traveler, thank you so much for joining us