How To Save On Holiday Travel In 2025

Holiday travel gets expensive fast and anyone who has tried to book flights in November or December knows the struggle. But every year there are travelers who somehow fly farther spend less and still manage to make the most of the season.

They are not professional travel agents and they are not obsessively refreshing price trackers all day. They are regular people who have figured out clever ways to stretch a budget and work around the holiday rush using real world strategies that actually save money.

So instead of recycled tips here is a breakdown of the hacks real travelers use shared online and expanded into practical step by step techniques you can use in 2025 to seriously cut your travel costs.

Let Prices Pick Your Travel Dates

One time I was standing in line not minding my own business and overheard a traveler put it best:

“The real trick is to adjust when you travel based on flight and hotel prices.”

Most people do the opposite. They choose specific dates and then hope the prices are kind. During the holidays that approach will drain your budget fast.

How to actually do this

Instead of thinking

“I want to fly December 20 to 27”
shift to

“I want to travel for the holidays so show me the cheapest dates in December.”

Here is how to check:

• Open Google Flights
• Click Explore
• Type your departure airport
• Select December
• Leave the destination empty

You will see the price spikes right away. Some days jump from around 150 to over 600.

Now start shifting your dates by a day or two. Holiday flight prices can drop by hundreds simply by leaving two days earlier or returning one day later.

Also pay attention to convention weeks or local holidays in your destination. Cities like Las Vegas Orlando New York and Tokyo have crowd surges that are not part of the American holiday calendar.

Example:

Leaving New York City for London

Dec 21: 748
Dec 22: 682
Dec 24: 391

Travelers who save money are not waiting for magic deals.

They move their schedule around until the price makes sense.

Travel During School Sessions

Here is the quiet truth most travelers don’t talk about: holiday travel doesn’t end on New Year’s — it ends when students go back to school. Traveling while schools are still in session can save you a surprising amount on both flights and accommodations.

Secret sweet spots

• Second week of January — cheapest flights of the entire year
• Mid-December before schools let out — surprisingly affordable
• Thanksgiving morning — most people are already at their destinations
• Christmas Day — oddly low prices

Why this works

Families make up the largest portion of holiday travelers. They have to follow school schedules. You do not.

A trick seasoned travelers use

Check your local public school calendar and avoid their start and stop dates. If schools go back on January 7, plan your trip for January 8.

It is predictable, it works every year, and it can cut hundreds off your holiday travel costs.

Don’t Let “Cheap Flight” Airports Fool You

Something most travelers ignore: cheap flights often land in airports far from the city center. Buses and trains, on the other hand, drop you right in the city.

This matters even more during the holidays because remote airports are more likely to face weather delays.

How to see if your cheap flight is actually expensive

Add up the real cost:

• Airport transfer
• Time lost
• Weather delays
• Extra food
• Possible hotel near the airport if you get stuck

A $120 flight to “Paris” can end up costing:

• $23 shuttle
• $18 train
• 2 to 3 hours of transit
• Higher risk of missing your return flight

Versus a $180 train that drops you in the city.

When to pick buses or trains over planes

• Travel time under 6 hours: take a train or bus
• Overnight trips: take a sleeper bus and skip a hotel
• Extreme winter weather: ground travel is more reliable

Most people don’t talk about this, but skipping just one flight in your trip can cut 40 to 60 percent of your total travel cost.

Book 9+ Months in Advance OR Very Last Minute

This one surprises a lot of newer travelers, but it is true: planning way in advance can save a ton. Some have saved literally thousands by booking flights and hotels nine months or more ahead.

Holiday travel follows the same pattern every year:

• 9 to 12 months out: cheapest
• 5 to 3 months out: most expensive
• Last week: hotels can be surprisingly cheap, flights are risky

Why the extremes work

Airlines reward early planners. Hotels reward last-minute bookers.

A 2025 strategy

• Book all flights in January or February
• Book hotels 7 to 3 days before your trip
• Recheck prices daily — hotels often drop rates randomly

Keep this in mind: flights get more expensive as the holidays approach. Hotels get cheaper. Use both patterns to your advantage and watch the savings add up.

Don’t Use Third-Party Booking Sites — Only to Search

Several travelers hammer this point home:

“Always book direct. If a flight looks too good to be true, it usually is.”
“Hotels often price match third-party sites and throw in perks.”

Third-party sites like Expedia, Booking.com, and Skyscanner are great for searching and comparing options. They are terrible for customer service. If your Christmas Eve flight is cancelled, they will not help. Airlines often barely communicate if you booked through a third party.

A smarter process

• Use Google Flights, Kayak, or Skyscanner to compare options.
• Once you find the flight you want, go directly to the airline website to book.
• Screenshot any cheaper prices you find and ask hotels for a price match.

Hotels often add perks when you book direct:

• Free breakfast
• Free upgrade
• Free late checkout
• Flexible cancellation

Following this simple strategy can easily save you one hundred to three hundred dollars per trip while giving you peace of mind during the busy holiday season.

Mix & Match Airlines (Almost Nobody Does This)

One great comment summed it up perfectly:

“Don’t focus on one airline. A mix and match itinerary is sometimes hundreds cheaper.”

This is one of the biggest travel hacks the industry hides in plain sight. Most travelers never realize they can combine airlines to cut costs dramatically.

Why mixing airlines works

Airlines price each leg of a trip differently. By searching for each leg separately, you can create your own cheaper combination rather than paying the high price for a single round-trip ticket.

Example

NYC to Dublin on United
Dublin to Paris on Ryanair
Paris to NYC on Delta

All three legs together might total 485 dollars instead of 930 dollars for a traditional round-trip. That is almost half the cost.

How to do it

Use Google Flights, select “Multi-City,” and experiment with different carriers for each leg. You will be shocked at how much money you can save.

This simple strategy can turn expensive holiday travel into something affordable without sacrificing destinations or convenience.

Don’t Eat at the Airport — Ever

A friend of mine who just visited Rotterdam shared a tip that every frequent traveler quietly swears by:’

“Supermarkets instead of restaurants. We saved so much money on meals and got to try foods we never would have ordered in a restaurant.”

Seriously, airport restaurants are the worst when it comes to price gouging. During the holidays every dollar matters, and this trick can add up fast.

Here is what you can do

The day before you travel, hit up a local grocery store and grab stuff like:

• Protein bars for quick snacks
• Sandwiches or wraps to keep you full
• Fresh fruit for a healthy boost
• Chips or crackers for cravings
• Gum or mints
• Pastries for a little treat
• Jerky for protein on the go

Doing this can easily save you forty to seventy dollars per person for each day of travel. That adds up if you are flying over multiple days or with family.

Pro tip

Buy your drinks after you get through security. That way you avoid TSA rules and don’t have to pay airport prices.

Trust me, if you do this every time you travel, you will notice how much easier it is to stick to your budget without feeling like you are missing out.

Look for Age Discounts (Like Under 25 Deals)

Your friend wasn’t kidding when they said there are ways to save hundreds if you know where to look. Airlines and travel companies often have discounts that most people never notice.

Some of the most common ones include:

• Under 25 fares
• Student fares
• Youth Flex fares
• Under 30 discounts in Europe

Airlines and services known for these deals:

• Air France
• KLM
• Lufthansa
• Turkish Airlines
• Ryanair (check their youth promotions)
• VIA Rail and Eurail for youth passes

Even if you are past your twenties, don’t count yourself out. There are plenty of other discounts to explore:

• Veterans discounts
• Teacher discounts
• Group rates
• Bank partner promotions
• Student card loopholes (some schools allow alumni to qualify)

The key is to always check the fine print and see what applies to you. These discounts can shave hundreds off flights, trains, and sometimes even hotels, and they are often overlooked by casual travelers.

If you make a habit of looking for these deals every time you plan a trip, you will start noticing that travel can be way more affordable than you thought.

Use ATM-Fee-Free Debit Cards

This one is wildly under-discussed but can save you a surprising amount:

“Use a debit card that reimburses ATM fees. Schwab checking account is a great example.”

If you are traveling internationally, ATM fees can quietly drain between eighty and one hundred fifty dollars per trip without you even realizing it.

With a travel-friendly debit card you get:

• No international transaction fees
• No ATM fees anywhere in the world
• No sneaky currency conversion markups

It may feel invisible at first, but these savings add up fast. Every trip you take without paying extra fees is basically free money you get to spend on experiences, food, or fun souvenirs instead.

Trust me, once you switch to a travel-friendly debit card, you’ll wonder how you ever traveled without one.

Use Points — But Not Through Your Bank Portal

Here is a tip from real travelers that too many people overlook:

“Transfer credit card points to airline partners. Don’t just book through the bank portal.”

This is a huge deal. Booking through bank portals often inflates flight prices by twenty to forty percent. But if you transfer your points directly to airline partners, you can access real award seats at much better value.

Some of the best airline partners for cheap holiday flights are:

• Virgin Atlantic
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Avianca LifeMiles
• Air France and KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways Avios

With this strategy, a holiday flight that would normally cost twelve hundred dollars could be yours for thirty thousand to forty five thousand points plus about eighty dollars in fees.

It takes a little extra planning, but this trick alone can save hundreds or even over a thousand dollars on a single trip.

Once you start using it, you will wonder why you ever booked through the bank portal in the first place.

Night Travel Saves You Both Time + a Hotel Night

Multiple travelers swear by this one: night buses are a total game changer for budget travel.

Here is why they work so well:

• Super cheap — think nineteen to thirty nine dollars across Europe
• No need to book a hotel for the night
• Less traffic during the holidays
• Drop you right in the city center

If you can sleep reasonably well on a bus, you just eliminated eighty to two hundred dollars of accommodation per night.

It takes a little getting used to, but for long holiday trips, night buses can save a huge chunk of your budget while still getting you where you want to go. It is one of those tricks that seasoned travelers use all the time but rarely talk about.

Stay in Simple Places If You Won’t Be There Anyway

If your days are packed with sightseeing, activities, or holiday events, you really do not need a luxurious hotel room. Comfort is enough.

During the holidays hotel rates can spike dramatically, so paying extra for style or amenities you will never use is a waste.

Instead, look at budget-friendly options like:

• Hostels
• Simple Airbnbs
• Capsule rooms
• Budget chains like Ibis, Premier Inn, or B&B Hotels

If your room is mostly for sleeping and showering, choosing a practical option can save hundreds without affecting your trip experience. It is a simple way to stretch your travel budget and still stay comfortable.

Saving Money Isn’t About One Big Hack — It’s About Stacking Small Ones

Here is the simple truth behind how real travelers save hundreds or even thousands during the holidays.

They do not rely on just one trick.

They stack multiple strategies together.

Think about it

• Flexible travel dates
• Youth or student discounts
• Stocking up on grocery store meals instead of eating out
• Night buses instead of hotels
• Multi airline itineraries
• Booking flights early and hotels late
• Searching third party sites but always booking direct
• Avoiding school holiday peaks
• Using debit cards with no ATM fees
• Choosing trains over cheap flights that land far from the city
• Buying snacks instead of paying airport prices

Each small saving might not feel huge on its own. Twenty dollars here, sixty there, two hundred on one flight, one hundred on a hotel. It all adds up fast.

The magic happens when you combine them. Even implementing half of these strategies can realistically cut the cost of your 2025 holiday trip by thirty to fifty percent.

The best part is you do not have to give up any of the fun.

Stacking hacks is how seasoned travelers travel smarter, not harder, and enjoy the holidays without breaking the bank.

Hope this helps! If you want tips on how to save on your next trip, check out How to Save Money on Your Next Trip and Flight.

Travel The Globe

How To Save On Holiday Travel In (2025)