January is the best time for booking in advance to get the top travel deals. Travel gurus believe that it is best to do early bookings for getting the best bargains. In fact, if you are a really organized person you should have already done your bookings for your summer vacation with your family.

In case you have not booked your tickets and hotel accommodation, you should get on with it, the sooner the better to avail tour operator offers like low deposit schemes or free child places. Most hotels are known to offer a substantial up to 30 percent discount and the offer expires in December-January. In rare occasions the offer is valid till February.

Here are some effective tips for availing the best travel deals in late summer.

Visit the Right Sites

When you are looking for flights you should insert flexible travel dates. You should not even mind opting for a different destination if you are getting better deals and are able to save substantially. Most reputed airlines provide easy–to-use calendars demonstrating days with cheapest fares so that you could finalize your travel plans and get the best deals.

All airlines sites have great tools and it is best to search with My Dates Are Flexible option. Also, Google allows you to enter precise dates and returns along with a list showing cheap flight rates. You could browse google.com/flights/explore to see the dates that are valid for really cheap fares to travel destinations you have specified.

Dodge Checked Bag Fees

Southwest is supposed to be the only airline which lets you check two bags absolutely free. In case you are thinking of traveling with American or United Airlines then it is worthwhile to obtain their affiliated credit cards that come fee-free during the first year.

For instance, United Airlines’ Explorer Card allows you as well as your travel mate a free checked baggage and also, awards you with 30,000 bonus miles if during the first three months you end up spending $1000.

Do Not Rent a Car

Hotel fees are pretty steep nowadays, and once combined with taxes, airport fees, and insurance, pose a hefty figure which could drain even the best of wallets. In such a situation, the last thing you want to do is spend a fortune on rental cars and then eventually end up paying a parking ticket or two as well, for a car which isn’t even yours.

There are several alternatives. The first of these is renting cabs. While there should be enough cabs running free, you could also choose to book a cab through a service like Uber or Lyft. Using this, you can call a cab to your present location from a phone, tablet or a laptop, and it will arrive in minutes. The pricing is great, and there are several options for you to choose from, and you could pay by cash or through a simple electronic wallet, which makes life easier. Plus, there is no added responsibility once the ride is over.

If a similar service isn’t available where you’re going, you may need to rent a car. Rent smart. Try arranging with a local agent. Most of them could get you better deals than you would at the airport. Airport rental fairs are almost always astronomical. Avoid them.

Keep Tabs on the Hotel Rates

A rather distressing phenomenon is that hotels seem to lower prices soon after you have booked a room. However, all hope is not lost. In the event that such a situation occurs, if you are still a fair time away from the reservation date, you will be allowed to cancel your booking, and then rebook.

Price drops could actually be quite steep, but most people don’t bother to check once their purpose has been fulfilled, hence losing out on the opportunity to save some money.

There have been instances where customers have saved over $100 dollars through this. The process isn’t too cumbersome either. Most booking sites have a provision to refund directly to your credit card.

Consider Travel Insurance

Travel insurance could be a pricey prospect. Most insurance claims are due to sickness, ailment or injury before departure. The only catch here is that your payment service like a credit card could well have billed as much as $10,000 in expenses which are not refundable. Hence, you could avoid subscribing to insurance, find out your credit card provider’s policies and enjoy great coverage if you need to cancel.