Infographic by Column Five Media

Embed the above image on your site using the code below:<a href="<a href="http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/TurboTax-Summer-Travel.png"><img" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/TurboTax-Summer-Travel.png"><img</a> src="<a href="http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/TurboTax-Summer-Travel.png&quot" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/TurboTax-Summer-Travel.png&quot</a>; alt="TurboTax-Summer-Travel" title="TurboTax-Summer-Travel" width="580" height="2450" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8428" /></a><br/>Free Tax Filing, Efile Taxes, Income Tax Returns - <a href="<a href="http://www.turbotax.com">TurboTax.com</a&gt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.turbotax.com">TurboTax.com</a&gt</a>;

Labor Day Travel

How Many More People Are Traveling in 2012 than 2011?

In total, AAA expects 33 million Americans to travel “at least 50 miles” during Labor Day weekend. This represents roughly 870,000 more travelers than 2011, or a 2.9% increase. In addition to a spike in the number of travelers, those travelers are expected to spend more this year, too. This year’s median expected trip cost is $749, up from $702 last year.

While the overwhelming majority (28.2 million) will opt to drive instead of fly, AAA projects air travel to rise 3.7% (fueled, in part, by a 4% reduction in airfares from 2011). All told, an estimated 2.55 million travelers will fly during the holiday, and another 2.3 million will use buses, rails, or cruise ships.

How Are Travelers Coping with High Gas Prices?

As CNN points out, the nationwide average per-gallon cost of gasoline is 14 cents higher ($3.71 as of Tuesday, August 21) than the same time period in 2011. Yet despite this, gasoline costs “are not expected to have a major negative impact” on the nation’s Labor Day travels. In addition, 66% of those surveyed by AAA said their “current financial outlook” would have no impact on their holiday plans, according to Fox Business.

Instead of foregoing travel, cash-strapped consumers plan to save money by skipping hotels, staying with family or friends, shortening their trips, driving fuel-efficient vehicles, or spending less on recreation during their travels. CNN clocks the average trip length at 626 miles, while noting that 54% of survey respondents plan on trips of 100-400 miles round trip.

Where Are the Most Popular Labor Day Destinations?

Recent data from Kayak.com offers telling insights into the most in-demand travel destinations this Labor Day:

“If you’re planning a flight, Las Vegas, New York, and Chicago are the top flight search destinations for Labor Day. Average clicked fares for travel to these destinations for the holiday weekend were $291, $300 and $254, respectively.”

Meanwhile, Kayak names Atlanta, Las Vegas, and New York as the most popular U.S. hotel destinations “by absolute search share rank, with hotels coming in at $183.74, $275.63, and $204.21, respectively.”

Ireland is the top international destination year-over-year, which, Kayak speculates, is largely due to the Notre Dame vs. Navy football game on September 1, 2012. In addition to Dublin, Paris and London are popular flight search destinations in Europe for Labor Day weekend. Average prices are $1,355.32, $1,071.24, and $1,200, respectively.

For Caribbean and Central American destinations, San Jose, Panama City, and Belize City are the most popular flight searches, with Belize City enjoying a 50% year-over-year increase in search share.

Kayak also points out that travelers can expect to save 8%-10% on average by postponing their travels until after the holiday weekend.

How do you plan to travel and save this Labor Day holiday?

Travel Deals

Now that we have a little one, we’re looking forward to enjoying some family vacations of our own. How about you? Are you looking for some vacation ideas for this summer?

Road Trip or Flying Over

Depending on where you currently live, you have different options on how to get to your selected destination. While it certainly matters how much time you have for the break, I prefer taking a road trip if possible. Besides saving money on the flight, it’s also a wonderful way to learn the areas around your destinations, including some hole in the wall spots that you may otherwise miss with a flight.

Best Cities for Family Vacations

If you’re looking at taking your family on a summer vacation without breaking the bank,  here are cities that you may want to check out.

Atlanta, GA

If you want to check a metropolitan city without paying exorbitant prices, then Atlanta can be a great deal. Besides having beautiful downtown destinations like the Georgia Aquarium or the Cola Cola Factory Tour, you can also relax over at Stone Mountain Park and have a family picnic.

Savannah, GA

Lovely Savannah has some great scenery as downtown is home to some beautiful parks and the Savannah College of Art and Design. You can also enjoy riding a riverboat, hanging out at the beach, or appreciate some one of a kind art at a gallery.

Asheville, NC

What better way to escape the sweltering heat than a visit to the mountains? You can take the family on a camping trip, go horseback riding, and enjoy the great outdoors. If you’re more comfortable in a hotel, there are some bed and breakfasts around that have some of the most fantastic mountain views.

Memphis, TN

If you’re looking at incorporating some music into your family vacation, then Memphis, TN is the perfect spot. Stroll down Beale Street and see musical talents from all genres. You can also enjoy some of the best barbecue in the country as well. It’s a win-win!

Washington, D.C

History buffs and museum aficionados can appreciate what Washington D.C. has to offer up. With many destinations a short walk away from each other, you can keep the family busy and fit with a vacation to our nations’ capital.

Biggest Bang for Your Buck

If you’re looking to maximize your trip and cut back on travel costs, then using online travel sites can be perfect for you. Using the bidding feature on some travel sites can help you decrease costs by 30% or more. For us, it means planning ahead with bidding and starting low, slowly working our way up until the bid is accepted.

The downside of bidding is that you don’t know what hotel you’re going to get until the bid is accepted, however there are ways to make sure you’re getting a good hotel. We’re very specific about the type of hotel we want (at least 3 1/2 stars) and the part of the city we’re looking for. We’ve been on several vacations and have gotten some great deals using travel sites like Priceline.

Thoughts on Summer Vacations

What are your plans for your summer vacation this year? What have been some of your favorite destination spots in the past and why?

Last-minute getaways may sound expensive, but cheap deals are there for the taking if you are willing to be flexible. Here are some tips.

Go with the flow. Whether you are flying, taking the train, or shipping out on a cruise, the more flexible you are with your travel plans, the better. Leave late at night or on a different day to get the cheapest flight. And if you are willing to go standby, or fly into a less popular city or airport, you can score big time. The same is true of cruises – if you cruise the web to find ads for last-minute vacancies, or travel “shoulder” times, before or after traditional summer and Christmastime rushes, you may find a vacation deal that costs less than staying home.

Embrace the web. Check your favorite internet travel sites, and check them often. Prices fluctuate from day to day and from city to city. But do your research and watch out for pitfalls. Sites like PriceLine.com and SkyAuction.com let you name your own price, but know the range available elsewhere so you don’t end up overpaying. On AirBnB.com, find a place to rent for just one night from a real person, for less.

Tweet for a sweet deal. Use Twitter’s search box to look for special discounts and coupons. Just enter a hashtag (#) followed by your destination and the word discount (for example “#Miamidiscounts”. Or enter “@” followed by your airline hub’s three letter code (for example, “@LAX”) to locate deals near you. Also, follow travel deals sites like @TravelZoo on Twitter for up-to-the-minute deals.

Travel solo. If you are looking for a single ticket on an airline or to an event, you’ll find it easier to nab a deal. You can make arrangements to meet your friends at the destination, even though you won’t be sitting together.

Call ahead. You’ll find some good hotel deals by calling ahead and calling around. Don’t just arrive with your baggage in the hotel lobby, since clerks will quote you higher prices since they know you don’t want to schlep those bags all over town.

Go off-season and off-beat. Visiting a summer attraction in the winter or a ski resort in the summer will save big bucks in lodging and meals. Or stay nearby your destination, not right in town. Camping out will trim your costs, and you can save on meals by packing a lunch and enjoying a picnic. If you splurge on a meal at a well-known restaurant, go for lunch instead of dinner or enjoy the early bird special to cut the tab by up to 40%.

Free works for me. There are many free attractions wherever you go, and many inexpensive ones as well. A hootenanny or a free concert in the park, a walking tour or nature walk, all can make for a pleasant afternoon. At historic destinations such as Washington DC, Philadelphia and Boston you’ll find that many of the great attractions are free.

Above all, enjoy the hunt. Traveling cheap is a game, so take pleasure in the experience. If you miss one deal, don’t fret, there’s another one around the corner.

You still have time to plan a little getaway; using the web, I was able to find some last minute ideas for getaways, flights, and staycations.

Road Trip Vacation ideas

Depending on what area of the country you live in, there are different mini vacations you can take without going broke.

If you want to go somewhere and avoid a bunch of tourists in the same spot, visiting one of our wonderful national parks is a fantastic option. There are some breathtaking parks around the country.

Wine tasting and winery tours offer opportunities to relax and enjoy the scenery.  Check out your state’s tourism site to see if they have winery tours available. I love trying out new foods when we travel and I enjoy discovering hole-in-the-wall places, so when I heard about Roadfood.com I knew I found my perfect road trip site.

If you have a passion for plays and stories look into your local theaters to see if they have something that may pique your interest. You don’t have to go to Broadway to have a good time. I would check out your local radios stations’ sites to see if there are any free or cheap concerts and music festivals going on

Do you need more ideas on what to do on your trip? Check out these sites to find some great destinations and attractions.

• Fodors.com
• LonelyPlanet.com
• Frommers.com

Finding Last-Minute Flights

If you have the time and money for it, leaving the country for a bit can be the perfect getaway. If you don’t want to pay extremely high prices, but it’s too close to your vacation time, then try out sites like Travel Zoo and Last Minute to see what deals they have.

If you’re traveling by plane, here are some useful sites to keep you up to date from the Bureau of Labor:

• Airport Delays
• Weather Forecasts
• What You Can and Cannot Take on Airplanes

Depending on where you’re going, hotels may be hard to come by and rates may be outrageous. Minimize it by planning ahead today.if you’re willing to hunt online, you may find a steal.

• TripAdvisor
• Hotels.com
• Priceline
• Orbitz
• Travelocity

Your Weekend Plans

What are your plans? Are you going on a road trip, staying local, or getting away from it all?