How To Score Cheap July 4th Travel—Even At The Last Minute

Forbes

21 hours ago

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
The cost of a much-needed vacation has ticked up thanks to inflation, but believe it or not, it can pay to plan your Fourth of July getaway last-minute.
It's true that taking a holiday hurts the wallet; according to Squaremouth, a travel insurance marketplace, travel prices have been on the rise for the past four years. The average cost of a trip in 2025 is projected to be $7,249, marking a 24% increase from 2024.
Those flexible enough with hopes to score an eleventh hour deal however, may be surprised by the field of possibilities. How To Save on Airfare
Airfare is more affordable than this time last year, with the latest inflation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealing that June prices are down 7.3% year to year. While a quick browse through Google Flights can unearth some great deals, consumers can cut to the chase using services like Kayak and Going, a flight-tracking platform that does the hard work for you by sniping deals and rewards flights.
Kayla Deloache, director of communications at Kayak, recently told Good Morning America that consumers can expect airfare to run about 10% cheaper than last year. For the best bang for your buck, Deloache advised travelers to fly out on Tuesday, July 1st, gauged to be the cheapest fly-out date, and to consider domestic trips in Atlanta, Tampa, and Las Vegas, which 'top the list as the cheapest destinations for the holiday weekend.'
A quick search on Kayak for a July 1 departure and Sunday, June 6 return netted a $156 round deal to Cleveland, Ohio, $217 for Atlanta, $220 for Pittsburgh, and $349 to Chicago.
The more flexible you are with your trip, including duration, departure and arrival airports, and airline, the better your chances of scoring. Another search for a July 1 departure and Saturday, June 5 return unearthed roundtrip deals to Raleigh ($140), Atlanta ($171), Dallas ($194), and Detroit ($235).
Those on the West Coast may fare even luckier, with flight deals for hotspots like Los Angeles redeemable for Las Vegas ($97), San Francisco ($114), and Phoenix ($193).
Other services, like Hopper, allow travelers to scan for flexible flight deals through a calendar, which will signify the cheapest fares in green.
Platforms such as Going, a membership-based flight tracking service, help travelers catch mistake fares and last-minute deals ranging from a few days before take-off to months out. The service also does all the heavy-lifting for you by monitoring and sending low fares for destinations of your choice straight to your inbox.
Two years ago, Going caught a $230 roundtrip fare to Paris with months of dates available—so I booked two trips, one in September and one in December, making stops in Venice and Florence, spending half of each vacation in France and Italy.
Credit card fanatics can also use Going to travel on the cheap through rewards tickets. Awards points on the site currently, At the time of publishing, available rewards trips included roundtrips from Boston to San Francisco, Seattle to Boston, and LAX and Ontario, California for Fourth of July weekend for 19,000 points and some change ($12) through JetBlue, as well as Las Vegas to Madrid, Spain for some 38,000 points and $300.
AAA predicts that a record number of 72.2 million Americans will hit the road for this year's Fourth of July holiday, traveling at least 50 miles from Independence Day through Sunday, up 1.7 million vacationers from last year.
To beat the lines at airports, frequent traveler card holders can utilize the perks built into their cards. For example, the following Capital One cards offer a way to fast-track your airport experience:
Gas prices are also at its lowest in years, with the national average gas price declining 3.8 cents, standing firm at $3.14 per gallon in the last week, according to Consumer Affairs . Prices are anticipated to fall even further through Independence Day weekend, for the lowest holiday prices since 2021.
Travelers can save even further with credit cards that offer cashback on gas , including the Citi Strata Premier® Card, the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card, and the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi * . Make the Most out of Last-Minute Hotel Bookings
As for a place to rest your head at night? Your credit card can help with that, too.
Loyalty credit cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (rates & fees) card offer complimentary room upgrades, as well as The Platinum Card® from American Express (rates & fees). The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers a $300 annual travel credit that can be used to book rooms, and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Terms apply, rates & fees) entitles users to complimentary room upgrades, as well as an up to $200 Hilton statement credit each calendar year for eligible purchases. Certain cardholders can earn free nights, including gold elite status members at Marriott Bonvoy and honors gold status members at Hilton who earn the fifth night free. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Those who don't have a hotel rewards credit card can still find great deals. Vrbo's Last Minute Deals search filter can help travelers find markdowns across hundreds of thousands of hotels, hostels, and private rentals. Engines like Hotel Tonight also exclusively sort out steep discounts on accommodation, with the added bonus of frequent perks, like future AirBNB credit with bookings, so that your subsequent vacays won't ever break the bank.
To view rates and fees for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for the The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.