Regardless of how you’re traveling, costs are up. The average price of gas was $4.15 as of April 10, a 39% jump from $2.98 on Feb. 26 — two days before the Iran war began. It’s also the first time a gallon cost more than $4 since the summer of 2022. Meanwhile, airfares rose by 2.7% in March, and have climbed more than 14% since last year.

It’s unclear whether these prices will come down, so it could be a superb idea to look for alternative ways to produce your summer vacation more affordable. CNBC Select rounded up some top tools to help, from making sure your trip is protected to some cheaper ways to fill up your tank or snag airline tickets.

Tips for affordable summer travel

Find affordable travel insurance

On road trips, look for affordable ways to fuel and charge up

If you’re traveling abroad, consider an eSIM

Employ the right tools to book flights

Find affordable accommodations

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While travel insurance can be an additional cost, it could help you save in the long run if something goes awry.  

From an injury that results in canceling your trip, to an illness that requires paying for medical expenses abroad, travel insurance can help you recoup lost funds. It can also compensate you for things like lost bags, flight delays, and rental car damage.  

Oftentimes, travel insurance is relatively affordable, costing 4% to 10% of your trip’s total cost. each insurance enterprise may consider your personal information, including your age, on the other hand and destination, differently when setting rates. Shopping around and comparing quotes from several insurers is the best way to find a excellent deal for you.  

We like Squaremouth for insurance comparison shopping, as it compares rates from dozens of travel insurance brands side by side after just a few clicks on the site.  

SquareMouth Travel Insurance Marketplace

Policy highlights

SquareMouth is a travel insurance marketplace that allows you can compare top-rated providers, including Berkshire Hathaway, Nationwide, Seven Corners and Tin Leg.

24/7 assistance available

Yes

Read our SquareMouth travel insurance review

Includes more than 30 travel insurance companies

You can compare providers side-by-side on the website

SquareMouth doesn’t add additional markups or fees

Carriers that don’t adequately address a customer complaint are removed

Doesn’t provide travel insurance policies of its own

We’ve also named Faye as one of our top travel insurance companies for affordability. Its reasonable prices combined with the speedy, mobile-friendly claims process make this brand an excellent option for many travelers.  

Faye Travel Insurance

Faye has one single-trip plan with optional add-ons for pet care, adventure sports and damage to vacation rentals.

Emergency medical: $250,000

Medical evacuation: $500,000

Personal effects: $150 per item (up to $2,000 total)

Cancel For Any Reason coverage

Up to 75% reimbursement of nonrefundable trip costs if purchased within 14 days of initial trip deposit.

Pre-existing condition waiver

Available if policy is purchased within 14 days of initial trip deposit.

$2,100 per person trip delay coverage after six hours

100% digital claims process

Can add coverage for pet care and vacation rental damage

Only one plan is available

Rates are higher than some competitors

But before you acquire, check if a credit card that’s already in your wallet has travel insurance coverage. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), for example, has travel insurance that covers baggage delay, lost luggage, travel accidents, trip delays and emergency assistance. This card also comes with primary auto rental coverage.  

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase’s site

Spotlight

With Points Boost, your rewards will be worth up to 1.5x on thousands of top-booked hotels and flights from select airlines through Chase TravelSM.

19.24% – 27.49% variable

Earn 75,000 bonus points

See rates and fees. Terms apply. Member FDIC.

Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.

You can transfer rewards to all of Chase’s travel partners including Globe of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more

Long list of travel and shopping protections

$50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit

Has an annual fee

Requires a high credit score

Highlights

Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases

Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM

10% anniversary points boost – each account anniversary you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.

Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.

Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.

Member FDIC

Balance transfer fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card also stands out if you plan to rent a car, with coverage up to the value of any rental vehicle as long as the original manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $75,000 or less. 

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

You can add up to four authorized users to your account no fee and they can each receive their own Priority Pass™ airport lounge membership (enrollment required).

19.49% – 28.49% variable APR

Earn 75,000 bonus miles

Terms apply. Read our Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card review.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card with a myriad of benefits and a lower annual fee than other high-end cards with similar features.

Annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel

10,000 bonus miles after every card anniversary

Unlimited complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations

Long list of valuable travel and shopping protections, including return protection, rental car coverage and trip delay reimbursement (Benefit(s) only available to accounts approved for the Visa Infinite card. Terms apply.)

Limited bonus spending categories compared to other premium credit cards

High annual fee

High credit score requirement (excellent credit)

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel

Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options

Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary

Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel

Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases

Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment

Utilize your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection

Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®

Top rated mobile app

$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you

Foreign transaction fees

If your vacation plans involve a road trip, there are ways to minimize the pain at the pump. And, even if you’re driving an electric vehicle, costs away from home are significantly higher — the average charge at home costs about $0.17 per kilowatt-hour, while public stations cost an average of $0.37 per kilowatt-hour, according to clean energy comparison site Energysage.

Doing a bit of research before you fuel up or plug in can make a huge difference. For example, using an app like GasBuddy can help you easily compare prices around you and save.

Gasbuddy App

Features

Gasbuddy helps you find the cheapest gas near you in one easy-to-use app. It’s helped humans find the best gas prices over 900 million times and save over $3.1 billion at the pump.

App availability

Available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play store

Price

Free

Additionally, signing up for a wholesale or warehouse club like Costco or Sam’s Club could cut costs. Gas prices at these clubs can be lower than those at smaller gas stations. When combined with the store’s credit card, deals can be even more lucrative.

For example, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi offers 5% back on gas at the club and 4% back on other eligible gas and EV charging, along with other rewards.

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

On Citi’s site

18.74% – 26.74% variable

$0, Costco membership required

No current offer

See rates and fees. Terms apply.

The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is a valuable card to pair with a Costco membership, but the rewards program is more restrictive than what you get with a typical cash-back card.

High rewards rates for gas/EV charging and travel

No foreign transaction fees

Restrictive rewards that you can only cash out once per year

Requires a paid Costco membership

No welcome bonus

Discover one of Citi’s best cash back rewards cards designed exclusively for Costco members

Earn 5% cash back rewards on gas at Costco and earn 4% cash back on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging purchases for the first $7,000 combined spend per year, and then 1% thereafter.

3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases and eligible travel, including Costco Travel.

2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com

1% cash back on all other purchases

No annual fee with your paid Costco membership and enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases

Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico

5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum

Foreign transaction fee

Sam’s Club® Mastercard® holders can also get 5% back in Sam’s Cash on gas and EV charging, on their first $6,000 of fuel spend per year, then 1%.

Sam’s Club® Mastercard®

On Sam’s Club’s site

Prime rate plus 13.40% for Account Type 1 or 21.40% for Account Type 2

$0, Sam’s Club membership required

Get a $30 statement credit

Terms apply.

The Sam’s Club® Mastercard® is a great card to pair with your Sam’s Club membership, but less flexible than other reward cards, as it earns Sam’s Cash instead of direct cash back.

High rewards rates for gas/EV charging

Sam’s Cash doesn’t expire

Requires a paid Sam’s Club membership

Caps the maximum Sam’s Cash you can earn per year at $5,000

Rewards

Earn 5% Sam’s Cash™ on gas and EV charging (on first $6,000 per year, then 1%) at Sam’s Club

Earn 3% back in Sam’s Cash™ on dining and takeout

Earn 3% in Sam’s Cash™ on Sam’s Club purchases for Plus members (Club members earn 1%)

Earn 1% back in Sam’s Cash™ on other purchases.

If you’d prefer a credit card that offers savings across all kinds of gas or EV stations, consider the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card, as you’ll earn 5X on gas and EV stations. The rewards you earn can be redeemed for travel, gift cards or merchandise but can’t be transferred, so they stay within the PenFed ecosystem.

PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card

5X points on gas purchases at the pump and electrical vehicle charging stations, 3X points on purchases at the supermarket (including most Target and Walmart locations†), restaurants, and TV, radio, cable, streaming services

Welcome bonus

15,000 points when you spend $1,500 in first 90 days

Annual fee

$0

Intro APR

0% introductory APR for 12 months on balance transfers made in the first 60 days after account opening.*

Regular APR

17.99% variable on purchases; 17.99% non-variable on balance transfers

3%

None

Credit needed

Good/Excellent

High 5X points on gas at the pump and 3X on supermarket purchases

No bonus category activations

Positive special financing offer on balance transfers

3% balance transfer fee

*0% introductory APR for 12 months on balance transfers made in the first 60 days after account opening. After that, the APR for the unpaid balance and any latest balance transfers will be a non-variable rate of 17.99%. 3% balance transfer fee per transaction. Subject to credit approval. If you take advantage of this balance transfer, you will immediately be charged interest on all purchases made with your credit card unless you pay the entire account balance, including balance transfers, in full each month by the payment due date.

If you were hoping to earn more flexible rewards on your gas purchases (and don’t mind missing out on EV rewards), you might want to lean toward the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. This $95 annual fee card (see rates and fees) charges $0 for the first year and earns 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

On the American Express site

19.49% – 28.49% Variable

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

You may be eligible for as high as $300 cash back

See rates and fees, terms apply. Read our Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express review.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a low-fee card with generous cash-back rewards and useful ongoing benefits, such as a monthly Disney Bundle credit. (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)

High cash-back earnings for U.S. supermarkets and streaming services

Intro-APR offer for purchases and balance transfers

No annual fee for the first year

It’s less rewarding after the first year because of the annual fee

Bonus rewards for U.S. supermarkets are capped

Apply and find out your welcome offer. As High As $300 cash back* after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your latest Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply, and if approved: 1. Find out your offer amount 2. Accept the Card with your offer 3. Spend $3,000 in 6 months 4. Receive the cash back. *Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.49%-28.49%.

Plan It®: Purchase now, pay later with Plan It. Split purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee so you don’t have the pressure of paying all at once. Simply select the purchase in your online account or the American Express® App to see your plan options. Plus, you’ll still earn rewards on purchases the way you usually do.

Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) purchases and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.

Get up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal.

See Rates & Fees

Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars

If your summer travel is taking you outside the U.S., Select recommends researching an electronic SIM card for your phone, or eSIM. The roaming charges you could incur if you leverage your regular network abroad can really add up. Instead, an eSIM lets you add a second mobile plan digitally, without swapping physical SIM cards, allowing you to leverage local plans, which are often significantly cheaper.

Saily, which is owned by NordVPN, offers VPNs for over 200 destinations. Plans start at $1.99 but prices vary based on country, length of stay and data requirements. Saily also supports personal hotspots on most devices, meaning you only need one plan and can share your data with your other devices.

Saily

Coverage

200+ destinations

Starting price

Plans starting from $1.99

Plan lengths

Plans for 7 to 180 days

Data plans

Data plans range from 1GB to 100GB

Devices supported

Available on iOS, Android and other compatible devices

Terms apply

24/7 chat support through the Saily app

Offers affordable plans with low starting prices

Ability to add latest destinations to an existing eSIM

Supports personal hotspot usage

Only offers data only plans

If you tend to be on your phone a lot while traveling, either for directions or uploading all your vacation photos, you might prefer an unlimited data plan. Holafly is a great option that puts an emphasis on unlimited data plans for Mexico, Europe, Japan, China and over 160 other destinations. While these plans are typically a little more expensive than some competitors, they’re a favorable option for citizens who don’t want to constantly check how much data they’re using.

Holafly

Plans start from $6.90

Plans range from 1 to 90 days

Data will vary based on the selected plan

Strong unlimited data offerings

Offers qualifying refunds for up to 6 months

Can be reached 24/7 through chat support

Only offers data-only plans

Prices start slightly higher than competitors

Was not immediately responsive when contacted

Flight deals are out there if you know how and where to search. Luckily, there are tools that generate the process easy.

We like Going for its ability to send push alerts right to your phone when prices drop, letting you catch superb deals before they’re gone.

Going™

Creates push alerts on your phone for fare price drops

Allows you to search affordable routes from your home airport easily

No credit card needed to employ the free limited plan

Limited members are restricted to seeing economy class deals from inside the US

And, if you have any travel points, this year’s summer trip might be the time to utilize them. Summer tends to be a peak time for travel, and prices can surge for these dates. But not every airline has its mileage or point system’s prices correlate with its cash prices. Some airlines still employ a reward chart which set points values independently of cash prices. Using this alternative could help you find an even better deal when prices are high.

If you’re booking your travel far enough in advance, snagging some award seats — tickets booked with points or miles instead of cash — can cut your costs, but they get harder to find the closer you book to your travel date.

If you’re loyal to a certain airline, it might produce sense to sign up for its credit card to snag helpful perks. The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select International community Elite Mastercard has a $0 annual fee for the first year (then $95), and you’ll receive your first checked bag for free on domestic American Airlines flights and enjoy preferred boarding. You’ll also earn AAdvantage® miles on all your eligible American Airlines purchases, which typically get the best value when redeemed for future flights.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Planet Elite Mastercard®

19.49% – 29.49% variable

$0 first year, then $99

Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles

Terms apply. Information about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Planet Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

Read our Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Planet Elite Mastercard® review.

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Earth Elite Mastercard® is worth considering if you fly with American Airlines once or twice a year because you’ll get your first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries.

First checked bag free on eligible American Airlines flights for the cardholder and up to four travel companions on the same reservation

Preferred boarding

American Airlines Flight Discount has a high spending requirement

2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases

1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases

Commonly, the rewards you earn from airline cards are only usable with the same airline, but if you’re looking for something more flexible, we suggest a more general travel card.

Whether you’re looking for a hotel room, vacation rental, bed-and-breakfast or anything in between, using the right tools can generate booking a place to stay easy on you and your wallet.

One of our favorite places to look for a variety of accommodations is Hopper, an accredited travel agency that can help you search for hotels and home rentals, as well as flights and rental cars. Its price prediction tool, available only in the app, is based on trillions of data points and can help you book at just the right time.  

Hopper

Cost

Standout features

Automatically track the pricing of desired flights, receive notifications about potential price increases and decreases, book flights and hotels through the platform, receive offers and discounts on your travel.

Availability

Offered online and on both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android)

Free to apply

Helps users find flight and hotel deals

Users can track flight prices and predict the ideal time to purchase flights This also touches on aspects of wall street.

Price freeze feature lets users “hold” a flight at the current price while they decide if they really want to produce the purchase

Booking through a third-party platform, which means some flight and hotel protections may not be available like they would be if you had booked directly with the airline or hotel

Opening a credit card with hotel rewards, or using the cards you already have, can also help you keep costs low.

With the Citi Strata Premier® Card, you’ll earn 3X points on air travel and hotel purchases, and $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) booked through cititravel.com. The card comes with a generous welcome offer of 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months, and the points can be transferred to 22 different hotels or airlines, giving you lots of travel options.

Citi Strata Premier® Card

19.49% – 27.49% variable

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points

The Citi Strata Premier® Card has competitive rewards rates and unlocks access to all of the Citi ThankYou® transfer partners, which boosts the value of your points.

Unlocks point transfers to all of the Citi ThankYou® partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges, Flying Blue and more

Generous bonus spending categories include dining, supermarkets, hotels and flights

Valuable welcome bonus

Car rental coverage is secondary, not primary

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.

Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.

Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.

Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases

$100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.

No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card

No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.

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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can construct informed decisions with their finances. Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of personal finance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

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For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.

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