The Memorial Day weekend is the (unoffical) kickoff of the summer…and you’re probably already making those vacation plans!

Here some tips to save on summer travel:

Be flexible If you’re locked in to traveling on July 4th weekend, it’s going to be a LOT more expensive than traveling on a Tuesday or Wednesday in June. Try to avoid flying on Sundays and Mondays, too…those days tend to be the most expensive.

Shop around Don’t assume home vacation rentals are cheaper than hotels…it’s not always the case now with all the fees that get tacked on so consider ALL the options.

Stay away The farther out from a city’s center you are, the cheaper the accommodations will be so consider staying in outlying areas of downtown…especially if there’s good public transportation.

Pay with points If you’ve got a load of credit card points you haven’t used, cash them in for free flights, hotels or rental cars.

And (of course) off-season travel can be a BIG bargain…if you can go before summer begins or after Labor Day, you’ll enjoy the same amenities, less crowds and save a bundle…win/win/win!