With inflation and what seems like the price of everything rising lately, the cost of travel is rising, too. International travel, which can often include hefty flight prices and longer stays at hotels or vacation rentals, can be even more expensive.
But there’s hope.
If you’re looking to add another stamp in your passport, but want to do so on a budget, here’s how to do it: Google Flights Explore tool. Google Flights Explore tool can be a really useful platform for finding the most affordable trip in your budget. Instead of planning all the details and trying to make your dream destination fit into your budget, consider doing the opposite.
Use the tool to let your dream budget decide your destination.
How It Works
Google Flights Explore scours the internet for various flight prices, and its filters can help you choose the best option.
Start by setting your dates in the “specific dates” box, then click submit. Next, select your starting city. Instead of adding a destination, type and select “Anywhere.” Then, click “filters” and adjust the price set to your desired budget — $500, $250, $1000, etc.
This combo will allow Google to randomly select destinations within your date range and price range. Roundtrip flight options can range from cities near you to across the world. You can also narrow your search by the destination type in the filters section by choosing between interests associated with the destination. Interests include beaches, skiing, museums, and the outdoors, among others.
And it gets even better.
Choose A Region
Google Flights Explore also allows you to focus the search on certain regions, continents, or countries.
For example, if you know you’re interested in a Caribbean vacation with flights under $600 on your selected dates, you can search for those options specifically.
Choose your starting city, select the dates, then type and select “Caribbean” in the “Where to?” section. Set your price range and click submit. Google will display various destinations that fit your price range and the region you selected.
And if you’re feeling spontaneous, or budget-conscious, you can even search without specific dates. Select “flexible dates,” then choose between “a week trip in the next months” or a specific month of travel with “a week”, “weekend” or “two-week” trip options. For the same Caribbean vacation, you can select “weekend” and the month of May for all the options that fall in that category.
All in all, you can save lots of money on your next international trip with Google Flights Explore. You’ve just got to be flexible on the location, the date, or, for maximum savings, both.