Everyone should be able to travel as much as they want to, but sometimes those plane tickets to all of our dream travel spots just aren’t cheap! Here are tips for finding the best travel deals out there so you can worry less and get on the road more.

Travel in the Off Peak Season

Flight costs drop dramatically right after the new year since people usually travel during the holidays, so if you can take a trip sometime in January you might be able to grab some great deals. February is generally a good time to look for deals as well since people are usually recovering from the holidays, and there are a lot of places that tend to be cooler in the winter months which cuts down on airline traffic if you don’t mind the weather.

Follow Airlines on Twitter

If you follow some popular airlines on Twitter you can find out about last minute deals they have going on. The social media site is a popular place for airlines (and other companies in general) to spread the word and make some last minute sales. Of course not all of their deals are going to be perfectly tailored to your schedule, but if you have some flexibility with travel destinations then you’ll be more likely to find something worth snagging. You can also sign up for their email feeds, which could get you some discount coupons from time to time.

Know When to Buy

Fares are not the same all the time, so knowing when to look is important. Tuesday’s at 3PM Eastern is when discount flights are usually posted, and they are pulled again by Thursday. The cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, while over the weekend rates get more expensive. Taking red eyes and flying in the morning is going to get you the cheapest prices of the day.

Book a Flight and Hotel Package

On sites that bundle together a flight and hotel package, you can often get a better last minute deal booking your trip that way over trying to book them separately. Travelocity sometimes offers package deals for both flights and hotel stays that are cheaper than the normal cost of the flight alone. This is a great option for last minute travel as well since it saves a lot of the planning.

Sign Up For Fare Alerts

There are a variety of different websites that you can set to alert you when certain fares drop to certain amounts. AirFareWatchDog is a great one that sends you alerts based on your home airport and sometimes the savings are huge. There are also plenty of sites where you can search for the lowest flight deals going anywhere, which is great if you’re flexible about locations but just know that you’re ready to get out of town. Airlines sometimes change their fares multiple times within a day, so even if you are set on heading somewhere specific soon you might be able to find a better deal by checking the website a few different times during the day.