Summer can't come fast enough — but if you're planning a getaway, take
Memorial Day travel is expected to hit its highest level since 2005, with the AAA predicting that 39.3 million Americans will take a holiday weekend trip this year. It's a road trip for 88.1 percent of those travelers, while another 5.5 percent will fly.
Whatever your vacation plans — beach, mountain or big city — here's how to make the most of every dollar spent:
1) Assess your summer budget
More than two-thirds of vacationers cop to
A stealth budget buster: the intersection of travel season and wedding season. In a recent Priceline.com survey, 15 percent of travelers say they have spent more than $1,000 on wedding-related travel.
If there's a wedding (or more likely, weddings) on your summer calendar, factor those in as part of your overall budget, Sophia Bera, a certified financial planner and founder of Gen Y Planning in Austin, Texas, told CNBC. You may need to be selective on which events you RSVP "yes" to.
"You don't have to go to every wedding you're invited to," she said. "Financially, you might not be able to."
Read more: With costs like these, no wonder people cry at weddings
2) Watch out for scams
Before you book that fabulous deal, verify the site offering it is legit. An estimated 15 million "bad bookings" are linked to phony websites and call centers, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, an advocacy group that represents the hotel industry.
Falling for a scam could mean you lose your deposit — and arrive at your destination to find out you don't have a place to stay.
Read more: Scammers want to wreck your vacation travel plans
3) Use booking tricks to slash costs
Flexibility will serve you well, both in the timing of your trip and where you go.
"Prices are based on where people are interested in going, and the dates people are interested in traveling," Patrick Surry, chief data scientist at Hopper, told CNBC.
Travelers may be able to score better deals if they can time their trip at the beginning or end of summer when most kids are still in school, for example. You can also take advantage of search engine capabilities to see which destinations currently have the best deals (and best fares from your home airport).
Read more: 4 Tricks to save on summer travel
4) Prepare your wallet
Picking the right credit card to use for travel bookings and on-the-ground expenses can offer a range of benefits, from great international exchange rates to trip protections and rewards to offset future vacations. A recent WalletHub.com analysis estimated that the right plastic could save international travelers up to 9 percent, or boost a domestic traveler's budget by up to $625.
Plus, a credit card can offer better protections while you're traveling, compared to cash.
"If you are traveling and your credit card is stolen, then it can usually be replaced," Pauline Frommer, editorial director of Frommer's, told CNBC. "I cannot tell you how many letters we get from readers who have lost everything to pickpockets, so it really is a mistake to carry around a lot of cash."
Of course, you'll have to curb the temptation to overspend. Credit card balances have been creeping up, and that debt could be a nasty vacation souvenir.
Read more: How to find the best credit card for summer travel
