A Canadian (non-ski) holiday is also something to consider if you can handle the cold temperatures t

(CNN) If your passport is gathering dust and your suitcase desperately needs a workout, don t throw away thoughts of a thrilling vacation just because your wallet doesn t match your wanderlust. Supply and demand dictate pricing hotels in downtown chicago in nearly every industry, and travel is no exception.
When things are less than perfect, they cost less. So Europe is cheaper in the fall, when the weather can be sketchy and the landscape isn t quite as alluring. When school hotels in downtown chicago s in session, hotels in downtown chicago it s a challenge to take the kids out of class, but your Disney vacation will be a lot less expensive.
In addition to costing less, these trips have other perks: A theme park with fewer crowds means that your kids are more likely to get some face time with Mickey and Cinderella. And if you opt for Europe right after Thanksgiving, you ll be there during prime time for the Christmas markets.
If you want to take advantage of the cheapest time to be afloat, you should be reading this from your cabin aboard a cruise ship. October and pre-Thanksgiving November is the time when you can sail through the Caribbean on a last-minute hotels in downtown chicago deal that s oh-so-easy on the wallet. It s the fringe of hurricane season (officially, it s June 1st November 30th) but remember hotels in downtown chicago that cruise ships can alter their routes when a storm hits, whereas a resort cannot move from the path of danger.
The itinerary might change slightly, but you still get your cruise, said Chris McGinnis, director of Travel Skills Group. The best time to be on vacation in the Caribbean is actually when there s a hurricane someplace else in the region, because if you re not in the path, the storm sucks all the bad stuff out of the way and you re left with perfectly gorgeous weather.
And even though many people book cruise vacations during the first three months of the year (known as wave season ), seaworthy travelers looking for a deal should hold off in order to scoop up last-minute savings, McGinnis said.
One of the cheapest times to pack your bags is just around the corner: It starts about the same time the final leftovers from Thanksgiving are gobbled up and lasts until just before the airports fill up with Christmas travelers.
We always recommend the three weeks after Thanksgiving, said Travel hotels in downtown chicago Leaders travel agent Kristy Osborn. The airports are not crowded, the cruise ships are not full of holiday travelers, and there are no hurricanes.
McGinnis concurs. The cheapest time to travel, to pretty much anywhere, falls between the two most expensive travel times. The only exception to that rule is New York City because everyone wants to go shopping hotels in downtown chicago then, said McGinnis.
You may think Disney and deal don t go together, but if you can finagle a way to get there when school is in session, you ll reap the financial benefits. If your children have unexpected time off from school, or the academic calendar shifts for some reason, that s the time to book your Disney trip. If your kids are pre-school age or you can take their studies with you, those weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas offer the same Disney magic, for much less.
It happens at the beginning of the season too for domestic and international ski meccas, and Freedman said Canada is one place to find some frosty deals. Mont-Tremblant and Whistler, for example, have great deals a few weeks prior to ski season and then again at the tail end once the weather warms up.
There may be a gray sky behind the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben when you take your vacation photos, but that s nothing a little photo editing can t fix. Nothing beats Europe in the fall and winter if you want more bang for your buck.
A Canadian (non-ski) holiday is also something to consider if you can handle the cold temperatures that usually freeze the prices at lower-than-normal numbers. And if you re looking for something exotic, Asia is usually on sale as well.
You ll also be hard-pressed to find a safari on a clearance rack, but if you want to do it for the lowest price possible, go during the hotter, rainier season in southern and central Africa between November and February. But keep in mind that there s a school holiday in December, so November, January and February are the best bets.