Indianapolis International Airport is a fairly popular airport in the US, which provides locals with a lot of options when bargain hunting their vacation. Savvy travelers know that oftentimes, you can find cheap flights if you go last minute, and if you know how to shop. The bigger the airport, the better chance there is that you’ll be able to find a good deal. Be flexible with where you go for your vacation, and those extra options will allow you to shop around and get the most bang for your buck. To help you get some ideas of places to keep an eye on, we’ve got a few ideas on where to take a budget vacation out of Indianapolis. (And if you are not an Indianapolis resident, fear not; most of these tips can still apply to you!)
Finding Last-Minute Flights from Indianapolis
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There are three major expenses that every vacation is going to have: travel, lodging, and food. While you need to think about expenses surrounding your entertainment and activities, many destinations provide free or dirt-cheap activities, so you can nearly eliminate that expense if you are smart. That makes getting there one of the biggest potential money suckers. Fortunately, cheap last-minute flights from Indianapolis are available, if you know how to find them. Compare prices to different destinations, and pick a vacation spot where cheaper flights are available. Then research when the off season or shoulder season is. Try to fly during the week, as demand is much less than a weekend flight. You can also sign up for fare alerts whenever you complete a GoLastMinute flight search to keep up with live pricing. That way, you can see when the prices are the lowest and strike while the iron is hot!
Tampa, FL
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Tampa is a fairly popular destination out of Indianapolis International Airport which helps when you are shopping around, and flights there tend to be pretty cheap. Combine that with the fact that it is a beach town, and you have everything that you need for a cheap last-minute vacation. Spend time at the beaches, get your food at street vendors or grocery stores instead of eating out, and book a hotel that isn’t right by the beach to keep the rest of your costs down. By relying on public transportation to get you to the beach instead of booking a hotel with beach access, you open up a lot more possibilities for bargain shopping. With round-trip flights getting as low as US$100, hotel rooms potentially even cheaper, and plenty of free activities on the beach, you could easily take a vacay here for a few days for a couple hundred dollars per person.
Denver, CO
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Vacations in the mountains are a great way to save some cash, as the wilderness and outdoors activities provide plenty of free and cheap entertainment. Shoulder season for Denver is in spring and fall, so look for better flight prices during that time without compromising agreeable weather. The biggest issue for a Denver vacation is transportation, so it may be worth having everyone in your group pitch in to rent a car. If you can muster the cash for a rental, then you can pick any hotel and just drive to hiking trails, iconic parks, and mountain tops without having to spend any extra cash for activities. Avoid eating at restaurants and shop around for your hotel, and you won’t be putting those cheap flight tickets to waste!
Atlanta, GA
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Flights from Indianapolis to Atlanta tend to be pretty cheap, but you will have to work a little harder to keep the rest of your costs down. Hotels don’t get much cheaper than US$100 per night, so you may want to get at least 4 people together to split the cost. Fortunately, you can get around Atlanta pretty easily thanks to MARTA, Atlanta's public transportation system. Being a popular tourist city means that there are often public events going on, but you’ll want to avoid times when huge events bring lots of travelers and increase demand for hotels and flights. Spring and Fall times provide the best balance of still having public events while not being too busy, and also will still have temperate weather.
Cruise Out of Orlando
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This last one is tricky, but you can potentially get a great vacation at a great discount: a last-minute cruise out of Orlando. First of all, roundtrip flights from Indianapolis to Orlando can be pretty cheap, depending on when you go. Next, you’ll want to keep an eye on cruise prices as they are approaching their departure dates. When a cruise line has last minute rooms to fill, they will often slash prices to get it done. If you can book when you find a great cruise deal during a period when flight prices are cheap, then you have the recipe for a super cheap, jam packers vacation. Cruise lines typically provide everything you need for your vacation within the price of the ticket, so you won’t have to worry about any additional expenses. Watch prices diligently, and you could score a vacation in the Bahamas for just a couple hundred dollars!
