We all love a good deal, especially us travelers. Traveling is expensive enough as it is, and prices only seem to increase as the years go by. However, if you’re anything like me, that won’t stop you from traveling; it will only make you a smarter traveler.
Now I’m going to tell you right away: For big ticket items like airline tickets and hotel gift cards, these won’t show up until Cyber Monday and the now-coined “Travel Tuesday,” given the sheer number of flights. discounts offered the day after Cyber Monday. At the earliest, you might see some flight deals offered on actual Black Friday, but usually not before.
Because flights are so lucrative, airlines wait until the last second to drop them.
But you can still get great travel discounts in the weeks leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday! Below you will find some of mine favorite travel essentials that running their travel deals is hot and ready for the season!
Travel essentials
As a seasoned traveler, one of my top money-saving travel hacks is stocking up on all my travel essentials on deep discount days. Typically for the US, the biggest discount times are Black Friday/Cyber Monday (obviously), the week AFTER Christmas, Easter weekend, Memorial Day, Prime Day and Labor Day.
Get those dates in your head!
Now that you know when to shop, here are a few items I’m stocking this Black Friday!
Luggage
Luggage is one of the most expensive travel items you’ll need, so you definitely don’t want to pay retail for it. My nine year old suitcase is looking a little worn after traveling with me to over 30 countries and 44 US states, so I’m ready to retire it and buy a new one that will last another decade !
Face masks
Sure, it hasn’t been an easy adjustment in 2020, but I’m not kidding — I haven’t EVEN gotten sick since I started wearing face masks on planes (and trains, buses, and all long drives). Aside from hospitals and having young children in elementary school, transportation is one of the most common places adults get sick. It’s annoying when you come back from a trip sick, and even more annoying when you get sick on vacation — so why not skip the germs altogether? And that for a great price!
Portable hand fan
My portable fan is still going strong, and let me tell you, IT IS A GODSEND!! It traveled with me to Morocco in the middle of summer (116F/46C) and kept me from roasting alive. I’m honestly going to put this fan in my will, that’s how awesome it is – and it’s 42% off for Black Friday!
Apple Air Tag
Last but certainly not least when it comes to travel essentials, it might be time to top up your Apple Airtags. If you’ve never used them before, they’re great to throw in your suitcases when checking luggage so you always know where your bags are in the event of a lost bag (it’s more common than you might think!). They can also be great to keep in your backpack or bag, just in case you lose it while sightseeing or if a quick pickpocket catches you!
Travel credit cards
If you travel often, it may be more beneficial for you to invest in a travel credit card. Now you’re an adult, so I probably don’t need to give you any reminders about how to be responsible with a credit card (not that I’d be the best example myself), but if your credit is pretty good, I did want your highlighting two of the best travel credit cards for frequent travelers.
These cards are the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card and the American Express Platinum Card.
Both cards have a significant annual fee, $550 USD and $695 USD respectively, but for frequent travelers the cards offer thousands of dollars in perks, rewards, points, insurance and loyalty status that make the fee more than worth it.
They’re offering big sign-up bonuses right now, so if you’re planning on spending a pretty penny this holiday season, now’s a great time to start racking up bonus points on spending you’ve already started doing.
Accommodation
Many hotels likely won’t announce their potential holiday sales until Black Friday/Cyber Monday, but if you’re a fan of camping and the outdoors, consider heading to the Black Friday newsletter for more information. Postcard huts. Even if you’re not really into camping or are completely new to the outdoors, you should still sign up because they make camping extremely comfortable and it’s an easy way to dip your toes in. If you click on my linkyou’ll automatically get $25 USD off your first stay, and make sure to sign up for the newsletter to shop their Black Friday deals as soon as they drop!
Transport
There’s nothing like seeing the beautiful scenery of the countryside as you travel by wheel. This Black Friday, two travel companies are offering transport discounts! The first is Hertzfor all road trippers among us. They offer a range of discount rates for people who need car rentals in the US, Canada and Europe. For those who plan to visit some affordable European destinations or American summer road trips in 2025 this is a great deal!
The second is reliable Amtrak. They have a lot of offers depending on which region of the US you want to travel. Taking a ride on the Amtrak is a journey in itself, so grab a nice seat (or a few for the whole family) and enjoy the ride while creating new memories as you watch the beautiful American landscape pass by.
Group travel
And finally, there are some fantastic group tours with Black Friday promotions going on right now. There are so many benefits to it small group tours: they plan the whole trip and you make new friends along the way. It’s a win-win situation!
Aimed at younger people (18-35 year olds), EF ultimate break has discounts of up to 35% on their fun and diverse routes. Buy one for yourself to get started on your path to lifelong travel, or buy one as a gift for a young person in your life so they can experience travel in a safe and exciting environment.
Travel fearlessly is one of the best group tours suitable for all ages, and their tours offer a unique cultural element so you can enjoy your vacation and learn something new about the destination and culture at the same time.