Trying to find the absolute cheapest airfare for a trip you are planning is like playing a game that feels too easy to lose. Now in this era of ‘big data' where many companies are able to check airfares on every route every day to calculate the cheapest possible time to buy, it's finally a bit easier.

Only a few years ago the advice was often to buy between 4 and 6 weeks out, but things have changed and it really depends on where you are going. As you'll see in the 2019 update below, the window for buying the cheapest fares starts earlier these days and buying about 4 months out often leads to the best deals. We've summarized a variety of studies below and with a quick scan you should be able to get some insight on when to buy and when to wait. Click to read more

Most of us from North America or Europe could easily assume that June is a perfect weather month for just about anywhere in Asia, but that is far from the truth. June is part of the rainy season in much of the Tropics, so figuring out where you should go this month could be tricky.

The good news is that the rainy season doesn't start until later in the year in some of the best Asia destinations. The hottest month is actually in April in the warmer areas closer to the equator, and by the time June rolls in you start to get afternoon cloud covers that make it cooler and nicer. Read below for the 12 best places for a trip to Asia in June. Click to read more

The month of June is obviously very popular for Europe trips, and the weather is nearly perfect on the whole continent. You can even visit some of the more popular beach destinations without being overwhelmed by the local Europeans who book everything during July and August. June is actually one of the busiest months in cities like Paris and Rome, but still not so busy that you should avoid them.

Below we list the 20 best destinations in Europe for a June visit, along with reasons why each one is a top pick this month. Many of them are also close enough together that you can easily string them together into a little Europe tour of your own. Train rides of up to about 5 hours are generally wonderful and very scenic, not to mention faster than flying as well. Click to read more

Planning a first trip to Italy can be daunting. Unlike France, where Paris is the obvious focus, and the UK where London is the obvious focus, Italy provides so many options that you'll feel like you are missing something big no matter where you decide to go. I get a lot of questions about Italy itineraries on this site and I end up typing the same answers so frequently that I decided to create an article that should cover the topic for nearly all first-time Italy visitors.

Shorter versions of this can be found on my article discussing the best first-time Europe itineraries in general, as well as how to plan a trip to France and Italy. But the article below should be your best bet to at least plan the outline of your first Italy trip, and all of this will definitely make you want to come back again as soon as you can. Click to read more

If you have your summer vacation in June then you are in pretty good shape. Since most of Europe's wealthier office workers have their holidays confined to July and August, those who are able to travel in June will find smaller crowds and better deals in most places. The best places to visit in June are spread all over the northern hemisphere, and many of them are cheap.

Planning in advance is still key, as demand from Americans and Canadians will book the best hotels at the best rates, but you do have more flexibility in June. We have listed 26 places around the world that all have fantastic June weather as well as reasonably priced accommodations once you arrive. Click to read more

Many of us start our exploration of Europe as backpackers or at least staying in budget hotels, but eventually we prefer at least a 3-star hotel with a few creature comforts. That is why we have created this list of all of Europe's top tourist cities ranked from cheapest to most expensive for those on an average budget and sharing a 3-star hotel room for two people.

The newly-updated index for 2019 below shows a price for each city and that can be used as a typical budget for normal daily expenses, but of course it doesn't include shopping and souvenirs. You'll notice that the cities at the bottom of the list will cost more than four times as much per day as those on the top of the list, so choosing which cities to visit can make a huge difference in your overall budget. Click to read more

If you are planning a trip to Asia in May you'll have probably more great choices than in any other month of the year, but it's still important to plan carefully. The main cities in southeast Asia such as Bangkok and Saigon are extremely hot this time of year, and you might get some rainfall as well.

Fortunately May is a perfect weather month to visit Japan, China, or South Korea, so stringing together a bunch of those places is ideal if you've got the time. Parts of India are still nice, and we have some good island destinations listed below as well. Click to read more

Now fully updated for 2019, the North American Backpacker Index is in its 9th year to rank the major tourist cities in the US and Canada from cheapest to most expensive. The currencies and inflation rates were pretty stable through 2018, so not much changed except for some price increases at many hostels in both countries.

More than in most of the world, it's difficult to rank these cities in a meaningful way because food and drink costs are pretty similar in all of them. This list is meant to help backpackers and budget travelers, and those who are bargain hunters can find really great deals in all of these places, while mid-range tourists with more money than time will end up paying much higher prices. Click to read more

Updated and re-ranked for 2019, the Australia and New Zealand Backpacker Index includes 6 cities that are generally the most popular for foreign visitors. The currencies of both countries weakened a bit in 2018 against the US Dollar, but they are still similar in price to midrange European tourist cities.

Fortunately, both countries have a robust infrastructure for budget travelers, with more hostels (called ‘backpackers' usually) than almost anywhere else in the world. Self-catering will cut costs in both countries since even fast-food restaurants tend to be quite expensive. Camping or going with a group in a campervan is another good way of seeing a lot while spending less money. Click to read more

Updated for 2019, the Africa and Middle East Backpacker Index once again shows that travel is quite inexpensive to many popular cities, but a few in this area are among the most expensive in the world. This region gets far less tourism than most of the rest of the world and that translates to a lack of budget hotels and hostels in many places, which helps keep prices a bit higher.

The other side of the story is that the lack of package and wholesale tourism means that those who do visit are generally getting far more intimate experiences. We wish we had more cities listed and we are open to suggestions and help to build this list up as time goes on. Click to read more