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Tips for keeping last-minute summer travel cheap

Tips for saving money on summer travel plans
How to travel in the summer without breaking the bank 03:14

A record-breaking number of Americans are expected to travel this week for the Fourth of July. An estimated 48.9 million people plan to take a trip for the holiday, according to AAA.

Even if you're getting a late start on your travel plans, Mark Ellwood, a contributing editor at Condé Nast traveler, says you can still get deals.

"Because of the way the travel industry works, if you see a flight price that you don't like, click through to the vacations tab on that airline's website," Ellwood told "CBS This Morning." "That's where they sell hotels and flights together. Because of how they're priced, at the last minute the package deal might be cheaper than the flight alone."

Ellwood also had an app suggestion for travelers who procrastinate.

"If you're looking for a last-minute hotel, I swear by Hotel Tonight," Ellwood said. "It is a very intuitive, beautifully designed app, but what I love about it is it offers deals on a tightly edited selection of hotels."

As for where you should go if you're making last-minute plans on a budget, Ellwood said he wouldn't discourage people from thinking about the Caribbean in the summer. He also said Britain, long perceived as an expensive destination, is about 20% cheaper for American visitors than it was five years ago.

Ellwood also suggested "repos" as a way to get cheaper cruise prices.

"When cruise ships change port from their winter to summer destinations, they have to sail between them," he explained. "They will sell you staterooms on those repositionings, 'repos' — they could be about 40% cheaper. Little longer, but boy, it's a steal."

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