Travel is slated to be pricier than usual this season.

I can imagine how many of you out there are eager to get out there and see the world in the next couple of months. With last summer effectively being cancelled due to the pandemic, any loosening of restrictions and advisories this time around will likely mean an influx of tourists almost across the board. However, you may find that traveling is a little more difficult than you remember, and it’s not just due to localized COVID-19 outbreaks (though that certainly isn’t helping). The cost of simply having a summer vacation has risen considerably due to a conflux of unfortunate factors, which means, in order to keep your costs realistic, you may need to make sacrifices.

For one thing, the prices of both gasoline and air travel are on the rise. The recent kerfuffle in the OPEC talks drove gas prices way up over Memorial Day weekend, and airlines are being forced to raise costs to recoup the losses they’ve endured over the past year and change. With airlines in particular, there’s also a problem of consistency, as new outbreaks and restrictions are forcing flight delays and reroutes.

Even once you get to your vacation destination, you may find that the price raises haven’t stopped. The costs of things like rental cars, hotel stays, and even just restaurants are all up. Remember, almost everyone, especially tourist spots, saw a major decline in business over the last year, and their operating costs are hanging over their heads. It’s unfortunate, but until the economy finishes evening out, we’re just going to have to deal with fluctuating prices for a while.

By all means, if you want to take a vacation, you’re free to do so (assuming you’ve been vaccinated, of course). Just realize that you may not be able to travel as far or stay as long this year.