CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Travel has become very expensive lately, but you don’t have to make big sacrifices in order to plan a special getaway.

There are plenty of things that you can do to help you save big on travel, whether you’re traveling by car or plane, it’s important to start planning sooner rather than later. Train and plane tickets are usually more expensive if you book at the last minute. Travel experts suggest that people start looking at fares months before their trip, and then book when they spot a comparatively low rate.

There are many apps and websites that let you set up alerts on flights hotels and car rentals, so you get notified when a specific flight or hotel is within your budget. 22News spoke with one traveler who plans trips a year in advance to get the best deals.

“It’s just my family and I going to Maine we try to do local trips at least a year in advance. Definitely get travel insurance because of what’s been going on with the airlines and everything else,” said Matt Bogacz of West Springfield.

Flights, train tickets, and rental car prices are higher on the busiest days of the week, which are typically Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Try traveling on Tuesdays or Wednesdays when there’s usually less demand and lower prices. You can also try to use airline credit cards. Many credit card reward systems give you the best value per point when they’re put toward travel.