Finding accommodation
If you’ve found a flight but won’t buy a package, you probably need a place to stay. HotelTonight is a great resource for discounted hotel rooms, where the search on the home page defaults to “Tonight,” though you can book up to 100 days in advance. Unlocking the Daily Drop feature, available once a day for just 15 minutes, offers additional discounts — but non-refundable rates — at a specific hotel. (Like many travel websites, HotelTonight says many of its best deals can only be found on its app.)
Hot Deals is a feature on Hotwire’s hotel results page after you enter your search details. Click on the Hot Deals tab, and the page displays a list of hotels with their daily rates, ratings, location and amenities, but the traveler doesn’t see the hotel name until booking. All sales are final.
Hotels.com shows deals directly on its home page, showing a range of destinations but limited to the upcoming weekend. (The company offers steeper discounts to members of its free loyalty program.) It’s also worth checking out. Roomeran online marketplace for verified nonrefundable hotel rooms that other travelers wish to unload.
For budget-minded travelers, consider a camping trip. On Tentrrwhere you can search by region or type of location (think lake or river), campers can get a $25 discount on accommodations booked through September 4. Hipcamp there is dedicated Labor Day weekend sectionor try your luck at ReserveAmerica and Recreation.gov, the booking site for National Park Service and other federal lands. If you plan to go camping regularly next year, consider signing up for the Dyrt‘s Pro Plan ($36 a year), which provides access to campsites, offline maps and discounts, or for Harvest Hostsa membership platform that allows self-contained campers like camper vans and RVs to park at wineries, breweries, farms and more (from $99 a year).
Tour
You might not want to rush to get a last minute flight this weekend. In general, Labor Day weekend is centered around domestic travel, or three-day-friendly destinations, said Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going. And more people drive, he added, than fly.