By Wendy Perrin, CNTraveler.com
Here are the five things smart travelers should be doing this month:
1. Go to Europe. In much of the Mediterranean, there's no better month for sightseeing than May: The days are long, the weather is optimal, the summer crowds haven't yet arrived, sites are open, and festivals abound. Use Kayak's Explore tool or Adioso.com to suss out affordable last-minute destinations.
2. Save 25 percent on Memorial Weekend flights. Fly on Saturday morning (instead of Friday) and return on Tuesday (rather than Monday). While holiday-weekend airfares are rising, they're still probably cheaper than the high domestic summer fares that will kick in around June 8.
3. Get a credit card that waives foreign-transaction fees. You still have time if your trip abroad is this summer. Many cards charge an extra three percent on overseas purchases. The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Ink Plus Business cards waive such fees and let you earn a ton of loyalty points.
4. Redeem your miles for Thanksgiving or Christmas/New Year's airline tickets. Six months ahead is the sweet spot for finding mileage-award seats.
5. Book your 2015 European river cruise. This summer's river sailings sold out months ago, so lock in one for next year while early-booking savings still apply. Viking River Cruises' two-for-one cruise/airfare deal ends May 31.
Photo: David Ryan/Alamy
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