If you were thinking of hitting the hottest beach spots or the national parks’ best hotels this summer, booking at this late date could require a serious investment.

But there are still ways to take a great vacation without sacrificing your wallet. Consider traveling where everyone else does not at this time of year, like a ski resort or an island just outside the hurricane belt.

Here are seven tips for booking off-season vacations in high-style locations.

HEAD TO THE HILLS. Ski resorts remain popular destinations off-season; vacationers can ride ski lifts into the mountains for hiking, mountain biking and many other summer activities. But you will spend much less for lodging than during the winter.

You can get a really great discount, I would say somewhere between 20 to 40 percent,” by booking off-season, says Anne Banas, executive editor of smartertravel.com.

Though not bargain-basement cheap, a trip to the so-called ABC islands _ Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao _ is more affordable in summer than winter, and you will be outside the danger zone.

BOOK A PACKAGE. Even if you have no intention of traveling with a group or staying in a mainstream hotel, a good way to beat skyrocketing airfares may be with a package deal, says Budget Travel’s Nina Willdorf. You might be able to get a hotel room or car rental included in the same total price as a ticket would cost alone.

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