Recent travel news might make anyone feel gloomy: airlines are cutting routes causing airfares to rise. Frequent flyer miles are losing their value. Hotels have more vacancies; leading to higher rates. Many sources make travel sound less fun and less affordable than it was in the past. A lot of experts would say that’s nonsense.

Consider airline industry news. The airlines may have gotten more than they bargained for when they cut routes to cut costs. Air travel has dropped sharply, meaning airlines have more open seats. The misery of being bumped from a flight may soon be a thing of the past. On certain routes, airlines may drop prices to entice travelers back to flying.

High gasoline prices have prompted many people to cut back on driving. Prices for rental cars have remained steady or, in many cases, dropped. Sure, the price to fuel the car may seem prohibitive at first, but shop around for a deal. Some rental agencies even offer hybrids allowing savings on the cost of fuel.

Don’t forget that travelers needn’t do any booking on their own, especially when tour packagers may offer the best travel deals around. Tour packagers can match discounted hotels, cruises, airfares, rental cars, and more to customize a vacation for any traveler and any budget. The deals can be astounding – a look at one site yields a 14-day European cruise with airfare to and from Europe for about the same price as a standard roundtrip flight. Such packages may have blackout periods, but these rules are becoming more flexible to get travelers out and about once again.

Sites like Travelworm.com epitomize the ease of using the Internet to find a great deal on a customized trip. Whether they’re looking for a weekend hotel stay or a week-long all-inclusive package, travelers can use sites like this to streamline the booking process and find incredible deals.

Who says travel is unaffordable in today’s economy? This might just be the best time to take to the skies, hit the road, or sail the seven seas for a dream vacation.