Well … no, of course not.  The Internet is a big reason last minute travel is still possible, at least when it comes to planes.  There are tons of web sites out there which specifically specialize in putting together cheap, last minute travel packages to places all over the world — you may simply have to be willing to visit your destination of choice during the off season in order to save a lot of money.

And it is always possible to hop into your car and go just about anywhere you want.  As long as you do not have to cross an ocean.  Plus too many people forget that train travel is not just affordable, but quite fun as well.