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Travel Check-In: Summer 2024.

We’ve waited all year for summer vacation – and it’s finally time. We’re here to demystify the where, when and how much of your warm-weather trips. Get everything from our cheapest destinations of the season to when you should travel for the long holiday weekends.

For those counting: we’re qualifying summer vacation as May 24 – September 3, 2024

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Travel Check-In: Summer 2024.

We’ve waited all year for summer vacation – and it’s finally time. We’re here to demystify the where, when and how much of your warm-weather trips. Get everything from our cheapest destinations of the season to when you should travel for the long holiday weekends.

1.0

What to expect this summer.

We combed through our data to find that prices have actually dropped this year vs. summer 2023. But if you’re looking to stay on trend, Africa is the #1 trending region – so get there while it’s hot.

overview

1.1

Big picture: Flight prices are down this summer.

Here we have the average flight price per region, as well as how they’ve changed compared to last summer. So you can see trends, find opportunities and just generally understand what’s happening to fares on a global scale.

US (Domestic)

$455styleoutline-13%

Canada

$491styleoutline-11%

Mexico

$502styleoutline-16%

Africa

$1,497styleoutline1%

Asia

$1,570styleoutline2%

Caribbean

$628styleoutline-15%

Central America

$565styleoutline-14%

Europe

$1,212styleoutline-7%

Middle East

$1,406styleoutline7%

South America

$794styleoutline-5%

South Pacific

$1,509styleoutline-14%

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Here’s what the numbers tell us.

Let’s get into it. Exactly how much cheaper are flights this summer vs. last? Our data shows a 13% decrease in the overall average flight price for domestic destinations, and a 3% decrease for international. For those bigger ticket airfares, that’s quite the savings. If you’re deal-hunting, North America, Central America, the South Pacific and the Caribbean are currently seeing the biggest price drops.

 

But if you’re less worried about budget and more invested in being on-trend – then head to Africa. Just as we predicted, interest in destinations to the Saharan continent is on the rise, making it our #1 trending region for summer. That said, our neighbors to the north are also heating up: we’re seeing a spike in interest to Canada. Must be the maple syrup.

See methodology

1.2

When to fly: Get an early start – or wait til later in the season.

Wondering when to go on your summer trips? Check out when we’re seeing our lowest prices of the season.

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Here’s what the numbers tell us.

Domestic: For flights within the US, May and early-June seem to be the sweet spot. Take advantage of the start of the season as temps warm up and flight prices are still low. By mid-June, however, as schools get out for the summer you’ll hit peak travel season. Prices ramp up at this time and slowly decline throughout the rest of the summer (but never quite reach May’s lows). Expect to find flight prices around $400 on average if you hop among the States.

 

International: For international trips, we’re seeing the opposite effect. May and June are the currently most expensive months for a getaway abroad. By July, you’ll start to see international flight prices come down (but just remember: the majority of Europe takes July or August off, so plan accordingly). Basically, rule of thumb is if you’re flying during peak travel times – expect to pay peak prices. When you can, travel off-peak or score an early September getaway (it won’t be fall yet).

See methodology

2.0

What’s hot for summer.

Here’s the thing: not every destination is made equal. Some might cost a bit less and you won’t travel as far, while others are worth the price tag for those once-in-a-lifetime trips. From where you can expect to find travelers flocking to our cheapest destinations you can fly to, check out where’s hot this summer.

whats-hot

2.1

Most popular destinations:
It’s Eurotrip season.

These are our most-searched-for destinations. So out of billions of annual searches, travelers are turning to these places over and over again. And Europe is coming out on top.

The Trajan's Column erects facing two gigantic dome churches surrounded by tall colourful buildings.
Honolulu Hawaii lifestyle surfers people walking in city with surfboards going to the beach surfing. Outside Hawaiian surf living. Surfer couple crossing street. Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA.
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Here’s what the numbers tell us.

International: As for international destinations, Europe is the top choice. But for those whose budgets might not want you to drop an average $1000+ on airfare, Cancún is a solid alternative. Your passport gets some action and you may not feel the same pinch in your wallet.

 

Domestic: We’re pleased, but maybe not surprised by the most popular cities this season. For destinations within the US, all your mainstays are represented: NYC, LA, Miami, Orlando and Vegas. For the more “wild card” cities on the list – like Boston and Denver – we’ve seen a fairly steady rhythm in their searches. What may be surprising, however, is that Seattle tops the list. Perhaps some travelers are unphased by a bit of wet weather when it comes with a side of gorgeous scenery.

See methodology

2.2

Top trending destinations:
Asia’s on top.

 

Things are heating up – and we’re not just talking about the temps. These destinations are seeing the biggest uptick in traveler interest – with major jumps in the number of searches compared to last year. And while Asian destinations are still popular – what’s interesting is who’s entering the chat.

Lovely little girl enjoying Hong Kong local street food with her young handsome dad joyfully in street.
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Here’s what the numbers tell us.

You may be wondering: how can Africa be the #1 trending region, but not place in the top 10? It’s math, dahling. Overall, we’re seeing more increases in searches to African destinations than last year. But when we drill into the data and go city-by-city, the spikes are really happening in those places that either more recently opened to international travel (China) or are alternatives to popular European destinations (Austria, Switzerland and Germany).

 

Also, while it’s no surprise for destinations in Europe to be trending this time of year, what is surprising is that the cities in the top 10 aren’t commonly known as summer hotspots. We think social media might be influencing more than your wardrobe – with creators talking about off-the-beaten-path destinations, travelers’ eyes may be open to a world of possibilities.

See methodology

Note: KAYAK strongly advises to check latest travel advisory for trips to any of these destinations.

3.0

Traveling on a budget? Bet.

From our cheapest destinations to where you can score a deal – we’ve gathered the top destinations to consider for budget-friendly trips.

wallet-saving-destinations
dest_canada_toronto_cn_tower_gettyimages-1415097829_universal_within-usage-period_95545

3.1

Summer’s cheapest destinations: Stay close to home.

Looking to travel but not ready to splurge? Even travelers on a budget can score a sense of adventure this summer. We’ve found 20 destinations that have the honor of holding our cheapest average airfare for summer. That’s it. That’s the whole story. And good news for anyone who wants to just do beach: many of these cheap destinations are sunny coastal cities.

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Here’s what the numbers tell us.

If you really want to book on a budget, our data is telling you to stay close to home. North America dominates our “cheapest destinations for summer” list – which makes sense. You just need to pick your flavor: are you looking for a sunny escape like Tampa, a family-friendly trip to Minneapolis, amazing food in Mexico City, a city break in Toronto, or practicing your high-school French in Montreal?

 

Fill up your summer trips with affordable options that give you a range of experiences.

See methodology

3.2

Top deal destinations:

Know a good deal when you see one.

 

Not to be confused with “cheap” these cities are seeing the biggest drop in airfare compared to last year. That means, if you’ve waited until now to book these flights – you’re getting a deal.

Young family with little children enjoying time at sea, having fun together.
Tourists stroll across an archaeological site with ruins of Mayan pyramids.
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Here’s what the numbers tell us.

While dropping over $600 on a flight might not be considered “cheap” – if you think about the fact that the average price for that same destination was over $700 last year, you’re saving a ton. That’s saving you like… the equivalent of a nightly rate for a hotel. A meal at a 5-star restaurant.

 

One really blurry night at a beachside bar with 4 of your newest friends. However you want to do the math, there is some satisfaction in knowing you’re getting the “sale price” on these destinations.

See methodology

3.3

Wallet-friendly destinations:
Score on these flight+hotel combos.

Good for your budget = good for you. We looked at the total package for these destinations: flight + hotel costs. And came up with 10 cities that’ll be kind to your budget and give you a great adventure. No news here: if you stick closer to home, you’re likely to get a good deal.

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Here’s what the numbers tell us.

Destinations throughout the US are heavily represented on our wallet-friendly list. We looked at the cost of round-trip airfare plus a one-night hotel stay to come up with destinations that’ll get you there and back for under $700.

 

And while Minneapolis took the top spot, sun-seekers can find plenty of beachy destinations on the list. So no matter what you’re looking for, it is possible to travel on a budget.

See methodology

4.0

Looking at holiday weekends.

With the summer season comes summer holidays. And every year you hear how traffic-heavy these weekends will be. Not to fear, we’ve crunched the numbers on when you should head out on your long weekend adventure to maximize your budget and time away from work.

holiday-weekend-insights

4.1

Average flight and hotel prices for long weekends.

We took a look at our prices for domestic destinations to give you a sense of what you can expect to pay when planning your trips.

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Here’s what the numbers tell us.

Memorial Day: If you’re headed out for Memorial Day weekend, take your PTO early. For trips within the US, we found that our cheapest day to fly and to check-in to your hotel is currently Wednesday (May 22). You can expect to spend on average $384 on your flight and $288/night on your hotel.

4th of July: As far as when it’s cheapest to travel – your best bet is to leave on July 2nd. That’s when we’re seeing a dip for both flights and hotels that lets you get ahead of the holiday.

 

Labor Day: Labor Day: For Labor Day, our reccommendation is to fly and check in on Wednesday, August 28. This is when we’re seeing the cheapest tickets and nightly rate, with an average of $418 for your flight and $299/night for your hotel.

See methodology

Let’s compare prices to last year.

Memorial Day

Sat, May 25 – Mon, May 27

4th of July

Thurs, July 4

Labor Day

Sat, August 31 – Mon, September 2

-16%

decrease in the average airfare vs. 2023

-17%

decrease in the average airfare vs. 2023

-17%

decrease in the average airfare vs. 2023

-5%

decrease in the average nightly rate vs. 2023

-7%

decrease in the average nightly rate vs. 2023

-5%

decrease in the average nightly rate vs. 2023

Let’s compare prices to last year.

Memorial Day

Sat, May 25 – Mon, May 27

-16%

decrease in the average airfare vs. 2023

-5%

decrease in the average nightly rate vs. 2023

4th of July

Thurs, July 4

-17%

decrease in the average airfare vs. 2023

-7%

decrease in the average nightly rate vs. 2023

Labor Day

Sat, August 31 – Mon, September 2

-17%

decrease in the average airfare vs. 2023

-5%

decrease in the average nightly rate vs. 2023

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Here’s what the numbers tell us.

Memorial Day: Your holiday weekends are really setting you up for success this year. All 3 major travel holidays are seeing year-over-year decreases in the average hotel and flight prices. For Memorial Day, flights are 16% cheaper and hotels are 5% cheaper than they were in 2023.

4th of July: Good news. You’ll likely spend less on your July 4th trip this year than you did last year. We saw a 17% decrease in the average flight price and a 7% decrease in the average nightly rate.

 

Labor Day: Another weekend, another excuse to extend your PTO. Flights and hotels are generally cheaper over the holiday weekend this year than they were in 2023.

See methodology

4.2

Here’s how you make it an affordable holiday.

Need some inspiration on where to go for the holiday weekends this summer? Say no more. We’ve rounded up the destinations that’ll bring on the celebrations, but also won’t break the bank.

5.0

Fill out your summer: what’s happening with hotels and rental cars.

Your trip just isn’t complete without securing a place to stay and a ride to get around. We took a look at what’s happening with rental cars and hotels this summer – and have some tips on how to save a buck.

rental-car-stay-insights

5.1

Rental cars: what you need to know.

Here are the domestic and international cities where we’re finding it’s cheapest to rent a car this summer.

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Here’s what the numbers tell us.

Well, well, well. The rental car market has finally caught up with itself. After the height of the pandemic years (remember when we stopped flying in planes?), we saw a boom for the rental car market with prices and demand skyrocketing. Then, when air travel came back online, prices began to dip.

 

Now, we’re seeing some of the typical seasonal swings. Domestic rental car rates this summer have actually increased 10% since last year (but last year, we had a 14% drop in prices – so things may just be leveling off). Consider your per diem costs when planning your road trip.

See methodology

Couple lover tourist travel at Bukchon Hanok village to relaxation hold hands and walk together in romantic scene Seoul. South korea. Physical Affection Southeast Asia concept.

5.2

Hotels: what you need to know.

Here are the domestic and international cities where we’re finding it’s cheapest to get a hotel or vacation rental this summer.

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Here’s what the numbers tell us.

We’re happy to report that domestic hotel rates are actually seeing a decrease this summer, compared to a few years of seasonal increases. In fact, you’re likely to pay about 7% less this year if you’re staying in the US vs. last.

On the flipside, the cost of internation hotels has risen compared to 2023.

 

Overall, we see the average nightly rate has increased 2% for international stays. So looks like you have a decision to make: do you plan a staycation and use the money you saved on room service, or spread your wings and head abroad but maybe skip them minibar.

See methodology

6.0

Stop wondering if you got a good price.

We love travel – which is why we built the tools that’ll maximize your budget, help you find the perfect destination and tell you exactly when to take those trips.

kayak-pricecheck

KAYAK PriceCheck

Found a flight on another travel site? Rude. Check to be sure you got a great deal – just upload your itinerary to KAYAK and we’ll search 100s of sites for a better price.

A woman hiking on a sunny day with a baby on her back and a little boy holding her hand.

Ask KAYAK

Travel planning, meet AI. Not just a generic Q&A bot, Ask KAYAK uses actual travel insights plus price information to answer your questions on where to go next.

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Best Time to Travel

Get your timing right. Our tool tells you when to go on your trip, based on when we think you’ll get a good price.

The summer games in Paris.

Considering a trip to the city of love to see your country’s athletes compete? We’ve got what you need to know before you book.

Curious about our numbers? Here’s the proof.

The Travel Check-In: Summer 2024 report is based on an analysis of searches made on KAYAK.com between 2023-11-01 and 2024-03-15 for travel dates between 2024-05-24 and 2024-09-03. Year-over-year data is based on the comparison of searches made between 2022-11-01 and 2023-03-15 for the travel period between 2023-05-26 and 2023-09-05.

All flight prices mentioned are weighted average prices for return flights in economy class for this summer, and departing from anywhere in the US unless stated otherwise. Hotel prices presented are weighted average nightly rates, and car rental prices indicate weighted average daily rates.

From destination lists, destination exclusions may have been applied in cases of insufficient data or according to the official travel advisory at the time when the data analysis was conducted.

In “What to expect” we’ve included the average flight prices and year-over-year price and search comparisons calculated for flights departing from anywhere in the US to destinations aggregated over the following regions presented on the map: United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Asia, South Pacific, South America, Central America, Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Overall year-over-year search and price comparisons are also estimated for domestic and international travel, respectively.

Data from the following countries are excluded: Central African Republic, Belarus, Iran, Yemen, North Korea, South Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Palestinian Territories, Afghanistan, Israel, Crimea, Myanmar, Libya, Iraq, Russia, Venezuela, Ukraine, Cuba, Haiti, Mali, Lebanon, Sudan, and Burkina Faso.

To present price developments over the summer weeks (week defined as Monday to Sunday), the average flight prices per week of summer from anywhere in the US to destinations within the US and to destinations outside of US are each calculated.

‘Most popular destinations’ are defined as destinations with the highest search volume. ‘Trending destinations’ are defined as destinations with the biggest year-over-year increase in search volume. Average flight prices and year-over-year percentage price increases are provided as additional information.

The ‘Wallet Saving Destinations Insights’ section is based on an analysis of the most-searched destinations identified from the flight search data.

‘Wallet friendly’ destinations are ranked based on a combined average price of return flight and average cost of hotel stay at the destination.

‘Cheapest’ destinations are defined as destinations with the lowest average flight prices.

‘Deal’ destinations are defined as destinations with the biggest year-over-year decreases in flight prices. Average flight prices of this summer are provided as extra information.

In the ‘Holiday Weekend Insights’ section, we delivered our cheapest day to fly/ check-in, year-over-year changes in flight and hotel price, and our cheapest destinations to travel during US holidays in summer. The 3 US holidays included Memorial Day Week (MDW), 4th of July and Labor day. The travel dates are defined as follows:

MDW: the period is between the 18th of May and the 27th of May, 2024 compared with the period of the 20th of May until the 29th of May in 2023.

4th of July: the period is between the 29th of June and 7th of July, 2024 compared with the period of the 30th of June until the 9th of July in 2023.

Labor Day: the period is between the 24th of August and the 6th of September, 2024 compared with the period of the 26th of August until the 8th of September in 2023.

The ‘Rental car and stay insights’ section is based on an analysis of the most-searched car rental and hotel destinations, respectively. The top destinations are ranked based on the average prices and separated into domestic and international categories. Overall domestic and international year-over-year price comparisons are calculated for car rentals and stays, respectively.