The holidays are setting in, which is pretty much the only acceptable reason for summer coming to an end.
Hopefully, the holiday season means some travel up ahead, whether for big turkey dinners, setting cookies out for Santa Claus or ringing in the New Year. Maybe you’re turning the Thanksgiving holiday into a non-family vacay where you get two bonus days of PTO, which means you can either stay longer or save days for future trips. Either way, win.
If you need ideas on where to go or when to book, Kayak just released its 2018 Ultimate Holiday Travel Guide, breaking down everything for you.
Here are the highlights.
*One word of warning before I send you on your merry way: a lot of mistakes can be made during holiday travel, especially the kind that involves large amounts of family. See more for what they are and how to avoid them here.
Top 10 cheapest North American flights
If you’re planning to stay on the continent, Toronto’s going to give you the best bang for your buck, with flights coming in 33 percent cheaper than average North American flights. Bonus? The Toronto Christmas Market is ranked among the world’s best, according to Kayak, which says a lot if you’ve ever been to one of Europe’s magical Christmas Markets.
From there, Boston, Orlando, Las Vegas, New York, Atlanta, Charleston, Vancouver, Chicago and Nashville should give you some pretty varied options for getting out of town at a good price this holiday.
Top 10 trending New Year’s Eve destinations
There’s something to be said about being away for New Year’s Eve. It means you don’t have to spend weeks figuring out what all your friend’s are doing that night, only to realize no one’s doing anything all that exciting so you pick the best option from the lot and still somehow end up disappointed. It also beats staying home in your pajamas waiting for the ball to drop.
This year, Kayak says The Bahamas is the No. 1 trending New Year’s Eve destination. Searches for travel to the island paradise are up 111 percent and it could have something to do with the opening of the new SLS Baha Mar resort, according to Kayak. Whether you’re into sprawling resorts or not, it’s hard to beat bringing in a New Year beachside in The Bahamas.
If you’re looking for something else, Florence, Palm Springs, Cartagena, Jamaica, the U.S. Virgin Islands, New Orleans, Aruba, Zurich and Paris rounded out Kayak’s 10 trending New Year’s Eve locales. Looks like people are into the tropics or cooly exotic for bringing in 2019.
When to book
Based on its booking data, Kayak says the below are the least expensive times to fly for Thanksgiving travel.
For December holiday travel, here are the times you’re most likely to save.
