- The fall period between Labor Day and before the holiday season offers some of the best deals of the year.
- This year, big cities top the list for fall travel, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orlando.
- There are still “domestic bargains” available on round-trip flights for less than $100 to cities like Charleston, South Carolina; Nashville, Tenn.; and San Diego, California.
Fall may already be here, but you still have time to book a fall getaway – probably at a good price.
THE shoulder season Following the summer travel rush can be the perfect time to take a trip without blowing your budget. “It's not too late to get a last-minute fall travel deal,” Hayley Berg, chief economist at Hopper, told USA TODAY in an email. “The fall period between Labor Day and before the holiday season offers some of the best deals of the year.”
If you need some inspiration, a few destinations – both in the US and abroad – are particularly popular this year. Here's where travelers are heading and what to know about booking.
What are the top travel destinations for fall?
“This year, big cities are at the top of the list for fall travel,” Berg said. “Las Vegas and Los Angeles are among the most booked domestic destinations, along with Orlando, Florida.” Hopper's latest data included flights departing in September and October.
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Among international destinations, Cancun and Mexico City were in high demand, as well as cities like London and Rome.
Expedia found similar results based on flight searches between September 3 and November 15, according to its report. Fall Travel Outlook released at the end of last month. Las Vegas, New York and Orlando ranked among the top three spots for U.S. trips, while Cancun, Paris and London were the most popular with travelers heading abroad.
How much does a fall trip cost?
There are still “domestic bargains” available on round-trip flights for less than $100 to cities like Charleston, South Carolina; Nashville, Tenn.; and San Diego, California, according to Berg.
“You can also score great international deals during the fall and avoid the summer crowds,” she said. “On Hopper, we're seeing deals as low as $400 round trip to places like Paris, Dublin, Barcelona and London.”
Some destinations have seen significant price drops compared to summer. Airfares to Seattle, Washington, and Oslo, Norway, for example, were 36% cheaper this fall, while Brussels, Belgium, and Berlin, Germany, were down 34% and 33 %, respectively.
Expedia found that the average Seattle ticket price was nearly 20% lower for the fall compared to the May 24-September 3 period. Honolulu was down 15% and Houston was down 10%. Internationally, Toronto, Canada was down more than 25%, followed by Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic at 25% and London at almost 15%.
Deals can also be found on other travel costs. Hopper found that hotel rates for the fall averaged $231 per night, with rooms costing as little as $126. Daily rates for rental cars averaged $34, down 20% from summer's $43.
How can I get a fall travel deal?
Setting recommended by Berg price alerts – which notifies travelers if the airfare decreases – now and when booking in the next two weeks.
Booking a midweek plane trip rather than a weekend can also reduce costs, she noted. Flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday could save more than 30% on airfares.
“If you can be flexible, leave and return mid-week to save over $150 on your round-trip ticket,” Berg added.
Expedia also recommended Monday departures for domestic flights, based on its demand for flights between September and November 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. However, for international flights, Saturday was passengers' best choice.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
