This summer is shaping up to be another heatwave, and demand for summer travel is also very high. If Early 2024 trends are an indication of what's to come: “It's looking busier than 2023,” said Katy Nastro, a spokeswoman for flight booking site Going. Recent passenger numbers at airports have steadily exceeded last year's and pre-pandemic levels.
Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com, said airline capacity has rebounded from pandemic complications, but strong travel demand means summer flight prices can be high, depending on when you hope to go. Flying in June, July or early August will be more expensive than later in the season, according to the company's summer forecast.
“And it’s not just about the plane ticket,” Klee said in an email. “High hotel prices and crowds everywhere make Western Europe difficult for summer.”
Despite the price, “people are going to go,” said Melanie Fish, global public relations manager for all Expedia brands, including Vrbo, Expedia and Hotels.com.
For popular destinations like Europe, Klee and Fish said to push trips later, into August, September or even October. Not only will prices come down, but you will also alleviate some of the burden of overtourism.
“My No. 1 advice is to go ahead and take that summer vacation, but maybe wait to take that big, big trip in September,” Fish said.
According to Expedia's summer 2024 travel outlook, we're currently in the sweet spot to buy early summer flights at the best rates, as Fish said the lowest fares tend to appear between 21 and 60 days. It doesn't hurt to start your search even earlier, by setting up price alerts to let you know when airfares drop. If you can do it, consider flying on a Monday for international travel or a Tuesday for domestic travel to save up to 15% on fares, Fish added.
Here are the places that tend to be cheaper and the destinations you'll want to avoid.
Go to Mexico
The hidden beach of the Marietas Islands, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Credit: Getty Images/ferrantraite
Sun, surf, culture, chilaquiles: Mexico is always a good idea, but especially this summer. With the opening of the new Tulum airport, U.S. airlines have added many new flights to Mexico, particularly to the beach regions.
Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner's global travel trends expert, said three Mexican cities – Cancun, San José del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta – are among the top 10 destinations offering travelers the best value for money in 2024.
To escape the summer heat, Phyllis Stoller, president of the Women's Travel Group, recommended high-altitude destinations like Mexico City or Ixtapan de la Sal.
Avoid European port cities
If you're planning to visit a popular European city that's also a cruise hub, be wary. Not only will you face the usual summer crowds, but you will be joined by thousands of day-trippers who flock to the ports i.e. Barcelona, Venice, Athens and Santorini.
Sandra Weinacht, co-owner of travel agency Inside Europe Travel Experiences, said you can avoid some of the craziness of these hot spots by staying in neighborhoods away from typical tourist areas.
Go to Colorado
Colorado National Monument in western Colorado near Grand Junction. Credit: Getty Images/grandriver
Epic hikes, breathtaking nature, and more craft beer than you'll ever taste in a lifetime: the Centennial State is a national gem. Ashlee Collins of Inspirato, a luxury travel and lifestyle subscription service, said Vail was popular among members this summer. Not only is the ski resort beautiful without snow, but it is also passable for many, significantly reducing costs for travelers.
Airfares to Colorado appear more reasonable than those to other domestic vacation centers. She said an average round trip from major U.S. cities is between $173 and $250, but those prices are expected to rise to $350 as summer gets closer.
Avoid places at risk of forest fires
Forest fires have become an unfortunate phenomenon of summers in the Northern Hemisphere. Last year's fires in Europe, notably in Cyprus and Greece, were among the worst this century, the European Commission reported.
Stoller says fire risk was a factor in planning his summer trip; she canceled a cruise to New England after remembering how bad the smoke from Canada's wildfires was last year.
Extreme heat is also a problem. Last July, Southern Europe experienced excessively high temperatures due to a “heat dome”.
Go to the Caribbean
The Caribbean experiences its peak tourist season in winter, when Americans flock to warmer waters. This means that summer travel to the region tends to be quieter and less expensive.
People walk on the Paseo de La Princesa promenade in downtown San Juan, Puerto Rico. Credit: Getty Images/benedek
“You can pay less than $300 for almost any island: Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Aruba, Dominican Republic,” said Lindsay Schwimer, consumer travel expert at Hopper. She saw similarly priced flights to Colombia.
Skyscanner's Lindsay also said that Puerto Rico and the Bahamas offer some of the most affordable flights.
Avoid Paris
Unless you're competing in the Olympics, avoid the French capital this summer.
“Paris is always a top destination in the summer, but this summer… it will be on another level,” said Madison Pietrowski, head of U.S. brands at GetYourGuide.
Not only are hotel prices high, but “we are seeing that some of the major attractions like the Louvre have increased their ticket prices,” Pietrowski said.
Nastro said crowds would be “banana” during the Games, and not just in Paris. Olympic travelers will likely add other French destinations to their trip, such as Nice.
Even if you try to get ahead of the rush by visiting before the July 26 start date, you might still have a few Olympics-related headaches in the French capital.
Go to rural Europe
Village of Arrazola in the Basque Country located in Spain. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto/Mimadeo
Interest in Western Europe hasn't slowed, and Americans are expected to return in droves this summer. If you want to avoid them, put rural European destinations on your radar.
Weinacht is optimistic about Spain's Rioja region, the Basque countryside and the central Italian region of Umbria, which borders Tuscany but does not see the same levels of tourism. She is also a fan of Carinthia, the least populated state in Austria.
Weinacht says she's getting more and more requests from Americans for trips to her native Germany.
Avoid Sicily and Amalfi
The Amalfi Coast is set to open a new airport in July that will provide a more direct route to Salerno and the Italian coast. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto/wjarek
If your dream Italian destination has been featured on TV lately, that's a red flag. The final season of “The White Lotus” sparked interest in the already popular Sicily; the same thing is happening on the Amalfi Coast thanks to the new Netflix miniseries “Ripley.”
“They will definitely be the most expensive and it will be very crowded during the summer,” Schwimer said.
