TripAdvisor¨, the travel planning and booking site, has revealed its 2018 Summer Vacation Value Report, highlighting the top 10 domestic destinations for U.S. travellers this summer based on the greatest increase in seasonal hotel booking interest, including the average one-week vacation costs for hotels and airfare. The report helps travellers discover savings at popular summer travel destinations by identifying the least expensive summer week to visit with great value hotels, popular restaurants and must-do experiences.Ê
While the report highlights the most popular summer destinations, a recent TripAdvisor survey also found that summer travel is on the rise. TripAdvisor surveyed more than 3,300 U.S. travellers, revealing that 87 percent are planning a summer vacation, up six percent from last year. Of those respondents, 91 percent will travel domestically and the Northeast (27 percent) projects to be the most popular U.S. region for a summer trip. Almost half of Americans will plan a beach/ocean getaway (47 percent), while 38 percent are planning city trips.
“TripAdvisor crunched the numbers and found that travellers can save big on their summer vacation, even in the most popular summer spots, by knowing where to book and when to go,” saidÊBrooke Ferencsik, senior director of communications for TripAdvisor. “It’s not too late to find outstanding summer travel deals and the report shows that the week of Memorial Day offers some of the lowest prices, up to 33 percent less than peak summer rates. At home or on vacation, TripAdvisor’s mobile app can help travellers find great recommendations for the best places to stay, eat and play, without breaking the bank.”
The 10 hottest U.S. destinations for summer 2018:
(Ranked by greatest increase in booking interest from spring to summer)
1.ÊMackinac Island, Michigan
This charming island is a throwback to old-timey seaside leisure with the candy-coloured facades of downtown shops.ÊMackinacÊis world-famous for its homemade fudge and travellers can work off sugar highs by exploring the limestone bluffs ofÊMackinac Island State Park.
- Avg. Summer Nightly Hotel Rate:Ê$347
- Avg. Summer Domestic Round-trip Airfare:Ê$476Ê(to Cherry Capital Airport/TVC)
- Avg. Summer Week Expense Per Person:Ê$2,905
- Least Expensive Summer Week and Savings:ÊJune 4Ê(8% savings)
- Best Value Hotel:ÊThe Inn at StonecliffeÊfromÊ$297Êper night on TripAdvisor
- Fun Experience:ÊMackinaw City Sunset CruiseÊfromÊ$24Êper person on TripAdvisor
- Great Place to Eat with Family and Friends:ÊPink Pony
2.ÊBar Harbor, Maine
Mansions and majestic hotels serve as reminders ofÊBar Harbor’sÊpast as a 19th-century hotspot for high society. Today, travellers enjoy active vacations kayaking, bird- and whale-watching and enjoying the salty sea air and sandy beaches.
- Avg. Summer Nightly Hotel Rate:Ê$264
- Avg. Summer Domestic Round-trip Airfare:Ê$473Ê(toÊBangorÊInternational Airport/BGR)
- Avg. Summer Week Expense Per Person:Ê$2,321
- Least Expensive Summer Week and Savings:ÊMay 28Ê(26% savings)
- Best Value Hotel:ÊBar Harbor Grand HotelÊfromÊ$182Êper night on TripAdvisor
- Fun Experience: ExploreÊAcadia National Park
- Great Place to Eat with Family and Friends:ÊRose Eden Lobster
3.ÊBlock Island, Rhode Island
Just 12-miles south of mainlandÊRhode Island, travellers can take a ferry to bask in the slowed-down world of a pristine seashore, wild dunes, and antique lighthouses. Summer “on the block” is pure old-school New England charm.
- Avg. Summer Nightly Hotel Rate:Ê$355
- Avg. Summer Domestic Round-trip Airfare:Ê$372Ê(to T. F. Green Airport/PVD)
- Avg. Summer Week Expense Per Person:Ê$2,857
- Least Expensive Summer Week and Savings:ÊJune 11Ê(19% savings)
- Best Value Hotel:ÊRose Farm InnÊfromÊ$256Êper night on TripAdvisor
- Fun Experience: ExploreÊSoutheast Lighthouse
- Great Place to Eat with Family and Friends:ÊKimberly’s
4.ÊLake George, New York
This 32-mile-long “Queen of American Lakes” is a family-friendly destination with myriad outdoor and recreational activities. Among the cleanest and clearest of major U.S. lakes,ÊLake GeorgeÊis as splendid today as whenÊThomas JeffersonÊdescribed it as “the most beautiful water I ever saw.”
- Avg. Summer Nightly Hotel Rate:Ê$225
- Avg. Summer Domestic Round-trip Airfare:Ê$383Ê(toÊAlbanyÊInternational Airport/ALB)
- Avg. Summer Week Expense Per Person:Ê$1,958
- Least Expensive Summer Week and Savings:ÊJune 11Ê(30% savings)
- Best Value Hotel:ÊTea Island ResortÊfromÊ$115Êper night on TripAdvisor
- Fun Experience:ÊLac du Saint Sacrement Islands CruiseÊfromÊ$26Êper person on TripAdvisor
- Great Place to Eat with Family and Friends:ÊCaldwell House Restaurant
5.ÊWest Yellowstone, Montana
Since the early 1900s,ÊWest YellowstoneÊhas provided a tourist-friendly gateway to the geysers ofÊYellowstone National ParkÊand its resident bison, bears and elk. This Rocky Mountain enclave in southwesternÊMontanaÊis an outdoor enthusiast’s dream with summer parades and rodeos.
- Avg. Summer Nightly Hotel Rate:Ê$331
- Avg. Summer Domestic Round-trip Airfare:Ê$419Ê(to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport/BZN)
- Avg. Summer Week Expense Per Person:Ê$2,736
- Least Expensive Summer Week and Savings:ÊAugust 27Ê(9% savings)
- Best Value Hotel:ÊYellowstone Park HotelÊfromÊ$275Êper night on TripAdvisor
- Fun Experience:Ê2 Hour Rafting on the Yellowstone RiverÊfromÊ$47Êper person on TripAdvisor
- Great Place to Eat with Family and Friends:ÊCafe Madriz
6.ÊOcean City, Maryland
The beach and three-mile Boardwalk is the main attraction atÊMaryland’sÊiconic beach destination. The seafront is full of salt-water taffy, special concerts, beach bonfires and kids’ activities. Once a tiny fishing village, it’s now known as the White Marlin Capital of the World.
- Avg. Summer Nightly Hotel Rate:Ê$281
- Avg. Summer Domestic Round-trip Airfare:Ê$302Ê(to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport/DCA)
- Avg. Summer Week Expense Per Person:Ê$2,269
- Least Expensive Summer Week and Savings:ÊMay 28Ê(24% savings)
- Best Value Hotel:ÊDunes Manor Hotel & SuitesÊfromÊ$158Êper night on TripAdvisor
- Fun Experience: ExploreÊOcean City Boardwalk
- Great Place to Eat with Family and Friends:ÊCafe Mirage
7.ÊMartha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
This tiny island south ofÊCape CodÊremains one of the most popular and picturesque destinations in New England. Travellers love stately Greek revival houses, seaside villages, “beach town” feel and true retreats. No need to bring a car Ð visitors can explore the island on a bicycle, scooter or public bus.
- Avg. Summer Nightly Hotel Rate:Ê$473
- Avg. Summer Domestic Round-trip Airfare:Ê$224Ê(to Logan International Airport/BOS)
- Avg. Summer Week Expense Per Person:Ê$3,535
- Least Expensive Summer Week and Savings:ÊMay 28Ê(33% savings)
- Best Value Hotel:ÊMansion HouseÊfromÊ$242Êper night on TripAdvisor
- Fun Experience:ÊMartha’s Vineyard Small Group Island Tour fromÊOak BluffsÊfromÊ$45Êper person on TripAdvisor
- Great Place to Eat with Family and Friends:ÊThe Red Cat Kitchen at Ken N’ Beck
8.ÊAnchorage, Alaska
Set amid the coastal Chugach Mountains,ÊAnchorageÊaverages 65 degrees in summer, making conditions ideal for sightseeing or taking on uniquely Alaskan opportunities like arctic biking or touring the fjords of Prince William Sound.
- Avg. Summer Nightly Hotel Rate:Ê$331
- Avg. Summer Domestic Round-trip Airfare:Ê$600Ê(to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport/ANC)
- Avg. Summer Week Expense Per Person:Ê$2,917
- Least Expensive Summer Week and Savings:ÊAugust 27Ê(9% savings)
- Best Value Hotel:ÊHotel AlyeskaÊfromÊ$214Êper night on TripAdvisor
- Fun Experience:ÊAnchorage Trolley TourÊfromÊ$20Êper person on TripAdvisor
- Great Place to Eat with Family and Friends:ÊJack Sprat Restaurant
9.ÊJackson Hole, Wyoming
Summer inÊJackson HoleÊis made for energetic travellers. There’s plenty of opportunity for whitewater rafting, golfing, horseback riding, kayaking, hang gliding, hot air ballooning, and stagecoach rides. For climbers, hikers and nature lovers, the nearbyÊGrand Teton National ParkÊis an absolute nirvana.
- Avg. Summer Nightly Hotel Rate:Ê$481
- Avg. Summer Domestic Round-trip Airfare:Ê$533Ê(to Jackson Hole Airport/JAC)
- Avg. Summer Week Expense Per Person:Ê$3,900
- Least Expensive Summer Week and Savings:ÊMay 28Ê(20% savings)
- Best Value Hotel:ÊHotel JacksonÊfromÊ$381Êper night on TripAdvisor
- Fun Experience:ÊGrand Teton Wildlife Safari in Open-Air VehicleÊfromÊ$109Êper person on TripAdvisor
- Great Place to Eat with Family and Friends:ÊBin 22
10.ÊNantucket, Massachusetts
Windswept beaches, sand dunes, blinking lighthouses and a charming pace of life await on this 50-square mile island. The world’s former top whaling port is now designated a National Historic District. Seaside cottages, old whaling captains’ mansions and historic harbours contain quaint inns, boutique stores, chowder shacks and upscale dining delights.
- Avg. Summer Nightly Hotel Rate:Ê$664
- Avg. Summer Domestic Round-trip Airfare:Ê$224Ê(to Logan International Airport/BOS)
- Avg. Summer Week Expense Per Person:Ê$4,872
- Least Expensive Summer Week and Savings:ÊMay 28Ê(31% savings)
- Best Value Hotel:Ê21 Broad HotelÊfromÊ$319Êper night on TripAdvisor
- Fun Experience:ÊWhaling Museum
- Great Place to Eat with Family and Friends:ÊThe Nautilus
For travellers planning to book a trip to these popular destinations, or any others this summer, there are still deals to be had. TripAdvisor recently issued itsÊbest time to book hotels for this summer reportÊrevealing that it’s typically within a month of a summer trip when travellers can save up to 40 percent compared to peak rates. For domestic U.S. flights, TripAdvisor Flights data similarly shows that booking three to four weeks out from a summer trip is when travellers can often find the lowest prices and can save up to 58% compared to peak summer airfare.
