The least and most affordable holiday vacation locations
As the song goes, there’s no place like home for the holidays. But if you prefer to get away, there are plenty of cheap holiday trips you can take.
To help you pinpoint where to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas without breaking your budget, GOBankingRates looked at six factors in popular destinations: the cost of hotels, holiday flights, food, drinks, transportation and entertainment.
Least affordable
If you’re looking for cheap Christmas vacations or Thanksgiving getaways, cross these cities off your list of prospective destinations.
HONOLULU >> Honolulu is one of the most expensive tourist destinations in the U.S. Winter is the peak tourist season, making it one of the least affordable places to visit during the holidays. During Christmas, the average nightly hotel rate is $241.
Flights aren’t cheap, either, but you’ll actually find lower fares during Christmas than Thanksgiving.
KIHEI, HAWAII >> This city on the southwest shore of the island of Maui offers great beaches and surfing. It’s not a cheap place to visit for the holidays, however.
Lodging is especially expensive during Christmas, when the average nightly hotel rate jumps to $362 from $190 during Thanksgiving.
You’ll also have to shell out more for food here than in most other cities on our list. The average daily cost of meals is $44.
SYDNEY >> Christmas might seem like an ideal time to visit Sydney because it’s actually summer in this Australiancity south of the equator. But December is peak tourist season here, which means prices are higher and crowds are bigger.
The cost of traveling to Sydney is what puts the city among the most expensive holiday destinations on our list. The average fare for a flight from Los Angeles during Christmas is $1,609.
PARK CITY, UTAH >> Winter is peak season in this haven for skiers, who relish the city’s annual snowfall of 300 to 400 inches. But if you are looking for an affordable Christmas vacation, Park City isn’t it.
Flights to nearby Salt Lake City are actually cheaper than flights to most other places in our rankings. However, lodging costs can put a big dent in your travel budget if you plan to visit Park City during Christmas. The average nightly hotel rate jumps from $116 around Thanksgiving to $534 around Christmas. CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA >> Winter is actually summer in South Africa, which makes it the peak season for tourists. As a result, it can be expensive to visit Cape Town during the holidays.
Flights are the biggest cost of visiting this cosmopolitan city on Africa’s Atlantic coast. It costs $1,341 to fly from Los Angeles to Cape Town during Thanksgiving. During Christmas, the price jumps to $1,952.
Food and alcohol also are expensive. The average daily cost of meals is $48, and the average daily cost of drinks is $24.
Most affordable
You don’t have to spend an exorbitant amount on a Thanksgiving or Christmas vacation. If you visit these affordable destinations, you can save money.
WASHINGTON, D.C. >> A trip to the nation’s capital can be an affordable Christmas vacation. Plus, you can avoid the crowds that are there at other times of the year. The average nightly hotel rate drops to $85 during Christmas from $97 during Thanksgiving. Christmas flights also are cheaper than Thanksgiving flights.
While there, you can visit holiday markets and see the National Christmas Tree near the White House, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree and the National Menorah.
SEATTLE >> A trip to Seattle during the cold, rainy winter might not seem ideal. But if you’re looking for cheap holiday vacations, you should consider Washington’s largest city.
Holiday flights to Seattle are cheaper than to most other cities in our rankings. Although lodging costs aren’t exorbitant, they aren’t super cheap. The average nightly hotel rate during Thanksgiving is $142, and the average rate during Christmas is $140.
CHICAGO >> Chicago offers an affordable holiday getaway, but be prepared to bundle up in the Windy City if you go during the cold months of November or December.
You’ll be rewarded for braving chilly temperatures with low average nightly hotel rates of $87 during Thanksgiving and $85 during Christmas. And holiday flights to Chicago are among the cheapest in our rankings.
SAN FRANCISCO >> San Francisco might not seem like it would be near the top of a list of cheap Christmas trips because it has a reputation for being expensive. However, it can be more of a bargain in winter.
You can find cheap Christmas flights to San Francisco from Los Angeles—just$ 96. And the average nightly rate for a hotel during both Thanksgiving and Christmas is $121.