The Top 2023 Holiday Travel Destinations, According to Google
The most popular destinations, plus insights on the best time to book your holiday trip this year.
Somehow, in the blink of an eye, summer is over. Those dreams of trips to European beaches while the heat licks at our toes and the sun sets at 9 pm will have to be put on hold until next summer. But obviously, that doesn’t mean traveling is off the table. As the weather gets colder, it just means the focus for where everyone is heading is shifting.
According to just-released data from Google, these are the top destinations for travel between the peak holiday travel dates of December 20, 2023 and January 5, 2024, departing from US airports:
1. Cancun
2. Miami / Fort Lauderdale
3. London
4. New York
5. Tokyo
6. San Juan
7. Honolulu
8. Orlando
9. Paris
10. Los Angeles
With higher demand at these destinations, you’ll want to make sure to be strategic when booking flights—high demand can quickly lead to a dramatic increase in prices. Fortunately, Google shared tips on how and when to book flights for winter travel, in order to secure the best prices.
"For trips starting in mid-December, you’re most likely to find deals around early October. Average prices tend to be lowest 71 days before departure—a big change from our 2022 insights, which found that average prices were lowest just 22 days before departure. And the typical low price range is now 54-78 days before takeoff," Google Flights advised.
For flights to Europe, the tips are a bit different. In that case, average prices have been lowest 72 days or more before departure. "Average airfares from the US to Europe only tend to increase over time, especially once you're about 10 weeks from departure. So if you want to dust off that passport, you should book your flight as soon as possible," Google Flights shared with Thrillist.
Google Flights has recently updated features for even more ways to find the best prices when booking through the platform. Between these insights and these new tools, you should be able to find a deal.
Looking for more travel deals?
Here's our running list of all the cheap travel deals you can book right now, and you can head here for all the latest flight deals plus cheap things to do and savings on hotels, cruises, trains, and more to help you plan for your next trip.