Posted by: Richie Bernardo

School’s out, the mercury’s rising, and some folks have yet to spend their tax refunds. In short, it’s time to plan the perfect summer getaway. The only question is: Where should you go? You might have a few destinations already in mind, but your travel budget might not agree. Regardless, you want to have fun while keeping your spending in check.

So which places offer the most bang for the buck? To find out, WalletHub’s data team compared 80 of the most popular U.S. vacation spots across 38 key indicators of a wallet-friendly and Instagram-worthy summer vacation. Our data set ranges from cost of the cheapest flight to number of attractions to weather. Read on for the full ranking, money-saving travel advice and our methodology. As you plan your trip, make sure to check out WalletHub’s Best Travel Credit Cards and Currency Exchange reports.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts: Tips for Saving on Summer Travel
3. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/3792/geochart-summertravel.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2rpUl8s;  

Best Places to Visit in Summer

Overall Rank	Destination (Metro Area)	Total Score	‘Travel Costs & Hassles’ Rank	‘Local Costs’ Rank	‘Attractions’ Rank	‘Weather Conditions’ Rank	‘Activities’ Rank	‘Safety’ Rank
1	Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV	73.97	27	28	1	12	9	71
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	73.58	36	56	2	9	8	34
3	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	72.28	19	10	7	23	3	59
4	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	71.00	6	53	5	45	4	21
5	San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	68.69	24	68	6	32	1	14
6	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	68.07	4	40	20	15	6	50
7	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	66.58	7	16	17	26	18	65
8	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	65.66	14	21	24	19	31	26
9	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA	65.33	51	50	41	3	29	43
10	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	65.24	35	71	4	59	2	6
11	Salt Lake City, UT	64.89	25	45	44	6	22	72
12	Austin-Round Rock, TX	64.83	26	31	16	38	17	25
13	Oklahoma City, OK	64.54	5	1	53	10	75	52
14	Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	63.90	10	17	28	22	39	45
15	Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	63.74	9	36	36	27	15	23
16	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	63.44	37	30	26	36	5	39
17	St. Louis, MO-IL	63.09	20	32	25	25	23	46
18	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	62.35	30	69	11	40	10	24
19	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	61.58	21	26	31	18	52	44
20	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	61.45	2	18	54	29	51	27
21	Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC	61.09	48	23	56	13	34	74
22	Tulsa, OK	60.81	54	13	55	7	62	58
23	Columbus, OH	60.77	13	9	39	34	55	28
24	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	60.26	23	67	12	46	16	30
25	Stockton-Lodi, CA	59.99	51	46	77	2	57	76
26	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	59.77	18	72	14	47	14	11
27	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	59.62	28	80	3	31	7	66
28	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	59.48	29	51	15	55	12	62
29	Kansas City, MO-KS	59.42	11	27	51	21	59	56
30	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO	59.42	3	59	18	52	19	36
31	Charleston-North Charleston, SC	59.42	61	62	21	17	33	47
32	New Orleans-Metairie, LA	59.23	44	39	9	58	25	55
33	Albuquerque, NM	59.16	47	2	29	16	45	78
34	Tucson, AZ	59.01	58	11	22	35	24	75
35	Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN	58.63	12	25	33	24	64	64
36	Pittsburgh, PA	57.78	22	35	38	63	21	3
37	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	57.63	68	63	74	5	61	42
38	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	57.60	8	3	19	73	28	69
39	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	57.32	33	76	50	8	49	20
40	El Paso, TX	56.92	62	7	64	33	66	10
41	Knoxville, TN	56.82	55	6	47	50	43	49
42	McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	56.57	74	4	78	14	77	38
43	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	56.46	31	55	23	39	42	54
44	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	56.41	1	52	30	70	20	22
45	Columbia, SC	56.23	75	29	58	11	54	73
46	Fresno, CA	56.14	72	41	67	4	73	67
47	Birmingham-Hoover, AL	56.10	59	15	61	20	68	70
48	Bakersfield, CA	55.77	77	43	72	1	72	68
49	Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC	55.42	49	49	43	41	32	31
50	Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA	55.03	32	12	52	68	38	32
51	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	54.89	42	74	8	62	11	60
52	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	54.48	73	24	71	42	46	2
53	Richmond, VA	54.26	64	5	46	72	30	19
54	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	53.31	40	60	27	51	35	57
55	Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	52.95	50	22	35	60	50	51
56	Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI	52.72	17	58	34	57	37	61
57	Greensboro-High Point, NC	52.60	45	14	62	54	70	48
58	Akron, OH	52.18	53	37	76	48	79	17
59	Dayton, OH	51.66	34	20	69	74	53	37
60	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	51.59	60	8	60	44	74	77
61	Raleigh, NC	51.15	41	54	42	69	48	7
62	Memphis, TN-MS-AR	51.04	16	19	45	56	65	79
63	Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI	50.35	39	34	59	75	58	4
64	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	50.28	38	79	13	67	26	16
65	North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL	50.23	76	38	79	36	76	29
66	Jacksonville, FL	49.65	56	33	32	76	27	53
67	Baton Rouge, LA	49.63	67	48	63	43	44	63
68	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	49.14	69	57	66	53	60	18
69	Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY	48.27	46	42	49	78	40	35
70	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	48.06	65	66	73	48	80	12
71	Rochester, NY	48.02	63	44	48	78	41	15
72	Colorado Springs, CO	47.89	57	61	37	64	56	41
73	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	47.16	71	75	75	28	78	5
74	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	46.95	66	64	57	71	47	8
75	Honolulu, HI	46.55	80	78	10	30	13	40
76	Syracuse, NY	44.33	70	47	65	80	63	9
77	Worcester, MA-CT	44.09	43	70	70	77	71	13
78	Cleveland-Elyria, OH	43.51	15	65	40	66	36	80
79	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT	38.96	79	73	80	65	67	1
80	New Haven-Milford, CT	36.48	78	77	68	61	69	33

 

Ask the Experts: Tips for Saving on Summer Travel

You shouldn’t have to wipe out your savings just to enjoy a nice summer vacation. For budget-friendly advice and other useful travel insight, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are your predictions for the 2017 summer travel season in terms of, for instance, the percentage of Americans traveling, the most popular destinations and the busiest travel times?
2. Do you think the federal government should block airlines from overbooking flights?
3. What are the best travel strategies for families with young children on a budget?
4. What are the most costly travel mistakes?
5. What money-saving tips do you have for travelers staying in the U.S. and those traveling abroad?
6. In evaluating the best summer travel destinations, what are the top five indicators?

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• Chay Runnels 2016-2017 Jim Towns Mentoring Professor, Associate Professor of Human Sciences and Hospitality Administration Program Coordinator at Stephen F. Austin State University
• Alan Fairbairn Professor of Hospitality Management in the School of Management at New York Institute of Technology
• Roland T. Rust Distinguished University Professor and David Bruce Smith Chair in Marketing, Executive Director of the Center for Excellence in Service and Executive Director of the Center for Complexity in Business in the Robert H. Smith School of Business at University of Maryland

Chay Runnels 2016-2017 Jim Towns Mentoring Professor, Associate Professor of Human Sciences and Hospitality Administration Program Coordinator at Stephen F. Austin State University What are the best travel strategies for families with young children on a budget? Plan a driving vacation. Families travelling on a budget should look in their own backyard. There are most likely a lot of destinations within a day’s drive that families can enjoy together. While national parks are well known destinations, national forests and grasslands are also great (and inexpensive) places for families to recreate. Many national forests and grasslands have campgrounds, lakes, trails, and opportunities for families to bike and even take out their ATVs. If you live near a national park or national monument and are travelling with a fourth grader or senior citizen, you may be able to get in for free through the Every Kid in a Park or discounted through the Senior Pass. Senior passes are available for seniors 62 years old or older and are $10. The pass provides entrance or access to the pass owner and accompanying passengers, so load up the grandparents and get out there! Rent your home sweet home. Airbnb, Homeaway, and VRBO also offer great options for families travelling on a budget. By staying in a cabin, condo, apartment or home, families can save money by preparing their own meals vs. eating out, and also can spend evenings at “home” playing board games or watching DVDS (often included in the rental). Utilize convention and visitors bureaus and state travel offices for trip planning. Many destinations will assist in helping families plan their travel itineraries, and will offer advice for free or low-cost things to do. If you plan your trip around a summer festival or event, then you get built in activities for the kids. Live like a local. Visit local parks on your trip. Make sure you pack your picnic basket, frisbee and football for impromptu fun. Find out where the locals eat, often these places are less expensive than chain restaurants. Scope out local pools and splash pads. Usually you can buy a day pass that is less expensive than a ticket to a waterpark. Be prepared. Adopt the scout’s motto. Be prepared for hungry passengers by packing plenty of snacks (avoid chocolate or snacks that might melt in the car). By having snacks ready when hunger strikes, you can avoid having to spend money at a convenience store or drive through. Have a stash of small toys, books and games that you can give to your kids when they beg for souvenirs at every stop. Encourage them to start a postcard collection -- purchase a small photo album they can put their postcards in as they collect them during your trip. Alan Fairbairn Professor of Hospitality Management in the School of Management at New York Institute of Technology What are your predictions for the 2017 summer travel season (percent of Americans traveling; most popular destinations; busiest travel times)? By all indications, the U.S. travel industry should do well this summer with hotels and airlines enjoying high occupancies and full fights. International arrivals might be down but domestic travel for American should be up both due to regulations, safety concerns and visa requirements. Leisure travel, of course, is highest on weekends and in the month of August. Do you think the Federal government should block airlines from overbooking flights? The Federal government needs to get involved in multiple areas of intervention on airline policies. Since most airline reservations don’t give refunds to those who miss flights, there should be no overbooking on those flights which have no alternative flight within several hours. Otherwise airlines are getting paid twice for the same seat. Some reservations do allow changes to your itinerary without penalty which could produce empty seats on limited flights. It is a complex problem but needs to be regulated. No one should be removed from a flight once they are seated to accommodate another passenger or employee. The Federal government needs to get involved immediately on airline seating. Continual overcrowding and reducing the space between rows and sizing of seats is not only a personal space issue but a safety issue. Federal government should get more involved in regulating baggage fees, and carry-ons. If baggage fees were eliminated for first bag airlines would not have so many carry-on issues. Assigned seats should be a government requirement. The culture of airline employee attitudes needs to be addressed by the airlines or the public will boycott those airlines that do not provide personal, polite, respectful service. The attitude that airline employees are there only for your safety is not what the public expects. Airlines have created this problem themselves by cutting flight service staffing. The Captain should be put back in charge of all airline services on board meeting with his entire crew prior to boarding to inspect their appearance and maintain standards. Most experienced American travelers prefer foreign airlines when traveling abroad for better service. What are the best travel strategies for families with young children on a budget? Avoid layovers and connecting flights when traveling with children. Travel during the week rather than weekends to avoid overcrowding and get better pricing. What are the most costly travel mistakes? Travel fraud is rising at an alarming rate. To be safe, avoid no name budget tour operators and airlines. Do your due diligence and check travel sites like TripAdvisor for references. The old adage is still true, “if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.” What money saving tips do you have for travelers staying in the USA? How about for those going abroad? Try to book mid-week for both. Book early as prices always go up on short notice. Survey multiple online sites to find the best deals. When you find them, check with the actual service provider to be sure they are not offering a better deal. In evaluating the best summer travel destinations, what are the top five indicators? Leisure travelers that are not staying in an all-inclusive resorts are concerned with dining options as one of their top parameters. Accessibility, a variety of activities, and sites to visit are also high on the list of top successful destinations. Safety, of course, is also a concern which will hamper international travel destinations. Roland T. Rust Distinguished University Professor and David Bruce Smith Chair in Marketing, Executive Director of the Center for Excellence in Service and Executive Director of the Center for Complexity in Business in the Robert H. Smith School of Business at University of Maryland Do you think the Federal government should block airlines from overbooking flights? No, the federal government would be wrong to block airlines from overbooking flights, because a percentage of fliers are no-shows, and the result would inevitably be less full planes, which would result in higher prices. What the federal government should do is protect the rights of passengers better. If someone has a ticket to be on the flight, they have a right to be on that flight, unless they voluntarily choose to give up their seat. Airlines should be forced to raise the compensation that they offer until enough people agree to postpone their trip. The airlines would then have to stop overbooking so aggressively, if they want to limit their overbooking compensation. In other words, this is a free market solution that respects the customer.

Methodology

In order to determine the best summer vacation spots, WalletHub’s data analysts compared the 80 most populated metro areas (or Metropolitan Statistical Areas, as identified by the U.S. Census Bureau) across six key categories: 1) Travel Costs & Hassles, 2) Local Costs, 3) Attractions, 4) Weather, 5) Activities and 6) Safety.

We evaluated those categories using 38 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for summer travel. Metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were measured by the square root of the population.

For our flight analysis, we collected data on April 20 and selected July 6 as the departure date and July 16 as the return date for the following reasons: 1) July is the most popular month for summer travel, according to an AYTM vacations survey, and 2) the average American considers 10 days to be the perfect length for a vacation, according to American Express data.

Finally, we calculated the total score for each metro area based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to construct our final ranking.

Travel Costs & Hassles - Total Points: 18

• Cost of Cheapest Flight: 30% (~5.40 Points)
• Duration of Cheapest Flight: 10% (~1.80 Points)
• Number of Connections on Cheapest Flight: 5% (~0.90 Points)
• Cost of Shortest Flight: 30% (~5.40 Points)
• Duration of Shortest Flight: 10% (~1.18 Points)
• Number of Connections on Shortest Flight: 5% (~0.90 Points)
• Share of Delayed Flights: 10% (~ 1.80 Points)

To determine the cheapest flight, we compared the cost of a round-trip flight between each of the 80 destinations and the six largest U.S. airport hubs in the following cities:

• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Denver
• Los Angeles
• New York

To determine the shortest flight, we compared the departure and return flights and chose the longer of the two. For instance, if a departure flight from Washington to Los Angeles took five hours, whereas the return flight from Los Angeles to Washington lasted six, we chose the latter.

Considering the disparities in flight costs and travel times, we also chose the best deals for each metric within a $30 range or one-hour window. For example, if the cheapest round-trip flight from Washington to Los Angeles cost $700, whereas the second-cheapest flight cost $25 more but reduced the total travel time by two hours, we chose the latter. Similarly, if the shortest round-trip flight from Washington to Los Angeles took six hours each way, whereas the second-shortest took 25 minutes longer but saved the traveler $200, we again chose the latter.

Local Costs - Total Points: 18

• Lowest Nightly Rate for Three-Star Hotel Room: 33.33% (~6.00 Points)
• Average Price of Two-Person Meal: 33.33% (~6.00 Points)
• Cost of Living: 33.33% (~6.00 Points)

Attractions - Total Points: 18

• Number of Attractions: 60% (~10.80 Points)
• Diversity of Attractions: 40% (~7.20 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, which is a commonly accepted measure of market concentration that also works effectively as a general-purpose measure of diversity.

Weather Conditions - Total Points: 18

Note: Based on WalletHub’s Cities with the Best & Worst Weather ranking

Activities - Total Points: 18

• Restaurants per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Prevalence of Affordable Restaurants with Ratings of 4.5+ Stars: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Amusement Parks per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Point)
• Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Amusement Parks” List: 4.35% (~0.78 Point)
• Wellness & Spa Centers per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Point)
• Retail Shopping Centers per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Point)
• Music Venues per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Coffee & Tea Shops per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Ice-Cream & Frozen-Yogurt Shops per Capita*: 4.35% (~ 0.78 Points)
• Tennis Courts per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Golf Courses and Country Clubs per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Baseball & Softball Diamonds per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Basketball Hoops per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Bike-Rental Facilities per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Food Festivals per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Quality of Parks: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)Note: Based on WalletHub’s Best & Worst Cities for Recreation ranking
• Public Beaches per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Water Temperature: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)Note: This metric was used as a proxy for cities located along a sea, ocean or lake.
• Swimming Pools per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Water Parks per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Boat Tours & Water Sports per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Hiking Trails per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)
• Beer Gardens per Capita*: 4.35% (~0.78 Points)

Safety - Total Points: 10

• Violent-Crime Rate: 50% (~5.00 Points)
• Property-Crime Rate: 50% (~5.00 Points)

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Numbeo.com, Kayak.com, TripAdvisor, Yelp, The Trust for Public Land, Golf.com, World Sea Temperature and WalletHub research.

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