This is the best time to book your trip for the 2024 holiday season

A 6-month travel forecast from Hopper includes everything travelers should consider before the always hectic end-of-year holiday season.

The report claims that airfares will peak in the second week of December. Hopper says prices will be lowest in September but will start to rise starting in October. The prediction added that “overall prices will remain just below 2023 levels for the rest of the year.” Additionally, the more expensive airfares from the holiday season are expected to drop in February.

Gasoline prices are reported to be 10% lower starting in August 2023. Those planning to rent a car should note that the average price for a 4-day rental is $44, which is 2% lower than last year.

More travel trends before the holidays

Hopper claims that 61% of Americans plan to stay in a hotel while traveling within the next 6 months. However, nightly rates are averaging $161, about $30 more than at the end of summer 2019 ($131). The most popular domestic destinations are expected to be New York City, Las Vegas and Miami. Abroad, London, Rome, Barcelona, ​​Madrid and Paris could be among the most popular hotel destinations for tourists.

Many of the hot domestic destinations for this fall might surprise you. After Long Beach, California, Springfield, Missouri, Spokane, Washington, Valparaiso, Florida, and Bangor, Maine, are among the top five. Travelers may be hoping to enjoy the great outdoors, as Hopper points out that the top 10 hottest domestic destinations “tend heavily toward areas with national parks and a rich offering of outdoor activities.”

Shanghai, China, was number one on the list of trending international destinations. Three other places in Asia made it into the top ten – Osaka (Japan), Bangkok (Thailand) and Taipei (Taiwan). The six other destinations on the list were spread across Europe. Nice (France), Munich (Germany), Zurich (Switzerland), Vienna (Austria), Venice (Italy) and Madrid (Spain) all made it into the top ten.