Study Shows 2014’s Best and Worst Cities for Winter Holiday Travel

The festive air in New York City is one reason it is the most top domestic winter holiday destination, according to WalletHub © 2014 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

With Americans spending $53 billion every year on winter-related travel and gear and nearly a third of them planning to increase their leisure travel spending in the coming months, a leading personal finance social network, WalletHub, conducted an in-depth analysis of 2014’s Best and Worst Cities for Winter Holiday Travel. This study supplements the money-saving reports on Currency Conversion and Best Travel Credit Cards available through a sister site, CardHub.

In anticipation of the holiday season, WalletHub identified the best and worst winter travel destinations and departure points, based on 16 different metrics such as airfare costs, flight times, the number of flight connections and hotel costs.

Best US Departure Points for Domestic Travel:

1. Atlanta, GA
2. Salt Lake City
3. Metrolina
4. Valley of the Sun
5. Denver

Best US Departure Points for International Travel

1. Miami
2. Atlanta
3. Washington DC
4. Metrolina
5. Greater Twin Cities

Top Domestic Destinations

1. New York
2. Las Vegas Valley
3. Greater Orlando
4. Southland
5. San Francisco

Top International Destinations

1. Riviera Maya, Mexico
2. Cancun, Mexico
3. London, UK
4. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
5. Paris France.

Here are more of the findings:

• The best overall points of departure are Atlanta (GA), Metrolina, Miami (FL) and Greater Twin Cities.
• The average international flight to a popular destination costs $2,318, takes 18 hours and has one connection.
• The average domestic flight to a popular destination costs $1,056, lasts a little more than 7 hours and has 0.66 connections.
• Despite LAX being the third-busiest airport in the U.S., California cities average a dismal ranking of No. 43 in terms of international travel affordability. This can be attributed to the popularity of European and Caribbean vacations over Asian getaways among U.S. winter travelers.
• Atlanta (GA) is not only home to the busiest airport in the U.S. but also the most affordable East Coast departure port for winter travelers. It ranks No. 1 in terms of domestic flight affordability, No. 2 for international affordability and No. 1 overall.
• Of the top 10 most popular winter destinations on our list, New York ranks as the No. 1 domestic destination, whereas Maui (HI), ranks last. For foreign destinations, Riviera Maya, Mexico, snags the top spot, while Sydney, Australia, falls to the bottom.

For the full report and key stats and to see where your city ranks, visit:
http://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-winter-travel/7930/

 

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