Well, it’s been a year. However you’re ending 2017, we’re hoping next year brings you plenty of opportunities to visit places far and near. To help start your travel vision board for 2018, these are 10 of the most-viewed travel stories we published this year… and a few predictions on what that could mean for next.
1. Ultimate Fall Travel Guide
When the leaves begin to change, so does our cabin fever. Our guide to fall travel was one of our most popular posts. From trending destinations to european getaways to 10 domestic destinations for under $300, the only thing between you and your autumn escape was getting that PTO.
2. Plan Your European Vacation
For much of 2017, flights to Europe were considerably less expensive than the previous year. In fact, most of the top 50 searched-for destinations in Europe were 20-30% cheaper than in 2016. We called this out early on, leaving ample time for travelers to take advantage of those sweet Eurotrip deals. We have a feeling the trend will continue in 2018, so stay tuned as we track airfares to our top cities.
3. KAYAK at Work
In the spring, our data spoke truth to the idea that most Americans plan travel while at work. So, we launched a special temporary version of our site to help those of you searching for your next vacation while on the clock. In 2018, we’ll be giving you an even easier way to turn your computer’s desktop into a portal to your next destination.
4. Emojify your Travel Search
Express yourself when you travel. There’s an emoji for our every mood — why not an emoji for every travel search? We’re on our way there, but in 2017 we launched our Travel Search by Emoji, which let you vote on which cities you deemed worthy of 15 hand-picked emoji. For when you just need to go from 🍕 to 🍣.
5. Top Hotel Rooftop Bars
Come summertime, we were looking to raise the roof(tops). Our lists of the top 10 hotel rooftop bars on the East Coast, West Coast and in-between helped you plan a vacation (or staycation) with a view.
6. Travel Tips to Summer’s Hottest Events
Speaking of summer, we tracked down the hottest events of the season and made sure you had what you needed to book your travel. Whether you’re into music, culture, celebrations or sports — we got you the info you needed to plan an epic summer. With many of these events recurring this year, we’re excited to see what Summer 2018 brings.
7. See the World (for Less) in Canada
Canada turned 150 years young in 2017. What better way to celebrate the Great North than shine a spotlight on all the amazing travel experiences you can get there… while spending a lot less. From wine and cheese trails to epic landscapes, it’s all in Canada. If you missed out in 2017, take advantage of Canada’s 151st year instead.
8. 10 European Cities to Explore
The Euro-bug lived on throughout the year. This list of 10 cities not only gave an inside look at some of our favorite cities, but also showed travelers where they could score flight deals this year. We have a feeling there will be a part 2 to this post in 2018.
9. Hottest Spring Break Destinations
Maybe it’s the winter chill that’s making us dream of Spring Break already, but this infographic got a lot of travelers clicking to see where their fellow citizen were headed for Break. We combed through searches from every state in the union to find out the trending destinations travelers were searching for.
10. City Travel Hacks
One thing our KAYAK team has in common? We love to travel. So, we put together a series of travel hacks for the destinations we’ve visited in 2017. So far, you can find hacks for Havana, Iceland, Cartagena, Singapore and Sedona. Expect plenty more city-specific insider tips in the new year.
Thanks 2017, we’re out. May all your travel dreams come true in 2018!
