It’s the beginning of the year and we’re all making resolutions. Top of the list? To travel more. In fact, our site saw a 45.3% spike in searches on New Year’s Day, alone. To help you realize your travel potential, we’re unveiling the top destinations of the year in our 2018 Travel Hacker Guide. (Cue cheering.)
For this Guide, we’ve combed through over 1.5 billion annual searches on KAYAK to give you insights on where to go, when to book, what to expect and how much you might spend. Plus, we’ve tapped into our trove of travel knowledge to make recommendations on the best times to book a flight and show you what airfares might look like for every day of the year. It’s the information you need to plan your 2018 travel confidently.
From the towering heights of Fiji’s Mount Tomanivi to the deep blue sea off Bimini’s coast, these are the places you should visit in 2018.
Top 10 Trending Destinations
These destinations are hot for 2018. With travel searches spiking compared to 2017, these are the places that US and Canadian travelers are setting their sights on. Our #1 destination is no surprise, and if you visit, you’ll be able to benefit from lower airfares and increased flight routes.
Top 10 Most Popular Destinations
Here are the prom kings and queens of travel destinations. These tried-and-true favorites are still the most-searched-for destinations on our site. With 3 years in a row at #1, this US metropolis is letting its light shine. Also, this city across the pond is making its Most Popular debut, thanks to airfares being considerably cheaper than last year. Cheerio.
Top 10 Trending Beach Destinations
Isn’t it convenient that this guide comes out in winter? Chase away those chilly blues with these beachy destinations seeing the biggest increase in interest among travelers. Get on island time in our #1 trending beach destination, that comes with a side of surf, sand and soul.
Top 10 Wallet-Friendly Trips
Whoever said traveling is a luxury clearly hasn’t figured out how to use KAYAK. These 10 destinations are touted for being significantly less expensive than the average trip. We looked at median flight & hotel costs to find places that won’t break the bank. The first thing we’d do in our #1 destination? Take some of the money we saved and buy a nice bottle of mezcal.
KAYAK Picks
Some destinations don’t come with numbers. In this list, we’ve hand-pick 10 places we think you should see in 2018. From international cities hosting major sporting events to the Caribbean islands that are open for business, you’ll see these cities in headlines in 2018.
When to Fly
This year, we decided that with 1.5 billion annual searches worth of knowledge, it would be a shame if we didn’t share it. So, to help you plan your flights in 2018, we’re including our when to book recommendations for specific regions around the world. That way you can be confident you’re getting a good deal. As a bonus, we’re also showing you what median airfare looked like for every day of 2017. See how 2018 compares to help determine when you might get a better deal. As always though, this is just a guide so if you see a price you like — book it.
Anywhere
Last but certainly not least, we understand that there are exciting destinations out there that even our Guide can’t cover. Get insights into destinations specific to your home airport by selecting the route you want to explore.
So, what events will shape your year? Engaged? Our 10 Trending Beach Destinations are perfect escapes for a 2018 honeymoon. Making moves? Try out any one of our 10 Wallet-Friendly Trips to help you get out and see the world on a budget. Planning a group vacation? Any of the Top 10 Most Popular Destinations are sure to please the crowd. Make 2018 the year you experience the world, confident you’ve made the right travel decisions.
Methodology: To get our New Year’s Day statistic, we analyzed searches performed on KAYAK on 1/1/2018 and compared them with searches from the previous day, 12/31/2017. Travel dates 1/1/18-12/31/18. Origin US & Canada, round-trip flights only.
