Vacationing on a budget: How the economy is influencing 2025 summer travel
Less may be more when it comes to summer vacations this year.
Though travelers are still planning to get away, many are shifting their destinations, trip duration and other factors amid economic uncertainty.
A survey April 28 to May 1 of 2,000 U.S. adults commissioned by the members-only home-swapping community Kindred found that 90% were “actively looking” for ways to save on summer travel.
Paste BN reviewed various industry reports to glean the biggest trends among expected travelers this summer.
Here’s what to consider as you plan your trip.
Top summer destinations
There are no surprises among the most popular destinations this summer, which include a mix of international and domestic cities.
Skyscanner’s Smarter Summer Report includes Tokyo, London, New York, Rome and Los Angeles in the top five.
Kayak’s Summer Travel Check-In also has Tokyo, London and Rome in its top five, but it included Paris and Orlando instead of New York and Los Angeles.
Kayak also notes international flights are 11% cheaper to Asia, down 8% to Europe and 5% lower to Africa compared with last summer.
But according to Airbnb’s summer travel trends, nearly 40% of Americans will or are likely to stick to domestic destinations to save money instead of going abroad. Airbnb adds that nearly 30% of Americans with kids 18 or younger living at home are planning staycations instead of going elsewhere or will “very likely” do so.
What are the cheapest periods to travel?
Skyscanner found Wednesdays are generally the cheapest day to travel, and the cheapest week to travel is Aug. 25 through 31.
Travelers who wait to fly in August may find better deals than for June and July, according to Kayak, but it says those planning trips around summer holidays will find the cheapest outbound flights on Tuesday, July 1, ahead of Independence Day and Saturday, Aug. 30, ahead of Labor Day.
Should I drive or fly to my destination?
To save money, some travelers are skipping flights and hitting the road.
Of more than 2,800 U.S. travelers surveyed for Deloitte’s 2025 Summer Travel Survey, 22% said they plan to drive instead of fly this summer because of airfares.
Without specifying cost or other reasons, Airbnb’s data shows 43% of Americans plan to drive instead of fly this summer.
Where do people stay when traveling?
Deloitte reports 80% of travelers plan to stay in hotels and 25% plan to stay in private rentals at least once this summer, both up from last year. But nearly 25% plan to stay with friends or family to save money.
Kindred found an even higher number, more than 40%, of its surveyed respondents choosing to stay with friends or family and 12% opting for home stays, which have historically been more popular abroad than in the United States.