As the winter season descends on much of the country, personal-finance website WalletHub has released its 2018 Best Winter Holiday Destinations report. Comparing nearly 70 of the largest U.S. metro areas by warm and cold weather, WalletHub analyzed each winter travel destination based on 36 metrics—from expense and hassle of traveling to weather forecasts, safety, and variety of activities.
The average flight to a popular cold winter destination costs $279.09 this season, lasts three hours and 32 minutes, and has 0.27 connections. In comparison, the average flight to a popular warm winter destination costs $416.61, lasts five hours, and has 0.53 connections.
Among cold destinations, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, have the lowest price for a three-star hotel room, $42, which is three times lower than Worcester, Massachusetts, the city with the highest at $126. Among warm destinations for winter travel, Dallas has the lowest price for a three-star hotel room, $49, which is 4.7 times lower than Honolulu, the city with the highest at $230.
Best Cold Destinations for Winter Travel
1. Chicago
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Atlanta
4. Cincinnati, Ohio
5. New York City
6. Boston
7. Portland, Ore.
8. Denver
9. Philadelphia
10. Pittsburgh
Best Warm Destinations for Winter Travel
1. Las Vegas
2. Orlando
3. Los Angeles
4. San Diego
5. Dallas
6. Austin, Texas
7. Houston
8. San Francisco
9. Tampa, Fla.
10. San Antonio, Texas
