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If seeing the world is in your budget, here’s where to do it in 2026.
Research from global travel app Skyscanner has revealed this year’s top 10 cheapest cities for traveling Americans, including some of the world’s most sought-after luxury vacation destinations.
According to the findings, even though 44% of Americans are planning to travel abroad in 2026, only 53% have actually booked flights, 32% have booked hotels and 15% have planned for car rentals.
The biggest barriers for booking trips are indecisiveness over where to travel and concerns over cost. Nearly half of Americans are still deciding on their destination while over a third are still hoping to find the best deals — and their expectations don’t match reality.
“January travel planning is hugely important to Americans as vacations provide a much-needed moment to look forward to in the post-holiday period. Sadly, our research shows that in 2026, many Americans are overwhelmed at the prospect of booking (57%), with costs top of mind for most (71%),” Skyscanner’s Director of Americas, Lourdes Losad, said in a statement.
However, Skyscanner found the top 10 cheapest destinations for 2026 — with some with round-trip flight options starting as low as $28.
Ranking first on the list is Las Vegas, Nevada, with an average round-trip flight price of $232, based on return economy flights booked on Skyscanner between Jan. 1, 202,5 and Oct. 31, 2025, for travel between Jan. 1, 2026, and Dec. 31, 2026.
Anyone interested in visiting Sin City in February can find flights from as low as $38 round-trip, according to live flight prices as found on Skyscanner on Dec. 18, 2025.
Coming in second place is San Salvador, El Salvador. Making the trip in March can allow travelers to find flights from as little as $35 round-trip, though the average round-trip price is $282.
Miami, Florida, was the third cheapest destination with an average of $284 round-trip tickets, and round-trip from as little as $33 in April — perfect timing for spring break.
Vacationers hoping to go to Hawaii in the summer are in luck. You can find flights to Kahului from as little as $59 round-trip in July. Skyscanner found that round-trip flights to Kahului were an average of $329.
To help travelers find the cheapest destination year-round, Skyscanner launched a Cheapest Destination Planner, designed to share the cheapest places to travel every single month, with average flight prices and the cheapest day to travel.
On average, the travel app found that the cheapest day to fly in 2026 is a Wednesday — which may come as a surprise to many. Nearly 31% of Americans believe that Tuesday would be the cheapest day to take a flight.
Though the reality is that the cheapest day to fly varies and is dependent on the time of year and the route you’re taking.
Top 10 cheapest destinations for 2026
- Las Vegas, Nevada ($232 average round-trip flight price)
- San Salvador, El Salvador ($282)
- Miami, Florida ($284)
- Kahului, Hawaii ($329)
- Orlando, Florida ($353)
- San Juan, Puerto Rico ($365)
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic ($375)
- Mexico City, Mexico ($402)
- Cancun, Mexico ($411)
- Milan, Italy ($559)
