Skyscanner Reveals Top 10 Cheapest Destinations for Americans & Wednesday as the Cheapest Day to Fly in 2026
The NEW Cheapest Destination Planner helps travelers find the lowest priced destinations and best value day to fly each month of the year
According to leading global travel app Skyscanner’s latest research, in association with OnePoll*, whilst 44% of Americans are planning to head abroad in 2026, only 53% have taken the plunge and booked their flights (this falls to 32% for hotels and 15% for car rentals - often the piece of the trip with the shortest lead time). Destination indecision and concerns over cost are the biggest booking barriers as nearly half share they are still deciding on destination (43%) and over a third (36%) still trying to find the best deals.
U.S. travelers’ expectations around flight pricing in 2026 don’t match reality. While 50% of Americans think their flights are going to cost more than $150 roundtrip this year, Skyscanner has crunched the numbers, across thousands of routes and millions of bookings, to reveal the top 10 cheapest destinations for 2026 - some with roundtrip flight options starting as low as $28.
The top 10 cheapest destinations for 2026:
Ranking | Destination | Average Roundtrip Flight Price** | Live Flight Price*** | Live Hotel options**** | Live Car Rental Price**** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Las Vegas, Nevada | $232 | Interested in Vegas in February? You can find flights from as little as $38 roundtrip | 3*: Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World from $116 per night 4*: Treasure Island from $190 per night | Find Las Vegas car rental deals for a 3-day break from as little as $127 this February |
2 | San Salvador, El Salvador | $282 | Interested in San Salvador in March? You can find flights from as little as $35 roundtrip | 3*: Hotel Mirador Plaza from $95 per night 4*: Barceló San Salvador from $93 per night | Find San Salvador car rental deals for a 3-day break from as little as $36 this March |
3 | Miami, Florida | $284 | Interested in Miami in April? You can find flights from as little as $33 roundtrip | 3*: citizenM Miami World Center from $223 per night 4*: The Fairwind Hotel from $214 per night | Find Miami car rental deals for a 3-day break from as little as $13 this April |
4 | Kahului, Hawaii | $329 | Interested in Kahului in July? You can find flights from as little as $59 roundtrip | 3*: Maui Seaside Hotel from $275 per night 4*: Maui Beach Hotel from $231 per night | Find Kahului car rental deals for a 3-day break from as little as $239 this July |
5 | Orlando, Florida | $353 | Interested in Orlando in May? You can find flights from as little as $28 roundtrip | 3*: Buena Vista Suites Orlando from $160 per night 4*: Rosen Shingle Creek Universal Blvd from $176 per night | Find Orlando car rental deals for a 3-day break from as little as $9 this May |
6 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | $365 | Interested in San Juan in March? You can find flights from as little as $43 roundtrip | 3*: Don Rafa Boutique Hotel & Residences from $263 per night 4*: O:Live Boutique Hotel from $319 per night | Find San Juan car rental deals for a 3-day break from as little as $26 this March |
7 | Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | $375 | Interested in Punta Cana in February? You can find flights from as little as $87 roundtrip | 3*: Tropical Deluxe Princess from $226 per night 4*: AC Hotel by Marriott Punta Cana from $197 per night | Find Punta Cana car rental deals for a 3-day break from as little as $47 this February |
8 | Mexico City, Mexico | $402 | Interested in Mexico City in March? You can find flights from as little as $68 roundtrip | 3*: Casa de la Luz Hotel Boutique from $166 per night 4*: Novotel Mexico City World Trade Center from $81 per night | Find Mexico City car rental deals for a 3-day break from as little as $15 this March |
9 | Cancun, Mexico | $411 | Interested in Cancun in June? You can find flights from as little as $81 roundtrip | 3*: Kempinski Hotel Cancun from $326 per night 4*: JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa from $322 per night | Find Cancun car rental deals for a 3-day break from as little as $6 this June |
10 | Milan, Italy | $559 | Interested in Milian in March? You can find flights from as little as $151 roundtrip | 3*: Starhotels Echo from $171 per night 4*: iQ Hotel Milano from $228 per night | Find Milan car rental deals for a 3-day break from as little as $19 this March |
Skyscanner launches NEW Cheapest Destination Planner
57% of US travelers shared they feel overwhelmed at the prospect of booking travel for 2026 with worry over costs (71%) being the biggest contributing factor. Skyscanner’s NEW Cheapest Destination Planner is on hand to help banish this stress, revealing the cheapest places to travel every single month, including average flight price and the cheapest day to travel. Think sunny Miami in February with average flight price of $178 roundtrip or adventure to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado in March with average flight price of $150 roundtrip.
How does the Cheapest Destination Planner work?
Simply select the month you want to travel
The tool will reveal the top 10 cheapest destinations (on average) for that month, you’ll see the top reasons to visit and average price for a return flight alongside the cheapest days to travel
Made your choice? You can click through to explore flights and/or hotel options for your chosen destination
Wednesday is the cheapest day to fly, on average, in 2026
The cheapest day to fly? It might surprise you. According to Skyscanner’s analysis, the cheapest day, on average, to fly in 2026 is a Wednesday. Only 25% of Americans thought Wednesday would be the cheapest with 31% thinking Tuesday and 12% Monday. The reality, of course, is that the cheapest day to fly varies according to route and month. Handy Skyscanner tools like ‘Whole Month’ allow travelers to quickly compare which dates offer the best value.
Skyscanner’s Director of Americas, Lourdes Losada, shares:
“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%). At Skyscanner, we’re committed to making sure everyone can get the break they deserve, by using smart data to find real savings. Our new Cheapest Destination Planner has been designed to take the stress out of planning and help travelers understand how to make their money go further this year. We hope 2026 can still be a great year of travel for all!”
More smart ways to save on travel in 2026:
Drops: Checks flight prices and reveals anomaly price drops of at least 20% for real bargains!
‘Everywhere’ search: The all-time favorites – find the cheapest flights to anywhere in the world.
Price Alerts and Saved: Still in decision making mode? Save your routes and keep track of the flight fluctuations.
About Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a leading global travel app that helps travelers plan and book their trip with ease and confidence. Every month, Skyscanner connects millions of travelers, in 52 countries and 37 languages, to more than 1,200 trusted travel partners so they can find the best flight, hotel or rental car options.
Founded in 2003, Skyscanner has offices worldwide, in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America where traveler-first innovations are developed, powered by data and insights. Making use of the latest technology, Skyscanner simplifies the complexity of travel and provides honest and transparent solutions, searching more than 80 billion prices every day so travelers can be sure they've seen the best possible options, all in one place. Notes to Editors *Skyscanner research conducted with OnePoll in November 2025 with 2000 respondents ** Return economy flights booked on Skyscanner between January 1, 2025 and October 31, 2025 for travel between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026. ***Live flight prices as found on Skyscanner on 12/18/2025 and subject to change ****Live hotel prices as found on Skyscanner on 12/22/2025 and subject to change **** Live car hire prices as found on Skyscanner on 12/22/2025 and subject to change
