Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Dunhill Travel Deals.
Travel is continuing a resurgence among consumers after the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the industry in 2020 — when global tourism fell by 74%. While consumers remain eager to travel, the pandemic’s longer-term economic ripple effects have made big trips a pricier proposition.
During the pandemic in 2020 and into 2021, travel costs were low, as severely diminished demand sent the prices of key categories like lodging, airfare, and car rentals downward. Since then, however, all of these travel categories have experienced significant levels of inflation.
Rising costs weigh heavily on families as they plan out their vacations. While timing trips for breaks in school and work are a major consideration for many families, affordability is the most challenging factor cited by most parents thinking of traveling with their children.
As families balance their desire to travel with the need to keep an eye on travel costs, destinations in certain parts of the U.S. offer more affordable travel options.
The following is a breakdown of the average family travel costs for a four-night stay across select U.S. cities. The analysis was conducted by Dunhill Travel Deals. For more information, see the methodology section at the end.
1. Toledo, OH
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (family of 4): $2,852
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (individual): $1,068
- Round-trip flight cost (per person): $216
- Total lodging cost (per room): $428
- Total meal cost (per person): $236
- Total rental car cost (per car): $188
- Cost of other services (compared to average): -2.4%
2. Wilmington, DE
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (family of 4): $2,948
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (individual): $1,131
- Round-trip flight cost (per person): $175
- Total lodging cost (per room): $524
- Total meal cost (per person): $256
- Total rental car cost (per car): $176
- Cost of other services (compared to average): +0.3%
3. Allentown, PA
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (family of 4): $3,472
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (individual): $1,245
- Round-trip flight cost (per person): $329
- Total lodging cost (per room): $472
- Total meal cost (per person): $256
- Total rental car cost (per car): $188
- Cost of other services (compared to average): -3.4%
4. Peoria, IL
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (family of 4): $3,604
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (individual): $1,259
- Round-trip flight cost (per person): $403
- Total lodging cost (per room): $428
- Total meal cost (per person): $236
- Total rental car cost (per car): $192
- Cost of other services (compared to average): -2.1%
5. Akron, OH
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (family of 4): $3,700
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (individual): $1,268
- Round-trip flight cost (per person): $432
- Total lodging cost (per room): $428
- Total meal cost (per person): $236
- Total rental car cost (per car): $172
- Cost of other services (compared to average): -2.4%
6. Jacksonville, FL
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (family of 4): $3,932
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (individual): $1,338
- Round-trip flight cost (per person): $486
- Total lodging cost (per room): $428
- Total meal cost (per person): $236
- Total rental car cost (per car): $188
- Cost of other services (compared to average): -0.1%
7. Fort Wayne, IN
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (family of 4): $3,976
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (individual): $1,342
- Round-trip flight cost (per person): $478
- Total lodging cost (per room): $432
- Total meal cost (per person): $256
- Total rental car cost (per car): $176
- Cost of other services (compared to average): -2.7%
8. Buffalo, NY
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (family of 4): $4,028
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (individual): $1,397
- Round-trip flight cost (per person): $445
- Total lodging cost (per room): $468
- Total meal cost (per person): $276
- Total rental car cost (per car): $208
- Cost of other services (compared to average): -3.3%
9. El Paso, TX
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (family of 4): $4,036
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (individual): $1,373
- Round-trip flight cost (per person): $509
- Total lodging cost (per room): $428
- Total meal cost (per person): $236
- Total rental car cost (per car): $200
- Cost of other services (compared to average): -2.9%
10. Norfolk, VA
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (family of 4): $4,040
- Total cost of a 4-night stay (individual): $1,362
- Round-trip flight cost (per person): $514
- Total lodging cost (per room): $428
- Total meal cost (per person): $236
- Total rental car cost (per car): $184
- Cost of other services (compared to average): -0.5%
Methodology
The data used in this study is from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ 2023 Domestic Airline Consumer Airfare Report, the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) 2024 Per Diem Rates, Business Travel News’ 2023 Corporate Travel Index Calculator, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ 2022 Regional Price Parities by State and Metro Area.
To calculate the total cost of a four-night stay for a family of four, researchers at Dunhill Travel Deals calculated the total cost of four average-priced round-trip flights, two average-priced hotel rooms for four nights, three average-priced meals per day for four people, and the cost of the average-priced rental car for four days.
Round-trip airfare for each location was calculated by doubling the average aggregated, one-way, domestic trip data for directionless city pairs pertaining to that location.
Airfares for each city pair include segments for both nonstop and connecting itineraries, and in order to include airports that are nearby to the travel destination, the average airfare was calculated using the average airfare for all airports serving that market.
Some markets are primarily served by small or regional airports with limited commercial flight options, which can result in lower average airfares. Average hotel room costs were calculated using the GSA per diem rates, which are formulated to best represent mid-range hotels in each market.
Similarly, average meal costs were calculated from the GSA per diem rates to represent the total cost of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and incidentals (tips). Rental car costs were calculated by averaging the daily rental rates (including taxes) across full-size, intermediate, and compact vehicle classes.
The researchers also calculated the total cost of a four-night stay for an individual, the round-trip flight cost per person, the four-night lodging cost per room, the four-day meal cost per person, the four-day rental car cost per car, and the cost of other services compared to average (helpful for approximating entertainment and recreation affordability).
Additionally, for relevance, only a select 100 cities with complete data were used in the analysis.
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