Approaching another season of travel, many Americans are looking for the costs of flights and housing, with the warning that inflation has slowed down, high prices continue to reduce people’s budgets.
According to Bankrate’s summer holiday survey, only 46% of American adults plan a summer trip this year. Among those who do not plan to travel, 65% say they cannot afford it. For many people who provide a getaway, strategic financial planning is essential to manage costs and avoid debt. Here are some average prices for current holiday expenseswhich can help you effectively budget your trip.
How many holidays cost?
The average cost of the holidays in 2025 is $ 7,249, marking an increase of 24% compared to 2024, according to Squaremouth Travel Insurance. This number may vary considerably depending on your plans.
Transport costs: Transport can explain a large part of your holiday budget, so it’s a good idea to start with these costs When you plan your trip. In addition to the plane ticket, take into account any other cost such as car rental, petrol, tolls and parking costs. Depending on your trip, other costs may include public transport, driving sharing services or even bicycle rental.
Those who fly in early June or mid-July can find the best offers on the plane ticket, while prices often increase on the weekend of July 4 and the Labor Day, according to Hopper. He predicts that the prices will be on average $ 265 this summer for a round-trip national ticket.
Hotel and other accommodation costs: The hotel prices vary considerably depending on the location, demand and the period of the year. A hotel room by the sea in the south of Florida, for example, can cost more in winter month that in summer, when offers can be found.
Another option to consider is to rent a holiday home, as with Airbnb or VRBO. Some families can find a kitchen to prepare meals are more profitable than staying in a hotel and eating in restaurants. In addition, various credit cards offer awards for vacation rentals, which can help you provide more blows for your money. For those who do not need an entire house – or who wish to pay one – certain Airbnb properties also offer the possibility of renting a single room.
If you have a tight budget and agree with less comfort, hostels or a park of recreational vehicles can save money.
Money advice: When you compare accommodation, don’t forget to take into account everything it includes. A hotel can cost more, but if it includes free breakfast and other advantages (such as free bike rentals or free shuttle service), which should be taken into account.
Food and entertainment costs: Food and entertainment expenses can lighten your wallet if you do not write an in -depth vacation budget. They tend to be among the last costs that travelers are considering when planning a trip, but can add up quickly. The average cost of food for a person on vacation, a day, is $ 96, depending on the budget of your trip, not to mention alcohol.
During a trip, those who are able to fill up with grocery store can save a package by avoiding expensive meals. This is particularly true if your accommodation offers a refrigerator, a microwave or even a stove.
The cost of entertainment can vary considerably and depends on whether you travel with family children, the location and what you are looking to do while traveling. Always look for discounts according to what you could be eligible, including discounts for students, senior prices or discounts depending on various group subscriptions.
Silver advice: Find restoration offers in Groupon and visit the website of a restaurant to see if it offers a discount to register for e-mail or text alerts or the prices of the Happy Hour. If you are traveling with children, search for restaurants where children eat for free.
Average cost of holidays per generation
Squaremouth data show that older generations spend more for travel than young generations, on average. Silent generation – The oldest living generation – spends on average about $ 3,106 per trip. On the other hand, the ZERS generation spends only $ 1,929 per trip on average.
Higher holiday costs for older generations may be due to more money, as well as more free time for longer trips. However, an important 25% of the ZERS generation said they were not interested in traveling today, according to a Summer Travel Survey of Bankrate. Similar percentages of generation X and baby boomers (24% and 25%, respectively) also said that they were not interested in traveling right now, the survey revealed.
Vacations and inflation
Inflation is another factor that has affected people’s travel plans through generations. During the holiday trips season in 2024, millennials were the most likely generation to change their travel plans due to inflation (86%), followed by Gen Zers (84%), Gen Xers (83%) and baby boomers (72%), according to the Bankrate holiday trips survey.
According to the Bankrate’s summer holiday survey in 2025, 65% of those who do not travel say that it is because they cannot afford it.
Holiday budgeting advice
Almost a third (29%) of American adults traveling this summer say they will take debts accordingly, according to Bankrate’s summer vacation survey.
“I do not want to appear preacher, but it is not a great idea to take debt for a vacation – especially with the average rate of credit cards that hangs over a 20.12%record,” said Ted Rossman, main analyst of the industry at Bankrate.
“There are many budgetary ways to have fun without taking an expensive debt that you could always carry around in years.”
You can help avoid vacation debt, advises Rossman, in particular the collection of points or miles for travel or driving at destination instead of flying.
Here are some additional tips to help you get the most trip for your money:
• Determine how much you can spend on vacation and write a budget.
• Start a holiday fund, as in a high -performance savings account.
• When possible, avoid paying high prices for accommodation in popular destinations by finding a little further.
• Save money by visiting destinations during races.
• When planning flights, research days and moments when they are the cheapest. This could mean “taking an early flight or a late flight or a connection flight”, explains Rossman.
• If you travel abroad, find places that offer the best exchange rates.
• Plan meals and work them in your budget accordingly. If you want to eat in a high -end restaurant for dinner, choose a cheap meal for lunch.
• Plan what you need and wrap accordingly. This can help you avoid buying potentially too expensive things during the trip you forgot to bring, like toiletries or over -the -counter medications.
After researching, you can decide that it is wiser to save money by making a trip this summer. “If everything else fails, plan a stay,” says Rossman. “It can be fun to relax and recharge and play the tourist in your region.”