Most Popular Vacation Destinations for Fourth of July Weekend

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Southlake's own Travelocity's Independence Day holiday booking data reveals optimistic news for travelers looking to save during the July 4th weekend. 

While airfare and domestic hotel rates are both on the rise, international travelers will pay less to book a hotel as average rates have decreased nearly 3%. Travelocity's data also shows that airfare to eight out of the top 10 most popular destinations for the holiday is less expensive than the national average ($402), and hotel rates under $150 are easy to lock in if you know where to look.

"Travelers looking for a good travel deal should consider checking out Orlando where airfare prices are under the national average and hotel rates have dropped more than 15% year-over-year," says Travelocity Senior Editor, Courtney Scott. "Las Vegas is another great value this July 4th, with average nightly hotel rates of only $105."

July 4th Hotels in the U.S. Under $150

Consider taking a July 4th vacation to one of these 10 cities, where average hotel rates are below $150! 

  1. Las Vegas ($105)
  2. Albuquerque ($112)
  3. Colorado Springs ($116)
  4. Memphis ($126)
  5. Dallas / Ft. Worth ($126)
  6. Orlando ($131)
  7. Atlanta ($139)
  8. Palm Springs ($140)
  9. Minneapolis ($141)
  10. Phoenix ($142)

Most Popular July 4th Destinations of 2014

According to Travelocity's July 4th data report, the cost of airfare is up 3.6% from last year, with an average round-trip domestic ticket costing $402. 

Similarly, hotel rates for the upcoming holiday weekend also showed an 8% increase bringing the average nightly hotel rate to about $171. 

Notwithstanding these increases, airfare to eight out of the top 10 most popular destinations for the holiday is less expensive than the national average ($402) and half of the top 10 most popular destinations boast an average hotel rate lower than the national average.

  1. New York City ($340 average round-trip airfare / $236 average hotel rate)
  2. Los Angeles ($369 average round-trip airfare / $165 average hotel rate)
  3. Orlando ($340 average round-trip airfare / $131 average hotel rate)
  4. Seattle ($422 average round-trip airfare / $191 average hotel rate)
  5. South Florida ($341 average round-trip airfare / $170 average hotel rate)
  6. Boston ($359 average round-trip airfare / $232 average hotel rate)
  7. Denver ($347 average round-trip airfare / $155 average hotel rate)
  8. San Francisco Bay Area ($402 average round-trip airfare / $211 average hotel rate)
  9. Washington, D.C. ($344 average round-trip airfare / $172 average hotel rate)
  10. Chicago ($336 average round-trip airfare / $169 average hotel rate)

U.S. travelers looking to venture abroad over the July 4th holiday will enjoy a nearly 3% drop in average hotel rates with an average of$211 per night while airfare has increased slightly, about 3%. Europe, the Caribbean and Canada top the most popular list. 

  1. London, England ($1610 average round-trip airfare / $295 average hotel rate)
  2. Dominican Republic ($597 average airfare / $230 average hotel rate)
  3. Paris, France ($1686 average round-trip airfare / $252 average hotel rate)
  4. Vancouver, BC ($498 average round-trip airfare / $195 average hotel rate)
  5. U.S. Virgin Islands ($592 average round-trip airfare / $275 average hotel rate)

Scott advises that flexibility is important when shopping for holiday travel. 

"Extending your vacation by a day or two could save you on airfare and hotel rates," she said. "Subscribe to email blasts so you're the first to know about a fare sale, and scour social media sites like Twitter for travel deals."