As the summer travel crowds thin and temperatures cool, fall emerges as one of the best—and most strategic—times of year to book a dream vacation. This autumn, Americans appear eager to travel far from home. Find any Destination's information quickly on Localpedia.
"The increase in searches for destinations such as Munich, Ho Chi Minh City, and Barbados indicates that travelers are eager to pack their bags for places that were previously difficult to visit due to travel restrictions, testing requirements, or high airfare prices," says Christie Hudson, Expedia's head of U.S. public relations.
"Now that the majority of Covid-related travel restrictions have been lifted, these destinations are back on the table, made even more appealing by factors such as the favorable dollar-to-Euro exchange rate and shoulder season deals."
According to data from travel search sites, the following seven destinations are seeing an increase in interest from travelers this fall.
1.Vietnam's capital, Ho Chi Minh City
This fall has also seen an increase in interest in Asia as more countries have opened their borders—Priceline has seen four times more searches for flights to the continent this fall. According to metasearch site Kayak, Vietnam's largest city has seen a 46% increase in searches compared to 2019, while Expedia reported a 630% increase in searches since last fall.
"On March 15, Vietnam reopened its borders to foreign travelers with immediate excitement," Hudson says. "In the fall, Ho Chi Minh City is very affordable, so your travel dollars go a long way." In September and October, she found five-star hotels starting at around $50 per night.
Fall marks the end of the rainy season as temperatures cool, making it a good time to visit city landmarks such as the Cu Chi Tunnels, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Ben Thanh Market.
2.London
Major European cities saw some of the highest increases across all search engines, with London seeing a 290 percent increase since last year and ranking as one of the most searched cities on Booking.com and Priceline.
The death of Queen Elizabeth II has heightened interest in recent days (check for closures during the mourning period), but royal interest had already been high with events honoring Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee earlier this year. Buckingham Palace's special exhibit on the Queen's Ascension is still on display until October 2nd, and Kensington Palace's Life Through a Royal Lens is still on display until October 30th.
Fall is a great time to visit Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill or Old Spitalfields Market in Shoreditch; see a classic West End show like Les Misérables, a new favorite like Six, or an immersive experience like The Burnt City (from Punchdrunk, the team behind Sleep No More) through December; or see the city from above on the London Eye or the Sky Garden.
3. Playa del Carmen
As the weather cools, sunny island vacations become more popular, with Punta Cana topping Kayak's list of top international destinations for fall travel, with a 147 percent increase in searches compared to pre-pandemic 2019 searches.
Early fall is sunny and humid, with afternoon and evening showers as hurricane season winds down and officially ends in November. While there is always the possibility of passing rain, fall is still an ideal time to relax along the Dominican Republic's 30-mile stretch of white sand, whether diving to see shipwrecks, fishing, boating, or simply kicking back under a coconut palm with a drink in hand, as at Zotry Agua Punta Cana or Royalton Punta Cana Resort & Casino.
4.New York City
Domestically, all eyes are on New York City, which topped Expedia's list with a 75% increase from last year and came in second on Booking.com and Skyscanner. It's no surprise that the City That Never Sleeps has emerged from its pandemic hibernation.
In November, New York will welcome its first museum, the Museum of Broadway, as well as buzzed-about new shows like Almost Famous, which will begin previews on October 3 and KPOP on October 13, as well as classics like The Lion King, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in November.
New viewpoints that have recently opened include Summit One Vanderbilt, which has an Instagram-worthy mirrored space, and Edge NYC (where daredevils can scale the side with City Climb), as well as the digital art space Hall des Lumières, which opened today. Of course, nothing beats a stroll through Central Park during the autumn season.
5.Munich
"Munich is a great example of a place that's making a comeback for U.S. travelers," Hudson says, noting that the German city is hosting Oktoberfest for the first time after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, with Expedia searches increasing 180 percent over last year. Priceline also reported that the German city was at the top of its searches for both flights and hotels.
The festival runs from September 17 to October 3, with guided tours and packages that include a seat at the Oktoberfest table to avoid long lines. It is, however, not the only fall festival in town. The nine-day Auer Dult autumn edition (this year from October 15 to 23) continues a folk tradition with rides, entertainment, shopping, and plenty of food, including roasted almonds and sausages.
It's also a beautiful time to see Munich's fall colors in Perlacher Forst, the Allacher Lohe nature reserve, or Hofoldinger Forst, or to swim in the indoor pool at Müller'sche Volksbad, or to enjoy the last days of raising a glass outside at a biergarten. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Munich Olympics, which are being commemorated in full.
6.Albania
"Albania has seen nearly double the number of bookings in 2022 than it did in the same period in 2019," says Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner's trend and destination expert. "The majority of people haven't discovered it yet, but flights and tourism infrastructure are in place, so there are fewer crowds."
The Balkan Peninsula country shines in the autumn months, with its mild climate inviting outdoor activities from September to November, whether it's biking in Tirana's Grand Park, hiking in the Accursed Mountains of the Albanian Alps, exploring the 2,500-year-old ruins of Butrint, or simply wandering around the village of Korça.
7.Barbados
The Caribbean island nation saw a 3,360 percent increase in Expedia searches for fall travel between last year and this year, most likely due to the removal of Covid-19 testing requirements in May. "Fall—or shoulder season—is a great time to visit Barbados because there is a pretty low risk of hurricanes or heavy enough rainfall to impact your island getaway," Hudson says. She points out that average nightly rates in September are nearly $100 lower than in August and $90 lower than the week of Thanksgiving.
"During the fall months, there are also several music, food, and surfing festivals, so you'll have plenty to do in between relaxing on the beach." The Barbados Jazz Excursion and Golf Tournament, October 6–10; the Barbados Food and Rum Festival, October 27–30; and the Run Barbados race, with distances ranging from 3K to a marathon, December 11 are among the fall events.
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