Travel is a great way to enrich your life. There’s nothing like exploring a new place or even returning to an old favorite to make new memories. Whether you’re hitching a ride with friends, road-tripping with family, or flying solo, you’re sure to cherish the experiences you’ll create along the way.
Since the pandemic of 2020 changed all of our travel plans, the “new normal” has definitely taken some getting used to. But according to Augusta Free Press, there’s never been a better time to get back out there and go. After the pandemic, travel has brought in 45% more money around the world in 2022, and that trend is expected to continue into the new year. However, many factors go into planning travel, and money is a significant one.
According to the US Travel Association, “Just over half of American travelers believe they will make leisure travel a high spending priority in the next three months.” Using traveler-friendly tools like Google Flights, Expedia, and Tripadvisor, Impactful News has compiled a list of the top budget-friendly destinations in the nation, along with lots of helpful data to help you make an informed financial decision for your next trip.
We found the cheapest round-trip flights, lowest-cost lodging with a rating of over 7/10, and minimum fuel cost estimation for those road-trippers out there. From weather.com, we found the best-weather months to visit. All calculations were made departing from Atlanta, Georgia, with flights out of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Estimated costs will vary according to your departure location. Remember to check available flights, routes, and airlines for your desired travel dates.
Best Budget-friendly Travel Destinations in the US
Athens, GA
- When to go: April
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $0 (Athens is a 2-hour drive from Atlanta)
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $7.92
- Lodging: $62
- Local transportation:
- Athens transit bus – free
- What to do:
- State Botanical Gardens of Georgia – free
- Bear Hollow Zoo – free
- Georgia Museum of Art – free
- Cheap eats:
Miami, FL
- When to go: March-April
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $38
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $72
- Lodging: $71
- Local transportation:
- Metrobus, Metrorail – $2.25/way, $5.65 day pass
- Metromover – free
- What to do:
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens – $25 Adult, $10 Child
- Zoo Miami – $22.95 Adult, $18.95 Child
- Little Havana – historic neighborhood
- Cheap eats:
Gettysburg, PA
- When to go: May
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $38
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $78
- Lodging: $55
- Local transportation:
- Rabbittransit – $1.00
- Freedom Transit trolley – $1.50-$5.00
- What to do:
- Gettysburg National Military Park – free
- Gettysburg Museum of History – $18.75 Adult, $17.75 Senior, $13.75 Youth
- Cheap eats:
Chicago, IL
- When to go: August-October
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $38
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $82
- Lodging: $50
- Local transportation:
- CTA buses – $5 1-day, $15 3-day
- L Train – $2.50 Full, $1.25 Reduced, $0.75 Student
- What to do:
- The Art Institute of Chicago – $25 Adult, $19 Senior or Student
- Millenium Park – free
- Chicago Riverwalk – free
- Lincoln Park Zoo – free
- Chicago Cultural Center – free
- Cheap eats:
Washington, DC
- When to go: April-May
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $38
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $71
- Lodging: $45
- Local transportation:
- WMATA Metrorail: from $2.25
- Metrobus – $2.00/way
- DC streetcar – free
- What to do:
- Smithsonian – free
- US Capitol – free
- Lincoln Memorial – free
- US Holocaust Memorial Museum – free
- National Mall – free
- Library of Congress – free
- National Portrait Gallery – free
- Cheap eats:
St Augustine, FL
- When to go: March-May
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $48
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $42.62
- Lodging: $99
- Local transportation:
- Sunshine Bus – $2.00/way
- What to do:
- Hop on hop off trolley tour – $36.55
- St Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum – $14,95 Adult, $12.95 Senior, $12.95 Child
- Alligator Farm Zoological Park – $34.99 Adult, $19.99 Child
- Pirate and Treasure Museum – $18.99 Adult, $9.99 Child, $15.99 Senior
- St Augustine Wild Reserve – $35 Adult, $25 Child, $5 Under-5
- Cheap eats:
Orlando, FL
- When to go: November
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $48
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $47
- Lodging: $56
- Local transportation:
- LYNX bus system – $2.00/way, $4.50 day pass
- SunRail – $2-5/way
- I-RIDE Trolley – $2.00 Adult, $1.00 Child, $0.25 Senior
- What to do:
- Universal Studios – from $109/day
- Disneyworld – from $109/day
- Cheap eats:
Cedar Point, OH
- When to go: June
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $48
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $77
- Lodging: $45
- Local transportation: None
- What to do:
- Marblehead Lighthouse State Park – $3/person
- Merry Go Round Museum – $6 Adult, $5 Senior, $4 Child
- African Safari Wildlife Park – from $19.95 Adult, $16.95 Senior, $14.95 Child
- Cheap eats:
New Orleans, LA
- When to go: February-April
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $54
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $55
- Lodging: $89
- Local transportation:
- NORTA streetcars – $1.25/way, $3/day pass
- Ferries – $2 Adult, $1 Child or Senior
- What to do:
- National WWII Museum – $31.50 Adult, $26.50 Senior, $19 Child or Student
- French Quarter – free
- Audubon Zoo – from $22 Adult, $18 Child or Senior
- St Louis Cathedral – free
- Cheap eats:
New York City, NY
- When to go: May, September
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $58
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $97
- Lodging: $88
- Local transportation:
- MTA Subway and Bus System – $2.75/way
- Roosevelt Island Tram and Cable Car – $2.75/way
- Taxi system – $2.50+$0.50/min or half mile
- What to do:
- The MET – $30 Adults, $22 Seniors, $17 Students
- Central Park – free
- Statue of Liberty – $24.30 Adults, $12.30 Children, $18.30 Seniors
- Empire State Building – from $44 Adult, $38 Child, $42 Senior
- Brooklyn Bridge – free
- Cheap eats:
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
- When to go: March-May
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $85
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $206
- Lodging: $43
- Local transportation:
- Free shuttle bus
- What to do:
- Visitor Centers – free
- Trail of Time – free
- Canyon Rim Trail – free
- Guided bicycle tours – from $48.50
- Desert view drive – free
- Grand Canyon railway – $82 Adult, $51 Child
- Cheap eats:
San Antonio, TX
- When to go: March-April, October-November
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $88
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $114
- Lodging: $49
- Local transportation:
- VIA Metropolitan Transit – $2.75/day pass
- Alamo Trolley – $20 Adult, $10 Child
- What to do:
- Natural Bridge Caverns – from $27.50
- The Alamo – $40 Adult, $30 Child
- San Antonio Riverwalk – free
- Japanese Tea Gardens – $10 Adult, $7 Senior, $3 Children
- San Antonio Zoo – $31.99 Adult, $27.99 Child
- San Fernando de Bexar Cathedral – free
- Witte Museum – $14 Adult, $13 Senior, $10 Child
- Cheap eats:
Bar Harbor, ME
- When to go: June-August
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $94
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $155
- Lodging: $98
- Local transportation:
- Downeast Transportation bus service – $1/way
- Bangor Shuttle (June-Oct) – $6 single-ride
- What to do:
- Acadia National Park – $30 7-day pass
- Ocean Trail – free
- Egg Rock Lighthouse Lu Lu Lobster tour – $41
- George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History – Optional admissions fee
- Cheap eats:
Boston, MA
- When to go: September-October
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $94
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $121
- Lodging: $99
- Local transportation:
- Subway – $2.40/way
- Bus – $1.70/way
- Commuter rail – $2.40/way
- Ferry – starting at $2.40/way
- What to do:
- Freedom Trail – free
- Museum of Fine Arts – $27 Adult, $10 Child
- Boston Harbor Islands State Park – $24.95 Adult, $17.95 Child, $22.95 Seniors
- Boston Public Library – free
- Cheap eats:
Colorado Springs, CO
- When to go: September
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $98
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $160
- Lodging: $60
- Local transportation:
- Mountain Metro – $1.75/way
- What to do:
- Garden of the Gods – free
- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo – from $19.75 Adult, $14.75 Child
- National Museum of WWII Aviation – $15 Adult, $11 Child, $13 Senior
- Cheap eats:
Telluride, CO
- When to go: June-August
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $98
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $198
- Lodging: $95
- Local transportation:
- Galloping Goose buses – free
- What to do:
- Bear Creek Falls – free
- Telluride Historical Museum – $9 General, $6 Students or Seniors
- Cheap eats:
Crested Butte, CO
- When to go: June-August
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $98
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $177
- Lodging: $59
- Local transportation:
- Gunnison Valley RTA – free
- Mountain Express Bus Shuttle – free
- What to do:
- Kebler Pass – free
- Meridian Lake – free
- Cheap eats:
San Francisco, CA
- When to go: September-November
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $104
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $286
- Lodging: $59
- Local transportation:
- SFMTA muni buses – $2.50/way
- Trolleys – $2.25 Adult, $1.00 Senior or Child
- Golden Gate ferries – from $13.50 Adult, $6.75 Youth or Senior
- PresidiGo shuttle – free
- What to do:
- Golden Gate Bridge – free
- Alcatraz – from $42.15 Adult, $25.80 Child, $39.80 Senior
- Palace of Fine Arts Theater – free
- Cable Cars – from $2.50/way
- Cheap eats:
Los Angeles, CA
- When to go: October-November
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $153
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $254
- Lodging: $36
- Local transportation:
- Los Angeles metro buses – $1.75/way
- What to do:
- The Getty Center – free
- Universal Studios Hollywood – from $109/day
- Griffith Observatory – free
- Cheap eats:
Williamsburg, VA
- When to go: October-November
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $125
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $64
- Lodging: $60
- Local transportation:
- Trolley – $0.50/trip
- Williamsburg bus – $1.50/way
- What to do:
- Colonial Williamsburg – $46.99 Adult, $25.99 Child
- Historic Jamestowne – $30 Adult, Children free 15 & under
- Busch Gardens – $39.99/day
- Cheap eats:
Nashville, TN
- When to go: April-May
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $129
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $27.72
- Lodging: $61
- Local transportation:
- WeGo public transit – $4 day pass
- What to do:
- Country Music hall of Fame and Museum – from $27.95 Adult, $17.95 Youth
- The Johnny Cash Museum – $23.95 Adult, $19.95 Youth
- Nashville Parthenon – $10 Adult, $8 Senior or Child
- Cheap eats:
Asheville, NC
- When to go: March-May
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $138
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $23.44
- Lodging: $86
- Local transportation:
- Asheville rides transit – $1/way
- What to do:
- Downtown trolley tours – from $37
- Biltmore Mansion and Village – from $69/person
- Asheville Arts Museum – $15 General, $13 Senior, $10 Youth
- Cheap eats:
Grand Teton National Park, WY
- When to go: June
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $144
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $206
- Lodging: $74
- Local transportation:
- Free shuttle bus
- What to do:
- Hiking – free
- Fishing – $14 5-day pass
- Backcountry camping – $35 Walk-ins
- Cheap eats:
Moab, UT
- When to go: September
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $144
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $201
- Lodging: $55
- Local transportation:
- Free shuttle service
- What to do:
- Hiking – free
- River rafting – from $89
- Mountain biking – free, see license requirements
- Cheap eats:
Memphis, TN
- When to go: October
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $144
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $43.65
- Lodging: $59
- Local transportation:
- MATA buses – $1/way
- Trolleys – $1 base fare, $2 day pass
- What to do:
- Graceland – from $27
- Sun Studio – $15 Adult, $13 Youth, $10 Child
- Memphis Zoo – $21 Adult, $20 Senior, $16 Child
- Memphis Rock n’ Soul Museum – $13 Adult, $10 Child
- Memphis Botanic Garden – $12 Adult, $10 Senior, $7 Child
- Cheap eats:
Buffalo, NY
- When to go: June-August
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $147
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $97
- Lodging: $66
- Local transportation:
- NFTA Metro Bus and Rail system – $2/way
- What to do:
- Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens – $14 Adult, $12.50 Senior, $7.50 Child
- Canalside – free
- Cheap eats:
Niagara Falls, NY
- When to go: June-August
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $147
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $102
- Lodging: $55
- Local transportation:
- NFTA Metro Bus and Rail system – $2/way
- What to do:
- Niagara Falls State Park – from $25.25 Adult, $14.75
- Aquarium of Niagara – $19.95 Adult, $17.95 Senior, $14.95 Child
- Cheap eats:
Cannon Beach, OR
- When to go: July-August
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $153
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $297
- Lodging: $57
- Local transportation:
- Cannon Beach Shuttle – $1/way
- What to do:
- Whale watching – free
- Art tours – free
- Haystack Rock – free
- Cheap eats:
Destin, FL
- When to go: April-May
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $153
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $36.71
- Lodging: $56
- Local transportation:
- EC Rider – $2/way
- What to do:
- Henderson Beach State Park – $6/vehicle
- Destin Harbor Boardwalk – free
- Destin History & Fishing Museum – $5 Adult, $4 Senior, $3 Youth, Children free
- Cheap eats:
Olympic National Park, WA
- When to go: July-August
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $157
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $303
- Lodging: $54
- Local transportation:
- Clallam transit buses – $1/way
- Port of Seattle ferry – $9.45 Adult, $4.70 Senior, 17 and under free
- What to do:
- Camping – from $40/night
- Boating – free, see license requirements
- Fishing – free, see license requirements
- Hurricane Hill (snowshoeing and skiing) – free
- Tidepooling – free
- Hiking – free
- Cheap eats:
Nags Head, NC
- When to go: May
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $157
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $67
- Lodging: $65
- Local transportation:
- Coastal Transportation Company – costs vary
- What to do:
- Jockey Ridge State Park – free
- Bodie Island Lighthouse – $10 Adult, $5 Senior or Child
- Cheap eats:
Portland, OR
- When to go: June-August
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $157
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $299
- Lodging: $75
- Local transportation:
- TriMet bus – $2.50/2.5 hours
- Light rail train – $2.50
- What to do:
- Portland Japanese Garden – $19.95 Adult, $16.95 Senior, $13.95 Youth
- Portland Art Museum – $25 Adult, $22 Senior or Student
- Pittock Mansion – $15 Adult, $11.50 Child, $13.50 Senior
- International Rose Test Garden – free
- Cheap eats:
Louisville, KY
- When to go: April-May, September-October
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $164
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $47.91
- Lodging: $74
- Local transportation:
- TARC buses – $1.75/way
- What to do:
- Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory – $18 Adult, $17 Senior, $11 Child
- Kentucky Derby Museum – $18/person
- Conrad-Caldwell House Museum – $20 Adult, $18 Senior, $16 Youth 0-17
- Louisville Zoo – from $11.25 Adult, $8.25 Child or Senior
- Cheap eats:
Milwaukee, WI
- When to go: June-August
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $177
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $91
- Lodging: $84
- Local transportation:
- MCTS buses – $2.25/way, $4 day pass
- What to do:
- Milwaukee Art Museum – $22 Adult, $17 Senior or Student
- Milwaukee Public Museum – $22 Adult, $18 Senior, $16 Child
- Milwaukee County Zoo – $13.25 Adult, $10.25 Child, $12.25 Senior
- Pabst Mansion – $20 Adult, $18 Senior, $13 Child
- Milwaukee River Walk – free
- Cheap eats:
Glacier National Park, MT
- When to go: September
- Round-trip flight from ATL: $194
- Average fuel cost from Atlanta, GA: $250
- Lodging: $59
- Local transportation:
- Free shuttle bus
- What to do:
- Hiking – free
- Guided hikes and tours – from $65 Adult, $55 Child
- Fishing – free, see license requirements
- Boating – free, see license requirements
- Skiing and snowshoeing – free
- Cheap eats:
