10 Popular Spring Travel Destinations Where a Dollar Goes Far

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You can stretch your dollar more than twice as far — and extend your trip by a full week — by choosing certain springtime hot spots over others.

That’s the gist of TripAdvisor’s inaugural TripMaximizer Report, which details how much bang you get for your buck at 10 destinations that are popular this spring.

For the report, TripAdvisor worked with a budget of $2,500. The travel planning and booking site says a recent survey found that 50 percent of U.S. travelers spent at least that much on a vacation, including lodging and flights.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is the cheapest of the 10 destinations in the report. For $2,500, you can spend 12 nights there. TripAdvisor spokesperson Brooke Ferencsik attributes Myrtle Beach’s value to its “many low-priced, top-rated hotel options and reasonable airfares.”

The TripMaximizer Report found that the average rate for a four-star hotel in the coastal city was $174 per night between March 1 and May 31, 2016. The average round-trip airfare was $397 per person between March 1 and May 31.

At the other end of the spectrum are two other coastal cities — Miami Beach, Florida, and Cancun, Mexico. For $2,500, you can spend only five nights at either of those destinations this spring. That’s one full week less than you’d get at Myrtle Beach.

Average hotel rates in Miami Beach and Cancun are $403 and $422 per night, respectively. The average round-trip airfare rates for these hot spots are $396 and $463, respectively.

The stay lengths for all 10 destinations are:

  • Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: A budget of $2,500 or less buys you a trip length of 12 nights.
  • Anaheim, California: 10 nights
  • Orlando, Florida: nine nights
  • San Diego: eight nights
  • New Orleans: eight nights
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico: seven nights
  • Barcelona, Spain: seven nights
  • Honolulu: six nights
  • Miami Beach, Florida: five nights
  • Cancun, Mexico: five nights

For more ways to save on travel, check out:

What’s your favorite budget-friendly springtime destination? Let us know below or on our Facebook page.

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