The Most Affordable Destinations for a February Vacation

It’s never too early to start dominantly using your PTO. I say dominantly because you have to think of your PTO as a way to exercise what few worker rights that some people in this country have. Using your vacation days in the beginning of the year sends a message: You’re going to be taking your work-life balance seriously. Also, what a great way to start the year, with a vacation. Recent data has also shown that a lot of us have admitted that we could really use it after the hectic holiday season, too.

If you’re worried about finding the budget for such an early-year trip, I’ve got an answer for that. Priceline identified the most affordable destinations for a February getaway, and shared that data with Thrillist. Below are the details on the domestic cities with the most affordable hotels and most affordable flights, and the same information for international destinations.

Let’s get into the domestic destinations first. These are the most affordable domestic cities, based on the average cost of a hotel room per night in February. The average hotel price is shared next to each city:
1. Kissimmee, Florida $131
2. Houston $137
3. Chicago $149
4. San Antonio, Texas $152
5. Denver $153
6. Charlotte, North Carolina $156
7. Galveston, Texas $163
8. Seattle $164
9. San Francisco $189
10. San Diego $190

These are the cheapest domestic destinations, based on the average price of a roundtrip flight.
1. New York City $217
2. Chicago $220
3. Washington DC $239
4. Denver $242
5. Seattle $244
6. Atlanta $245
7. Fort Lauderdale, Florida $256
8. Tampa, Florida $260
9. Orlando $267
10. San Francisco $268

As you can see, there’s a fair amount of overlap between the most affordable flights and the most affordable hotel rooms. Consider Orlando, which is next door to Kissimmee, where you can access a bustling culinary scene, theme parks, and tourist attractions galore. Or launchpad a PNW escape with a trip to Seattle.

Interested in going a bit further? Here are the details on international destinations. The most affordable international cities, based on the average cost of a hotel room per night:
1. Samut Prakan, Thailand $57
2. Pattaya, Thailand $73
3. Vienna $92
4. Hanoi, Vietnam $95
5. Bangkok $97
6. Chiang Mai, Thailand $98
7. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam $102
8. Manila, Philippines $105
9. Istanbul $111
10. Cebu City, Philippines $112

And here are the most affordable international destinations, based on the average cost of a roundtrip flight:
1. San Salvador, El Salvador $356
2. Medellin, Colombia $369
3. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic $412
4. Cancun, Mexico $430
5. Montego Bay, Jamaica $437
6. Mexico City $443
7. Aruba, Aruba $467
8. Cartagena, Colombia $469
9. Nassau, Bahamas $475
10. Santiago, Dominican Republic $488

There’s not as much overlap on the international lists for cheap hotels and flights. But you can definitely find tips for lowering your trip costs from Thrillist.