The Most Popular Memorial Day Destinations for 2019

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

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May is here, which means Memorial Day–the unofficial start to summer–is just around the corner. Memorial Day isn’t the biggest travel holiday of the year, with many people choosing quick, local getaways (read: driving, instead of flying).

Still, it’s a popular time for air travel as well, and CheapOAir is out with its list of the most booked destinations for Memorial Day, as well as the average airfare for each, in case you’re still weighing a last-minute getaway. The numbers also offer a preview of the overall cost of traveling this summer (high season for air travel), as fares are trending downward compared to the same time last year.

“Average airfares, both international and domestic, are at a lower price point this time of year ahead of the peak summer travel season when prices are expected to increase significantly,” said Tom Spagnola, CheapOAir Senior Vice President of Supplier Relations.

Domestically: Orlando, New York, and Las Vegas top the list, with average fares to Orlando coming in slightly under $300:

Destination	Average Roundtrip Airfare
Orlando, FL	$293
New York, NY	$310
Las Vegas, NA	$368
Los Angeles, CA	$342
Denver, CO	$312
Chicago, IL	$325
Atlanta, GA	$268
Miami, FL	$398
Houston, TX	$308
Seattle, WA	$356

Internationally: London, Cancun, and Mexico City led the way. London makes sense as a quick “long-weekend” trip from most of the East Coast given the reasonable flight time. Overall, Memorial Day airfares to Europe are fairly reasonable.

London, England	$573
Cancun, Mexico	$568
Mexico City, Mexico	$393
Paris, France	$569
Rome, Italy	$830
Barcelona, Spain	$883
Montego Bay, Jamaica	$695
Lima, Peru	$666
Madrid, Spain	$524
Dublin, Ireland	$767

Readers, are you planning a Memorial Day trip this year? Did you pay more? Or will you stay closer to home? Comment below.

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