What Are the Best Places to Travel in December? US Budget Picks 2026

ShopBack US is a free app and website for shopping and booking online. You start your booking from the store's page on ShopBack, book on the store's own site as usual, and part of what you paid comes back as cash once the stay is confirmed. Join ShopBack US for free before you book your December trip.

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What are the best places to travel in December from the US on a budget?

The best budget December trips are the ones where you avoid the two things that push prices up: a destination at its peak and the busy holiday weeks. KAYAK publishes 12-month fare averages for routes from the US, and they show a clear split. December is one of the two most expensive months to fly to some winter favorites, and an ordinary month for others.

Destination	Average US round trip (KAYAK, 12 months)	Is December a peak month for fares?
Orlando	About $280	No (June and March are priciest)
Las Vegas	About $319	No (June and July are priciest)
Miami	About $338	No (June and July are priciest)
Phoenix	About $359	No (June and September are priciest)
New Orleans	About $371	No (June and April are priciest)
San Antonio	About $402	No (June and July are priciest)
Lisbon	About $890	No (June and July are priciest)
San Juan	About $387	Yes, December is the priciest month
Cancun	About $529	Yes, October and December are priciest
Mexico City	About $504	Yes, December is the priciest month
Honolulu	About $610	Yes, December is the priciest month

Figures are KAYAK's published averages at the time of writing and change as new fares come in. The pattern is the useful part: the first seven destinations are budget-friendly in December, while the last four are better saved for January, when KAYAK shows them at their cheapest or close to it.

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Best places to travel in December: our budget picks

Each pick below pairs a fare that is not at its peak in December with something that is at its best in winter.

Las Vegas and Death Valley

Las Vegas is one of the cheapest big-city flights from the US, and December is a good month for the desert next door. Round trips averaged about $319 on KAYAK's 12-month data, with June and July the priciest months. The National Park Service says winter in Death Valley is "very pleasant", with mild daytime temperatures at low elevations and cool nights that only occasionally reach freezing. A private vehicle pays $30 to enter, and the park does not accept cash.

Miami and the Everglades

South Florida is at its driest in December. The National Park Service says the Everglades' winter dry season runs from about December to mid-May, with temperatures from the low 50s to the upper 70s Fahrenheit and low humidity. Entry is $35 per private vehicle and is good for 7 consecutive days. Miami round trips averaged about $338 on KAYAK. Nearby Fort Lauderdale averaged about $268 over 12 months, though December is its priciest month, at about $311.

Orlando

Orlando has the lowest average fare on this list. Round trips averaged about $280 on KAYAK's 12-month data, with January the cheapest month at about $215 and June the priciest. If you are going for the theme parks, December is about the flight and hotel savings, so keep your dates outside Christmas week.

New Orleans, Phoenix and San Antonio

These three cities all run below $410 on average and do not peak in December. New Orleans averaged about $371, Phoenix about $359 and San Antonio about $402 on KAYAK's 12-month data. They work well as long-weekend trips in the first half of December, before the holiday rush.

Lisbon for Europe

Lisbon is the value pick if you want Europe in December. Round trips from the US averaged about $890 on KAYAK, and June and July are the priciest months. Once you are there, Visit Lisboa says the Lisboa Card includes free public transport in Lisbon and free entry to 51 museums and monuments, which keeps daily costs down.

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Best places to travel in December 2026: when to go

In December 2026, the cheapest and calmest time to travel is the first half of the month. TSA's 2025 checkpoint numbers show the pattern clearly:

Day in December 2025	People screened by TSA
Tuesday, December 9 (quietest)	About 1.98 million
Saturday, December 6	About 1.99 million
Tuesday, December 16	About 2.05 million
Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day)	About 2.07 million
Monday, December 1	About 2.89 million
Sunday, December 28 (busiest)	About 2.92 million

So the quiet days were early and mid-December and Christmas Day itself, while the Monday after Thanksgiving and the days after Christmas were the busiest. In 2026, Christmas Day falls on a Friday. If you have to travel over the holidays, flying on Christmas Day or in the middle of a week is usually easier than the weekend after.

For booking windows on holiday flights, see when to book Christmas flights for the lowest fares.

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Best places to travel in December: best deals in the US for 2026

The best December deals usually come from your dates and how you book, not from public promo codes.

• Book the flight for the first half of December if your plans allow it, based on the TSA pattern above.
• Check the whole trip, not just the fare. Add bags, resort or cleaning fees, parking and park passes before you compare.
• Price a package if you need a hotel. Priceline says its package savings compare a flight and hotel booked together with the same flight and hotel booked separately on priceline.com, and that savings vary.
• Use an annual park pass if you will visit two or more parks. The National Park Service's America the Beautiful annual pass costs $80 for US citizens and residents, and the 2026 fee-free days end with Veterans Day on November 11.
• Before you book a hotel on Booking.com or Agoda, go through ShopBack first. It takes a few seconds and lowers the effective price of the stay.

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Expedia vs Priceline for a December trip

Expedia and Priceline both sell flights, hotels and packages, so the best one for your December trip is whichever has the lower total for the same booking. Prices for the same room or flight often land close together. What changes the answer is the fees, the cancellation terms and whether a package beats separate bookings.

What to compare	Why it matters in December
Same hotel, room type and dates	Holiday weeks can price very differently from early December
Free cancellation or not	Plans change around the holidays
Flight plus hotel total	Packages can price differently from booking separately
Taxes and resort fees	Can change which option is cheaper
What ShopBack returns on the booking	Lowers the effective price; check each store's ShopBack page

A simple routine: price the identical trip on Expedia and Priceline, add Trip.com for a third quote, then book the winner through ShopBack US.

Expedia, Priceline and Vrbo: choosing where to stay

For a December trip, the stay is usually the biggest cost after the flight, so compare a hotel against a rental. Booking sites such as Booking.com, Expedia, Priceline, Trip.com and Agoda sell hotels and other stays, and Vrbo focuses on whole-home vacation rentals. Booking.com says it offers more than 28 million reported accommodation listings, including over 6.6 million homes, apartments and other unique places to stay.

• Families and groups: a whole home on Vrbo can cost less per person than several hotel rooms, especially with a kitchen.
• Couples and short stays: a hotel is often cheaper once cleaning and service fees on rentals are counted.
• Either way: compare the total with all fees, check the cancellation terms, and book through ShopBack US.

Priceline, Vrbo and Agoda also have store pages on ShopBack US.

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Cheapest month vs December: the price data

For most of these destinations, January is the cheapest month to fly, and December sits in the middle. According to KAYAK's 12-month data at the time of writing:

Destination	Cheapest month (average round trip)	Priciest months
Orlando	January (about $215)	June, March
Las Vegas	January (about $255)	June, July
Miami	January (about $285)	June, July
Phoenix	January (about $299)	June, September
New Orleans	January (about $317)	June, April
San Antonio	January (about $355)	June, July
Lisbon	January (about $608)	June, July
San Juan	January (about $328)	December, June
Mexico City	January (about $449)	December, October
Cancun	January (about $464)	October, December
Honolulu	January and February (about $533)	December, June

If your trip can move by a few weeks, shifting it from late December into January is usually the biggest single saving. If it has to be December, pick a destination from the top of the table and travel early in the month.

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How ShopBack lowers what you pay for a December trip

ShopBack works like an automatic cash discount on your online order. You book on Booking.com, Trip.com or Expedia exactly as you normally would. The only change is where you start.

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. The number to watch is your effective price: what you paid minus the cash that comes back.

The live rate for each store is shown on its ShopBack page and changes by store and campaign, so check it before you book.

How to do it:

1. Pick the destination and dates using the tables above.
2. Sign in to ShopBack US on the web or in the app.
3. Open the Booking.com, Trip.com or Expedia page on ShopBack.
4. Tap through and book.

Trip.com codes: No code is needed for Cashback: go through ShopBack before you pay.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best places to travel in December from the US on a budget?

The best budget picks are places where December is not one of the priciest months to fly. On KAYAK's 12-month data at the time of writing, Orlando (about $280 average round trip), Las Vegas (about $319), Miami (about $338), Phoenix (about $359) and New Orleans (about $371) all fit, and Lisbon is the value pick for Europe. Fly in the first half of December, and go through ShopBack US before you book the hotel.

What are the best places to travel in December 2026?

For a budget trip in December 2026, look at Las Vegas paired with Death Valley, Miami paired with the Everglades, Orlando, New Orleans, Phoenix and, for Europe, Lisbon. The National Park Service describes winter in Death Valley as very pleasant, and the Everglades dry season runs from about December to mid-May.

Where can I go in December for warm weather on a budget?

Two good-value options are South Florida and the desert around Las Vegas. The National Park Service says the Everglades' winter dry season brings temperatures from the low 50s to the upper 70s Fahrenheit with low humidity, and that winter daytime temperatures in Death Valley are mild at low elevations. Round trips to Miami and Las Vegas averaged about $338 and $319 on KAYAK's 12-month data.

Is December an expensive month to fly in the US?

It depends on the destination and the dates. On KAYAK's 12-month data, December was one of the two priciest months to fly to San Juan, Mexico City, Cancun and Honolulu, but not to Orlando, Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix, New Orleans or Lisbon. Within the month, the days after Thanksgiving and after Christmas are the busiest: TSA screened about 2.9 million people on December 28, 2025, against about 2 million on December 9.

What are the quietest days to fly in December?

In December 2025, TSA's quietest checkpoint days were Tuesday, December 9 (about 1.98 million people), Saturday, December 6 (about 1.99 million), Tuesday, December 16 (about 2.05 million) and Christmas Day (about 2.07 million). The busiest was Sunday, December 28, at about 2.92 million. Quieter days often mean easier fares, so try the first half of the month.

Is Expedia or Priceline cheaper for a December trip?

Neither is cheapest every time. Both sell flights, hotels and flight plus hotel packages, and the same room or flight often prices close on both. Priceline says its package savings compare a flight and hotel booked together with the same flight and hotel booked separately on priceline.com. Price the identical trip on each, then book the winner through ShopBack US.

Is a Vrbo rental or a hotel cheaper for a December trip?

For families and groups, a whole-home rental on Vrbo can work out cheaper per person than two or three hotel rooms, especially with a kitchen. For couples and short stays, a hotel is often simpler and cheaper once cleaning and service fees are counted. Compare the total for your dates, including fees, before you book.

Are national parks free to visit in December 2026?

Not on a fee-free day. The National Park Service's 2026 free entrance days end with Veterans Day on November 11, so December visits need a pass. Death Valley charges $30 per private vehicle and the Everglades $35 for 7 days, and the $80 America the Beautiful annual pass for US citizens and residents covers both.

Is Europe cheap to visit in December from the US?

Europe is cheapest in late winter, but December can still be reasonable. On KAYAK's 12-month data, December was not among the two priciest months for Lisbon, London or Paris, while January or February was cheapest for all three. Lisbon stands out for value: round trips averaged about $890, and the Lisboa Card includes free public transport and free entry to 51 museums and monuments.

How does ShopBack lower what I pay for a December trip?

ShopBack works like an automatic cash discount on your online order. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. Before you book a hotel on Booking.com or Agoda, go through ShopBack first: open the store on ShopBack US, tap through and book. The live rate is on each store's ShopBack page.

Can I use a Trip.com promo code and still get Cashback through ShopBack?

No code is needed for Cashback: go through ShopBack to Trip.com before you pay, then book as usual.

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Key takeaways

• On KAYAK's 12-month data, Orlando, Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix, New Orleans, San Antonio and Lisbon do not peak in December, while San Juan, Cancun, Mexico City and Honolulu do.
• Travel in the first half of December: TSA's quietest 2025 days were December 6, 9 and 16, and the busiest was December 28.
• Pair a cheap flight with a park in season: Death Valley ($30 per vehicle) and the Everglades ($35 for 7 days) are at their best in winter.
• Compare Expedia, Priceline, Trip.com, Booking.com and Vrbo on the same dates, with all fees included.
• Before you book a hotel on Booking.com or Agoda, go through ShopBack US first: open Booking.com, Trip.com or Expedia on ShopBack, tap through, then pay.

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Related reads

Book through ShopBack US: Booking.com · Trip.com · Expedia

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Disclaimer

The views and recommendations in this article are those of the author. Fare averages are KAYAK's published figures for the past 12 months at the time of writing, checkpoint numbers are TSA's published 2025 figures, and park fees and seasons are as published by the National Park Service at the time of writing; all can change. This article is not affiliated with or endorsed by KAYAK, Booking.com, Trip.com, Expedia, Priceline, Vrbo or Agoda. Rates on ShopBack vary by store and campaign; the current rate is on each store's ShopBack page.

This article is for general information only and is not professional or financial advice.