The calendar matters more than usual this winter, according to new data from Expedia. Its winter travel outlook, based on searches from July to October 2026 compared with the same period last year, identifies December 4 and February 18 as the cheapest days to fly internationally. The most expensive days are December 16 and December 19, and the busiest at airports are expected to be December 18 and 19, when the pre-Christmas rush peaks.
Hotels follow a slightly different rhythm. Expedia expects properties to be most packed on December 4 and December 27, while the cheapest nights are January 7 and January 13, once the holidays are over. The priciest nights are December 26 and February 13, the latter driven by Valentine’s Day weekend demand. Expedia’s Melanie Fish said flexible travelers can save by traveling in early December or in February rather than around the holidays.
The data also shows where people want to go. The most-searched winter destinations are Paris, New York, Amsterdam, Bangkok and Tenerife, followed by Dubai, Tokyo, the Canary Islands, Barbados and Prague. The fastest-growing interest is in places that are less obvious: Exuma in the Bahamas is up 115%, Quebec City 75%, Malmö 45%, and Hakone and Curaçao 40% each. Phu Quoc and Martinique are up 30%, and Ocho Rios, Zakopane and Turin are each up 20%.
The practical advice is simple: if you can avoid the week before Christmas, do. Moving a departure from December 19 to December 4, or shifting a February trip away from Valentine’s weekend, can save on both the flight and the room. Travelers committed to the holiday peak should book soon and aim for early-morning departures on the busiest days, when delays tend to be less likely to cascade through the schedule.
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