Looking for a break after the stress of the holidays? Turns out, January has some of the best travel deals of the year.
The cheapest months to travel often fall after “traditional” vacation periods end, according to a new analysis of flight price data from travel deal site Hipmunk. In other words: When kids head back to school in the new year, prices drop.
Almost three-quarters of 60 cities analyzed had a “When to Go” date in either January or September, the site found. After kids start school in September, for example, you can find 38 percent savings on flights to Hawaii’s Big Island and Kauai.
If you’re looking to get away sooner rather than later, these five destinations are among the cheapest to fly to in January, compared to peak pricing, Hipmunk found:
January may be one of the best times to visit Coachella Valley Preserve or Joshua Tree National Park. Flights to the desert climes of Palm Springs, California, after New Year’s Day are a median $370, about 37 percent cheaper than peak pricing.
With all those school-age theme park fans back in class, flights to Orlando are 36 percent cheaper in January, at a median $235.
Feeling lucky? Flights to Sin City are 34 percent cheaper in January, with a median price of $259.
Winter-sports fans heading to Colorado ski resorts often fly to or through Denver. But January flights run a median $202 — 33 percent cheaper compared with peak prices.
Even in the cold, “if you’re on a budget and you want to see New York, there are some lovely things to do,” said a Hipmunk spokeswoman. Flights in January are a median $263, about 22 percent cheaper than peak prices.
