By John Metcalfe
Bay Area News Group
Sometimes, it’s tiresome to plan a vacation. Sometimes, it’s best to let the algorithm do it for you.
Stepping up to help is travel-booking site Skyscanner, which this October released its top-searched destinations for U.S. travelers in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. “The not-so-obvious (places) are stealing the spotlight,” Skyscanner writes. “U.S. travelers are turning their attention to smaller, lesser-known destinations that fly further under the radar but offer something fresh beyond the big-name spots.”
Goodbye, Hawaii and Disney World. Hello, Limon, Costa Rica, a coastal city that saw a 286 percent increase in flight searches this year. Other hot spots include Bodrum, Turkey; Zadar, Croatia; and in the United States, New Haven in Connecticut (great pizza!) and Colorado’s mountainous ski haven, Vail.
Skyscanner’s 10 Trending Destinations for 2026
- Limon, Costa Rica
- Jaipur, India
- Bodrum, Turkey
- Madeira, Portugal
- Vail, Colorado
- Zadar, Croatia
- Olbia, Italy
- New Haven, Connecticut
- Bilbao, Spain
- Mykonos, Greece
Source: Skyscanner.com/travel-trends/destinations
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