by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 7:50 PM ET, Mon October 5, 2026
The 2026 holiday travel season is turning out to be something of a mixed bag. With ticket prices especially steep, many Americans (some 55% according to a recent study) are not traveling at all for Thanksgiving or Christmas. And many of those who are traveling are opting for road trips instead of taking to the skies.
In addition, many travelers this year are opting to stay closer to home, according to a holiday travel report published by Home to Go. The same report reveals that “mountain towns and cabin-country escapes” are dominating the list of fastest-growing destinations for Thanksgiving 2026.
Meaning, travelers are increasingly heading to destinations like Leavenworth, Washington, which is experiencing a 347% year-over-year search increase. Located in the Cascade Mountains, Leavenworth is known for its picturesque Bavarian-themed Alpine village.
Also popular among Thanksgiving travelers: the vibrant mountain town of Boone, North Carolina. Searches are up 275% over last year. Rounding out the top three most popular destinations for Thanksgiving is the famous Wyoming community of Jackson Hole, which features world-class skiing, mountains galore and is also the gateway to two beloved national parks, Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
Top destinations for Christmas 2026
Turning our attention to Christmas, the same Home to Go report says international travel is topping the agenda for travelers. In fact, seven of the top 10 trending destinations for the holiday are located outside the United States. The top locations being searched for Christmas include:
- Steamboat Springs, Colorado: up 500% year over year
- Arlberg, Austria: up 279%
- Grindelwald, Switzerland: up 263%
- Megeve, France: up 257%
- Beaver Creek, Colorado: up 203%
- Copenhagen, Denmark: up 83%
- Strasbourg, France: up 69%
- Lapland, Finland: up 58%
- Tromso, Norway: up 36%
All insights are based on searches carried out by travelers on the Home to Go platform for check-in dates falling within the week leading up to each holiday, including the holiday itself.
To round out the picture for the 2026 holiday season, TravelPulse reached out to travel advisors to gather more intel on what lies ahead for Thanksgiving and Christmas, both in top destinations and general travel trends. Read on toto learn what they are forecasting.
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