Now a mere month
away, the upcoming total
solar eclipse on April 8 has ignited a surge of interest in domestic travel,
as eclipse aficionados scramble to finalize their plans. After all, this is the
first total solar eclipse visible from the United States since 2017 and will be
the last until 2044. This year’s is also particularly exciting for celestial enthusiasts
due to its much wider path
of totality, which passes northeastward from Texas up through Maine in the
U.S.
We’ve been hearing
about increased demand for destinations that fall along this path of
totality—places where the sun will be completely obscured by the moon passing
in front of it—and flights
selling out well ahead of time. Expert forecasts have predicted that anywhere
between one
million and four million Americans will make a pilgrimage to a prime
viewing spot from which to witness the rare phenomenon.
Now, Expedia's newly
released data has also just revealed a huge spike in hotel searches for cities
along the path of totality, with Burlington, Vermont, leading the pack with a
staggering 1,155 percent increase in searches. Other U.S. destinations
experiencing significant search spikes as a byproduct of the elcipse craze include
Little Rock, Arkansas (+985 percent), Dayton, Ohio (+705 percent), Buffalo, New
York (+645 percent), and Indianapolis, Indiana (+545 percent).
For those
last-minute eclipse chasers who have yet to secure accommodations along this currently
coveted geographic strip, it’s actually not too late to make reservations. In
fact, Expedia and sister company Vrbo have just introduced a convenient app
feature that displays available hotels and vacation rentals along the total
solar eclipse's projected path in a map or list view. Users need simply enter "Solar
Eclipse 2024" in the destination box and choose the dates surrounding
April 8 to explore a variety of available properties that fall within the path
of totality.
"The total
solar eclipse is just one month from now, and there are still three-star hotels
available in Dallas for $126 a night and $107 in Dayton,"
said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands Public Relations.
"This close to the eclipse, the rates tend to be lower in the bigger
cities where there are more hotels, and higher in areas like the Hill Country
outside Austin—that's where groups of friends or family should look at the Vrbo
vacation homes still available."
Total solar eclipse seen amid the clouds. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Peter Jurik)
While many destinations
within the path of totality may be booking up due to heightened demand—which is
compounded due to the fact that many people will be on Spring
Break during the same period—there are several major cities that lie along
this trajectory that still have hotel and private rental inventory. Here are
some stellar selections, handpicked by the experts at Expedia and Vrbo:
Austin, Texas
- Right now,
three-star hotels in the Austin area that still have booking availability start
at about $187 per night.
-
Meanwhile, nearly 15
percent of Vrbo properties in the Austin and surrounding Hill Country area are
still available.
Dallas, Texas
- Three-star hotels
in the Dallas area with availability currently start around $126 per
night.
- More than 10
percent of Vrbo properties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are still
available.
San Antonio,
Texas
- Three-star hotels
in the San Antonio area with availability currently start
around $108 per night.
- Nearly 15 percent
of Vrbo properties in the San Antonio area are still available.
Indianapolis,
Indiana
- Three-star hotels
in the Indianapolis area with availability currently start
around $193 per night.
- Nearly 10 percent
of Vrbo properties in the Indianapolis area are still available.
Dayton, Ohio
- Three-star hotels
in the Dayton area with availability currently start around $107 per
night.
- Over 10 percent of
Vrbo properties in the Dayton area are still available.
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