Image generated with Ai

Holiday travel in 2026 is showing a clear geographic shift as U.S. travellers move from domestic autumn escapes to longer and more international journeys by the end of the year. HomeToGo’s 2026 Holiday Travel Report shows that Thanksgiving remains the most home-focused holiday, while Christmas and especially New Year’s Eve are driving stronger interest in international destinations across Europe and beyond.

What Do the 2026 Holiday Travel Trends Reveal?

HomeToGo data points to a holiday season that becomes progressively longer and more international. Average stays rise from seven days for Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day and Thanksgiving to 10 days for Christmas and 12 days for New Year’s Eve. Domestic searches account for 87% of Thanksgiving demand, compared with 66% for Christmas, while New Year’s Eve has an entirely international top-ten list. The pattern suggests that travellers are treating the final weeks of 2026 as an opportunity for extended leisure, winter experiences and major celebrations.

United States: Fall Foliage and Cozy Thanksgiving Escapes

The United States remains central to the autumn holiday calendar, particularly for travellers seeking scenic landscapes and traditional gatherings. McCall, Idaho leads the Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day trend with searches up 637% year over year, followed by Stowe, Vermont at 469% and Lake George, New York at 363%. Bar Harbor, Maine and Banner Elk, North Carolina also record substantial growth, reinforcing demand for foliage, mountain scenery and coastal retreats.

Thanksgiving is even more domestic. Leavenworth, Washington is the leading trending destination, with searches up 347%, followed by Boone, North Carolina at 275% and Jackson Hole, Wyoming at 213%. Park City, Utah and Highlands, North Carolina complete the top five. The average Thanksgiving group size has increased 13.9% year over year to six travellers, while the average trip remains seven days and the average distance travelled is the lowest of the five holidays at 1,070 miles.

Greece and Spain: Southern Europe Gains November Momentum

November brings a distinct change in destination preferences as travellers look towards milder weather. Athens, Greece records a 530% year-over-year increase in searches for Veterans Day travel, making the Greek capital the strongest trending destination in the report for that holiday. Spain also performs strongly, with Palma de Mallorca up 406%, Málaga up 201% and Valencia up 172%.

The figures underline the appeal of Mediterranean destinations during a period when much of North America is entering colder weather. Sullivan’s Island in South Carolina also appears among the top five, showing that U.S. travellers continue to combine domestic coastal options with international warm-weather alternatives. Veterans Day trips average nine days, 13% longer than the previous year.

Austria, Switzerland and France: Alpine Winter Demand Builds

European ski destinations become increasingly prominent as the Christmas period approaches. Steamboat Springs, Colorado leads the Christmas trend with a 500% year-over-year search increase, but the following destinations are firmly European: Arlberg in Austria at 279%, Grindelwald in Switzerland at 263% and Megève in France at 257%. Beaver Creek, Colorado rounds out the top five.

The Christmas data indicates that travellers are looking beyond a single type of winter holiday. Some are choosing established U.S. mountain resorts, while others are crossing the Atlantic for Alpine scenery, skiing and traditional European winter experiences. Christmas stays average 10 days, up 8.1% year over year, while domestic destinations represent 66% of searches.

Italy: Milan Emerges as a Major New Year’s Eve Trend

Italy takes the leading position in HomeToGo’s New Year’s Eve destination trends, with Milan recording a 279% year-over-year increase in searches. The city’s position reflects a broader shift towards urban European celebrations as travellers move beyond the more traditional domestic holiday market. Milan is also part of a highly international top-ten list that contains destinations across Europe and the Americas.

Austria and France: Ski Resorts Join the New Year’s Celebration

Austria appears twice in the New Year’s Eve top ten, with Ischgl recording an 114% increase in searches and Salzburg rising 15%. France is represented by Méribel, where searches increase 68%. These destinations combine New Year celebrations with winter sports and mountain stays, giving travellers an alternative to large city events.

Uruguay, Scotland, Portugal and the Czech Republic Add Variety

New Year’s demand also stretches well beyond continental Europe. Punta del Este in Uruguay is up 87%, while Edinburgh in Scotland rises 59% and Funchal in Portugal increases 45%. Prague in the Czech Republic records a 24% increase. The range demonstrates how the final holiday of 2026 is being shaped by different celebration styles, from Edinburgh’s Hogmanay atmosphere to Atlantic island festivities and European city breaks.

Mexico and Brazil: Long-Haul New Year’s Options Gain Attention

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, records a 22% year-over-year increase in New Year’s Eve searches, while Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, rises 13%. Rio’s inclusion is particularly notable because its Copacabana Beach celebrations provide a major international alternative to European winter destinations. Together with Punta del Este, these Latin American destinations show how New Year’s travel demand is expanding towards warm-weather coastal celebrations.

Why Are Holiday Trips Getting Longer?

The duration data suggests that travellers are consolidating more experiences into individual holiday trips. Average stays increase from seven days during the two October-November domestic holidays to nine days for Veterans Day, 10 days for Christmas and 12 days for New Year’s Eve. New Year’s Eve also records an average group size of six, while 68% of searches are for international destinations. The combination of longer stays and overseas demand points towards a holiday period in which travellers are increasingly treating Christmas and New Year’s as extended vacations rather than short breaks.

The 2026 Holiday Travel Picture

HomeToGo’s figures present a holiday season divided by geography and timing. October and Thanksgiving travel remains heavily connected to U.S. destinations, scenic landscapes and group gatherings, while November introduces stronger interest in Mediterranean weather. Christmas then blends U.S. ski resorts with Europe’s Alpine destinations, before New Year’s Eve becomes distinctly international.

For destinations and tourism businesses, the pattern highlights several distinct opportunities across the season: autumn nature escapes, Thanksgiving cabin stays, November sun breaks, Christmas ski holidays and international New Year celebrations. For travellers, the data shows a clear progression from shorter, closer-to-home journeys to longer and more geographically diverse end-of-year holidays.