Why is fall the best time to travel? For some, the appeal is because there are fewer crowds, lower humidity, reservations are less expensive and easier to get, and unique activities that aren’t available at other times of year.
As summer comes to a close and the leaves begin to change, so do our travel priorities. These fall travel trends are sure to heat up your off-season travel in 2025.
1. Maximizing Miles & Points
I don’t think we can call “budget travel” a trend anymore. We’re always looking for ways to save money on vacations. How we go about that, though, shifts over time.
In fall 2025, people are looking to get even more creative with how they use air miles, credit card travel points, and other loyalty program bonuses. In other words, we’re taking travel hacking to the max.
According to an American Express survey at the beginning of the year, more than half the travelers said they planned to “stack” points and miles to get upgrades they otherwise wouldn’t have considered, while 43% said they’d only book a vacation after they’d earned a certain number of points. Another 45% said they’d choose their destination based on where they could get the best bang for their points.
How to get cheap travel with miles and points
- Use frequent flyer miles for free flights, not seat upgrades. Airlines continue to adjust their loyalty programs so that you likely can’t use points on cheap airfares. And if you can, it’s still so costly that it’s hardly worth it.
- Only get a travel credit card if your savings outweigh the annual fees and interest. Pay special attention to the cards that give high points for the types of purchases you already make, like groceries and gas. And look for the cards that offer the best sign-up bonuses, too.
- Know how your travel insurance can protect bookings made with miles or points. You can’t use trip protection to cover flights you “paid” for with frequent flyer miles, but some plans can reimburse you for fees associated with re-banking those miles after a covered cancellation or delay.
2. Taking Adventures Closer to Home
Economic concerns in 2025 aren't necessarily making people cancel their travel plans, but they are causing some of us to travel differently. LendingTree asked 2,000 people about their upcoming vacation plans. Nearly a quarter of respondents said they’d still travel, just to different destinations (another 24% said they were cancelling plans altogether).
In that same survey, 75% of people who typically traveled outside the U.S. multiple times a year said they were going to stay closer to home instead. Of those who travel internationally once a year, 67% reported that they’d stay close to home, too.
If you’re second-guessing yourself about taking a trip this fall because of the economy, do yourself a favor and consider a few alternatives before scrapping your plans completely. There may be a way to reduce your costs without sacrificing the fun.
How to save money on U.S. trips
- Swap destinations. Destination dupes — going to Place A because it’s similar but cheaper than Place B — started trending last year. You won’t find an even trade, but you can still have an amazing experience. Once you let go of the expectation that Keweenaw County in Michigan (AKA the Sauna Belt) will be identical to Finland, you can really take advantage of what makes this part of the Upper Peninsula unique in its own right.
- Try microcations. Weekend trips of 48 to 72 hours can be the quick, reenergizing jolt you need. They’re low stakes, require minimal planning, and can be easier on the wallet than a two-week extravaganza. If you’re somewhere with fall festivals on the weekend — pumpkin patches, apple cider donuts, colorful fall leaves — even better.
- Plan a road trip. The northern U.S. can sometimes get early snowstorms, making driving difficult. But head farther south where temperatures are cooling off, and you have the beginnings of the perfect land cruise.
- “Check out” free and discounted activity passes from your local library. You’d be surprised by how many libraries offer passes to museums, state parks and campgrounds, historical sites, pools, and other family-friendly attractions. There may be residency requirements, but it’s definitely worth asking your librarian what’s available.
3. Seeking Shared Experiences
There will always be a place for solo travel, and technology and AI have their uses. But this fall, we’re looking for cozy, companionable experiences ... in real life with real people.
“They” keep telling us that we’re more connected than ever; on average, Americans have 18 connected devices in their home. Despite that, I can’t help but wonder how well we actually know each other. How deep and meaningful are our connections? If we’re so connected, why do we still feel so lonely and isolated?
I’m not the only one asking these questions, and we’re seeing people seek the answers through travel. We won’t be giving up on solo adventures any time soon. This fall, though, the trend will be to build human connections through shared travel experiences.
How to meet people when you travel
- Attend a socially focused festival or event, by which we mean something like a food fest with family-style dining. Choose something where it wouldn’t be weird to strike up a conversation with a stranger or dance in the street with someone you just met.
- Book a small group tour. They’re the perfect antidote to not having a built-in travel buddy. And with smaller groups versus tours of 30 or more people, it can be easier to connect one-on-one with your fellow travelers.
- Take a river cruise. These sailings typically provide a level of intimacy you won’t find on large ocean liners. According to AARP, “the small-ship experience promotes socialization within a comfortable setting” where solo and introverted travelers “can feel comfortable joining others in a non-intimidating setting.”
4. Booking Calmcations
The kids’ schedules are hectic, your boss won’t leave you alone after hours, current events feel chaotic at best, and there’s just so much noise (the World Health Organisation now reports connections between noise pollution and poor health)!
While there are many reasons why we travel, seeking a sense of tranquility is quickly becoming a big one. We don’t see that trend shifting this fall.
How to plan a calmcation
- Book a tech-free getaway. When you’re constantly connected to your phone and email, it’s hard for your nervous system to stop jangling. One solution is to take a camping trip in more remote areas, far from cell towers. Companies like wellness retreats and safaris also often specialize in digital detox travel.
- Choose slow travel. Instead of hopping from one locale to the next, crossing off as many attractions as possible, book a stay in one place ... and slow down. You might call it a nothing-cation. Or if that sounds too slow, use a rental house as a home base and see what it’s like living as a local, albeit one on a little holiday.
- Don’t. As in, don’t plan it. If having an itinerary feels like a list of obligations, let it go. Focus instead on what sounds interesting or catches your attention in the moment. You might feel a little untethered or listless to start, but your mind will adjust if you give it time.
5. Looking Back with Nostalgia Travel
Millennials are being credited with this fall trend. We want to relive the travel experiences from our childhood, forgetting for a moment that we’re now middle aged.
Sometimes we’re re-creating the vacations from our youth so that we can give similar memories to our own kids. For others, retro tourism is about escapism. We dream about the "good ol’ days” we remember as being simple and pure. If we feel like we can’t recapture that feeling in everyday life, we’re going to at least enjoy it on vacation this fall.
How to retro travel
- Saddle up. Stay at a dude ranch for a taste of the old Wild West. Many are kid-friendly, which is perfect for when everyone could use less screen time. Look for ones that serve meals and tell stories around the campfire, which is extra special with a fall chill in the air.
- Learn about your family’s heritage. Genealogy travel and heritage tourism are a great way to learn about where your family comes from, possibly meet long-lost relatives, and find out if those stories Grandpa used to tell were really true.
- Skip the chain hotels. Mom-and-pop motels had their heyday post-World War II when the new U.S. highway system made cross-country travel and road trips possible. The best retro motels will feel like stepping into a time capsule where you’re drinking Coke out of glass bottles and getting up to change the channel on the TV.
Travel Insurance for the Best Fall Vacations
No matter where and when you travel, protect your trip with travel insurance. Get a quick quote online or talk to a licensed agent to make sure you have the best coverage for your fall vacation.
