It’s that time of year when families are planning the annual Summer vacation. Beginning the Thursday before Memorial Day and ending the Wednesday after Labor Day, 657 million long distance summer trips will be made, with 91% in personal vehicles — such as a car.
But where is everyone going? Today, U.S. News Travel released eight vacation rankings to help people plan their summer trips. These rankings focus on three key characteristics of summer vacations: affordability, quality of beaches, and family-friendliness.
| Best Summer Vacations | Best Beaches in the USA | Best Family Summer Vacations |
| #1 Nice | #1 Hawaii – The Big Island | #1 Yellowstone |
| #2 Mykonos | #2 Maui | #2 Orlando – Walt Disney World |
| #3 Maui | #3 U.S. Virgin Islands | #3 Anaheim – Disneyland |
| Cheap Summer Vacations | Most Relaxing Beaches | Family Vacations in the USA |
| #1 Yellowstone | #1 British Virgin Islands | #1 Yellowstone |
| #2 Santo Domingo | #2 Kauai | #2 Orlando – Walt Disney World |
| #3 Lisbon | #3 Hawaii – The Big Island | #3 Yosemite |
| Affordable Family Vacations | Family Beach Vacations in the USA |
| #1 Yosemite | #1 Outer Banks |
| #2 Grand Canyon | #2 Maui |
| #3 Yellowstone | #3 San Diego |
“The summer vacation is an established American tradition,” said Chad Smolinski, Vice President of Rankings and Reviews at U.S. News & World Report. “Taking into account over 300,000 user votes and thousands of travel expert opinions, the U.S. News vacation rankings provide travel recommendations you can trust.”
