Is a New England fall foliage trip actually worth the high cost?
Seasonal travel prices spike dramatically compared to off-peak times, making domestic trips rival the cost of international vacations. High expenses for flights, car rentals, and daily activities leave travelers questioning if the brief experience justifies the investment, especially when physical discomfort from travel requires longer recovery time.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 34.2× more often in r/travel than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Using airline miles and hotel loyalty points to cover flights and lodgingDid this help you?
- 2Staying outside of famous tourist towns in less expensive, out-of-the-way areasDid this help you?
- 3Saving time off and money for a more substantial, longer trip that includes multiple destinations.Did this help you?
- 4making the vacation shorterDid this help you?
- 5checking if you get cash back or just flight creditsDid this help you?
- 6budgeting appropriately for the tripDid this help you?
- 7Booking budget-friendly accommodations like hostels or modest hotels and spending time out of the roomDid this help you?
- 8Flying economy instead of business or first class to maximize the number of trips takenDid this help you?
- 9Using accumulated points and airline miles for upgrades rather than paying high cash pricesDid this help you?
- 10Splurging selectively on convenience, time-saving options (like taxis), or specific experiences (like scuba diving) rather than luxury hotelsDid this help you?
- 11Replacing destinations with warmer-month alternativesDid this help you?
- 12Bundling up with warm clothing to brave the cold and rainDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I can afford to do whatever, but I still prefer not to spend more than $300/night on hotels because it just seems wasteful to me.”source ↗
“I can often get some deals due to being an industry professional but still find it hard to stomach to spend like 1000-2000 USD per person per day and while I have it done occasionally, I can't shake off the feeling of spending too much instead of saving that money and doing it more budget friendly.”source ↗
“I could luxurious trips if one per year but I’d rather do 3-4 a year in economy over 1 in Biz any day.”source ↗
“Even when I consider my travel budget as a percentage of overall income, I am still very hesitant doing cash splurges for airfare or hotels. I just don't value a nice hotel or nicer cabin for a flight enough to pay the (often significantly higher) price.”source ↗
“I do have concerns about this trip though, specifically because of the time of year. It's going to be cold and the days will be short; and people have warned me about that.”source ↗
“Does the Christmas season make this trip worth it, or is this a trip that is better suited to warmer months?”source ↗
“Prices for everything is so expensive, and I’m just trying to figure out how worth it is.”source ↗
“Flight home is looking brutal, and car rental I managed to get to about 400ish. But I imagine all the activities, food, parking etc are gonna drive it up.”source ↗
“I just feel like it’s so much for a trip that’s not like another country, tropical vacation etc, idk if that makes sense. It’s just crazy how amazingly priced it is not in the fall”source ↗
“I'm having trouble deciding whether that's worth the cost and travel.”source ↗
“In terms of timing, I think it depends on how much you hate long flights. I have bad hips/back/body so that much flying usually needs to have more time in a location to be worth it.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4Is a big wedding actually worth the cost and stress?
- 12Is a short weekend trip worth the time and money?
- 2Should I book holiday travel now or wait for price drops?
- 3Is a cheaper apartment worth a longer daily commute?
- 4Is a seasonal HVAC tune up actually worth the money?
- 3Is enterprise software support actually worth the cost for small teams?