Keep That Vacation Feeling All Summer with Road Trip Ideas from Priceline.com and MapQuest

NORWALK, CT and DENVER, CO., July 7, 2016 . . . Summer does not have to be all about taking “a” vacation. Travelers can keep that vacation feeling going from now through Labor Day with frequent weekend road trips. In a recent priceline.com survey, 83 percent of Millennials indicated they would rather take multiple, short getaways than one long vacation; the biggest catalysts for these trips include music festivals, reunions, weddings, sporting events, and visiting family and friends.[i] With these summer trips on the line, priceline.com and MapQuest have scouted the costs of driving versus flying, where people are likely to be driving this summer, and recommended road trips to fuel any type of traveler.

Average summer prices for regular gasoline are expected to be $2.21 per gallon, or 42 cents per gallon less than last summer, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. For those looking to take the scenic route, explore sites and landmarks, and save on travel, taking a road trip may be a better value than flying. For example, a round-trip airplane ticket from New York, NY to Portland, ME for the week of July 16 costs $352 per person. Comparatively, a group or family driving round-trip from New York to Portland can expect to spend $56 on gasoline in a car that gets at least 25 MPG.

According to MapQuest, the following 20 destinations across the country are attracting the most interest, and presumably drive-in visitors, for summer 2016.

Top 20 Road Trip Destinations for Summer 2016

Based on MapQuest’s map searching trends year over year

Nashville, TN
Las Vegas, NV
Chicago, IL
Atlanta, GA
Orlando, FL
Myrtle Beach, SC
Denver, CO
Houston, TX
St. Louis, MO
Memphis, TN
Indianapolis, IN
Charlotte, NC
Washington, D.C.
San Antonio, TX
Columbus, OH
Dallas, TX
New Orleans, LA
Savannah, GA
Albuquerque, NM
Louisville, KY

For those inclined to get behind the wheel this summer and looking for inspiration on where to go, priceline.com and MapQuest also assembled short and long-distance road trip recommendations, including nightly hotel rates and convertible rental cars.  Rates and availability are subject to change at any time.

Four Road Trips to Take this Summer

Rental car and hotel rates were shopped on July 5th for travel the weekend of July 22-24, 2016.

For the Solo Traveler: Miami to Key West, 300 miles (round trip)

For the perfect mix of stress-relieving solitude and partying with new-found friends, put the top down and cruise south down Route 1 through the Keys. Stop for the conch fritters and Key Lime pie, and join the crowd at Mallory Square Dock for the nightly Sunset Celebration, full of street performers, crafts and partying. The drive is about four hours, so plan on booking a hotel for an extra night.

• The Ride: $89/day, Ford Mustang convertible
  Nightly Hotel Rate Ranges for Key West: 4-stars $251-$765; 3-stars $179-$349

For the Can’t-Miss Photo: Pacific Coast Highway, Los Angeles to San Francisco, 450 miles (one way)

Don’t be fooled by the distance. Hugging the twisting Pacific coastline are beaches, amazing roadside restaurants, and breath-taking views that look even better in person than the pictures. California’s Route 1 is a road meant to be chill – especially in a convertible slicing through the ocean breezes.

• The Ride: $61/day, Chrysler 200 convertible
  Nightly Hotel Rate Ranges for Los Angeles: 4-stars $194-$679; 3-stars $99-$479
  Nightly Hotel Rate Ranges for San Francisco: 4-stars $159-$324; 3-stars $135-$520

For Indie-Rock Fans: Washington, D.C. to New York City, 218 miles (one way)

Begin at the 9:30 Club in D.C., where Fugazi used to play, and then swing over to Baltimore to visit landmarks related to bands from the city, like Beach House and Animal Collective. Continue north on Route 95 toward Philadelphia and New York to hit indie-rock landmarks along the way.

• The Ride: $170/day, Ford Mustang convertible
  Nightly Hotel Rate Ranges for Washington, D.C.: 4-stars $79-$399; 3-stars $76-$440
  Nightly Hotel Rate Ranges for New York City: 4-stars $160-$436; 3-stars $12-$509

For Lone Star Fans: The Texas Triangle, 710 miles (round trip)

For a mix of history, music and barbecue, nothing beats riding the Texas Triangle, from Dallas to Houston to San Antonio and back to the “Big D.” In Houston, visit the Space Center and see a rodeo. Head west to San Antonio, where the Alamo and Riverwalk await. On the drive home, stop in Austin to check out the music and arts scene. And, if Dallas is too cosmopolitan, make the side trip to Fort Worth and visit the historic stockyards where the longhorns parade down the street twice per day.

• The Ride: $103/day, Audi A5 convertible
  Nightly Hotel Rate Ranges for Houston: 4-stars $75-$225; 3-stars $55-$289
  Nightly Hotel Rate Ranges for San Antonio: 4-stars $143-$389; 3-stars $79-$439
  Nightly Hotel Rate Ranges for Dallas: 4-stars $79-$305; 3-stars $69-$279

Hotels and rental cars can be booked directly on MapQuest. MapQuest’s travel booking engine is powered by the Priceline Partner Network, a subsidiary of Priceline.com.  Priceline.com is part of the Priceline Group of companies.

For more information on hotels and rental cars for your next road trip, visit www.priceline.com/media or connect with priceline.com on Facebook and Twitter. For more road-trip inspiration, check out this article: The Most Unique (And Budget-Friendly) Road Trips for Summer 2016.

About Priceline.com

At priceline.com, part of The Priceline Group [NASDAQ: PCLN], we believe every trip matters. We provide travelers smart and easy ways to save on hotel rooms, airline tickets, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises. With access to over 600,000 properties of all types, consumers can find accommodations with a Best Price Guarantee as well as free cancellations and pay-at-arrival. Priceline.com’s Express Deals® offers exclusive savings without bidding and our famous Name Your Own Price® service delivers the lowest prices available.

About MapQuest

MapQuest, an innovator in the digital mapping industry, continues to be one of the leading mapping brands, reaching more than 42 million multi-platform users around the world.[ii] We enable everyday explorers to find, learn about and locate their desired destinations and we work with businesses to build great location-based experiences. We work with our clients to provide access to innovative products and solutions to help them address rapidly changing demands and trends. Our solutions are compatible with a variety of mobile devices, including iPhone and Android. MapQuest, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Inc., is based in Denver, CO. For more information, please visit http://www.mapquest.com or https://developer.mapquest.com. Join the conversation on Twitter (@MapQuest), Facebook and Instagram (@MapQuest), and use the hashtag #MapQuestIt.

[i] Wakefield Research and Priceline.com ‘Traveler’s Sweet Spot’ Survey, March 2016

[ii] comScore Multi-Platform Worldwide Audience Custom Report, Avg. Jan15-Dec’15