The average American who travels this summer plans to spend more than $2,800 on the trip, with transportation at $699, hotels at $605 and food and dining at $400 making up the bulk, according to PwC's summer spending survey. But that average masks a widening split. About 24% of respondents said they plan to spend less this summer than last year, citing the high cost of everyday expenses. The personal savings rate has dropped to 3.6% — the lowest since 2022 — as Americans pull from savings and lean on credit cards to cover daily costs. Money that was budgeted for vacation is being quietly redirected to gas and groceries.

That said, Americans have not stopped traveling. Eighty-seven percent of Memorial Day travelers drove rather than flew, which at $4.53 a gallon is still cheaper than the airport experience. And for those who are flying, there are ways to reduce the damage. Travel on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, when fares and airport traffic are consistently lower — the savings can run into the hundreds of dollars per ticket for a family of four. Use Google Flights' Explorer tool to search by destination and month rather than locking in a specific date. If you are sitting on frequent flyer miles, this is the summer to use them — award pricing has risen too, but miles still offer real value against cash fares at these levels.

The broader lesson of summer 2026 is the same one that keeps recurring in an era of energy volatility: the cost of moving around the country and the world is no longer predictable, and the gap between what it cost last year and what it costs now can be significant enough to reshape plans. Build in a cushion, stay flexible, and consider whether a closer-to-home vacation — the national parks, a regional road trip, a week at a state park — might deliver more actual enjoyment per dollar than an expensive flight to a crowded destination.

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