The Best Flight Values for 2026

Keeping your variables open is the best way to snag good flight deals and Dollar Flight Club has released data on your best cheap flight bets in 2026 from the USA. Internationally, besides the cities they list in Canada, Mexico, and Central America, you’ll probably find good prices to Madrid, Lisbon, and Medellin. Domestically, the top 5 are Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Dallas.

World Cup Hotel Price Spikes

Got a friend living in a city that’s hosting World Cup matches? Hotel rates in the USA are up 50 to 100% in some cities around the event, but with so many international travelers skipping USA travel these days, Mexico is seeing price spikes that are in the stratosphere. According to this report, rates are up 405% in Guadalajara, 466% in Monterrey, and in properties not already sold out, 961% in Mexico City.

Best Packable Daypacks

One of the most useful travel items you can buy yourself or someone else is a backpack holding 20 liters or so that scrunches down into a little pouch for packing. Once you get to where you’re going, it’s great for sightseeing, hiking, or grocery shopping. I’ve used many of them over two decades, but the available ones I’d give the highest recommendation to for important features (like a water bottle holder) and durability are from Osprey, Eddie Bauer, and this Chicobag one made from recycled plastic bottles.

European Ski Bargains

Each year I update my blog post on the cheapest places to ski in Europe and even with a declining greenback, these places will still cost you a fraction of the lowest-priced options stateside. I’m heading to one in Slovakia in February that’s €49 per day for 50 kilometers of runs and I highlight others for that price down to €23 per day in locations stretching from Slovenia to Poland to Georgia. Prices off the slopes are great too, usually with better food and drink overall.

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A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

01/15/26