High gas prices, airport chaos and global insecurity — Americans are pumping the brakes on their summer plans and opting for staycations

It may sound a bit depressing, but choosing to get your R&R close to home has definite benefits. Here’s why so many U.S. residents may stay put this summer, and how you can make the best of it.

Push and pull factors

It may be a bit early to feel nostalgic for the summer of 2025, but it was a great time for a road trip.

Oil prices hit a four-year low (2), and gas remained comfortably around $3/gallon all summer (3). Flying, on the other hand, was less attractive: CNN reported summer snags at airports, along with persistent fears of air travel after the deadliest commercial air disaster in 24 years unfolded in Washington, D.C., in January, killing 67 people (4).

Now gas is around $4/gallon, thanks to the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, and many airports are in chaos. Travel delays due to a partial government shutdown, plus the presence of Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) at airports — which could dissuade many people who fear being targeted for immigration enforcement (5) — make sticking close to home look ever more attractive. There’s also been another fatal commercial crash, this one killing two at New York City’s LaGuardia airport (6) in March.

At the same time, some of Americans’ favorite travel destinations, including Mexico and Dubai, have been embroiled in armed conflict. Add that to the skyrocketing costs, and it makes sense that Americans may be more cautious about travel right now. And they were already pulling back on global travel heading into 2026, according to a YouGov poll (7).

Making the best of a staycation

There’s no sugar coating it: Things are tight for many people, and travel may not be in the budget. However, you can still have fun this summer, even if it’s in your own backyard. Here are a few ideas:

Pick your lockdown hobby back up: If you have a closet full of dusty embroidery, aquarium or cheese-making supplies, you’re not alone. This could be the perfect time to resurrect lockdown life — but this time with significantly less coughing.

Explore your own community like a tourist: Are there places you drive by all the time, but have never checked out? A staycation is the perfect time to explore your community with fresh eyes. Consider attending events at your local library or museum (and see if you’re eligible for free passes to the museum, art gallery, zoo or aquarium – many libraries have these.) Local, state and national parks sites are free or inexpensive to visit, and you may discover something brand new in the natural or cultural world that was right under your nose.

Save up for your dream trip: When things look brighter again, you want to be ready. Did you know that more than a third of U.S. vacationers pay for trips with debt (8)? If you skip vacation this year, but start saving now, next year could be all the sweeter. You could even look into a savings vehicle, like a certificate of deposit, that forces you to leave your money for a period of time, and matures anywhere from four months to five years from now.

Article Sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.

Business Insider (1); Business Insider (2); U.S. Energy Information Administration (3); CNN (4); AP News (5); The New York Times (6); YouGov (7); CNBC (8)