Destinations
Seven places we send guests to most, with what's actually worth your time in each one, when the weather and the prices line up, and how they compare against each other before you open a live search.
Nothing here is a quote. Prices move by the minute, so every button below opens the partner's live flight or hotel results for your own dates — that's where the real number is.
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Cost comparison
The dollar signs are a relative cost band across these seven — one sign is usually the cheapest to stay in, three is usually the priciest. They are not prices, and your dates change everything.
| Destination | Cost band | Best time to visit | Cheapest season | Pricest season | Live prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SantoriniGreece · Cyclades | $$$Premium | Late April to early June, and September to October | Nov–Mar | Jul–Aug | |
| ParisFrance · Europe | $$$Premium | April to June, and September to October | Jan–Feb | Jun–Aug · late Dec | |
| KyotoJapan · Asia | $$$Mid-range | Late March to early April for cherry blossom, and November for autumn colour | Feb | Late Mar–early Apr · Nov | |
| BaliIndonesia · Tropical | $$$Budget-friendly | April to October, the dry season — May, June and September are drier and cheaper than July and August | Nov–Mar (wet) | Jul–Aug · late Dec–early Jan | |
| MaldivesMaldives · Indian Ocean | $$$Premium | November to April, the dry northeast monsoon — December to January is the busiest stretch | May–Oct (wet) | Dec–Jan | |
| St. MaartenSint Maarten · Caribbean | $$$Mid-range | Mid-December to April, the dry trade-wind season — May and June are quieter and cheaper | Aug–Oct | Mid-Dec–Apr | |
| New YorkNew York · USA | $$$Premium | April to June, and September to October | Jan–Feb | Thanksgiving–Dec · Jul–Aug |
01 · Greece · Cyclades
Santorini
Caldera cliffs, whitewashed villages and the sunset everyone photographs in Oia.
Best time to visit
Late April to early June, and September to October
Skip it: July and August — full ferries, top hotel rates and heat that makes the rim walk punishing
Cost band
$$$ Premium
JTR · Santorini (Thira)
What to do
- ✦Oia castle ruins for the sunset, arriving an hour early for the wall
- ✦Fira to Oia caldera rim walk — 10 km along the crater edge
- ✦Akrotiri Bronze Age town, buried by the volcano and roofed over
- ✦Red Beach and the black sand of Perissa and Kamari
- ✦Catamaran round the caldera to the hot springs and Nea Kameni
| Season | When | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Peak | Jul–Aug | High |
| Shoulder | Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct | Shoulder |
| Quiet | Nov–Mar | Low |
Cave hotels and caldera-view rooms cost several times what an identical room costs a street back from the cliff. Studios in Karterados, Perissa or flat-side Fira are the affordable route in.
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02 · France · Europe
Paris
Museums, boulevard cafés and the Eiffel Tower appearing down half the side streets.
Best time to visit
April to June, and September to October
Skip it: August, when some family-run hotels and small restaurants close, and the last two weeks of December, when rates jump
Cost band
$$$ Premium
CDG / ORY · Paris
What to do
- ✦Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars lawns
- ✦Louvre, then Musée d'Orsay across the river
- ✦Montmartre lanes and Sacré-Cœur steps at dusk
- ✦Seine cruise after dark, when the monuments are lit
- ✦Le Marais courtyards, galleries and food streets
| Season | When | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Peak | Jun–Aug · late Dec | High |
| Shoulder | Apr–May · Sep–Oct | Shoulder |
| Quiet | Jan–Feb | Low |
Rooms inside the central arrondissements cost well over twice the same room in the outer ring. Metro-linked suburbs and three-star hotels along the Gare de Lyon or Porte de Versailles axes are the cheaper play.
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03 · Japan · Asia
Kyoto
Torii gates, moss gardens and lantern lanes that still look as they did a century ago.
Best time to visit
Late March to early April for cherry blossom, and November for autumn colour
Skip it: Golden Week in late April and early May, and Obon in mid-August — trains and hotels sell out nationwide
Cost band
$$$ Mid-range
KIX · Kansai (Osaka), 75 min by train
What to do
- ✦Fushimi Inari's thousand torii gates, before the tour buses arrive
- ✦Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion reflected in its pond
- ✦Arashiyama bamboo grove and the river on the far bank
- ✦Gion's lantern streets at twilight
- ✦Kiyomizu-dera terrace above the rooftops
| Season | When | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Peak | Late Mar–early Apr · Nov | High |
| Shoulder | May–Jun · Oct · Dec–Jan | Shoulder |
| Quiet | Feb | Low |
Ryokan with dinner and machiya townhouse rentals cost far more than ordinary hotels. Business hotels around Kyoto Station and a Kansai-area flight keep the trip reasonable.
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04 · Indonesia · Tropical
Bali
Rice terraces up country, surf beaches at sea level, and villas with private pools.
Best time to visit
April to October, the dry season — May, June and September are drier and cheaper than July and August
Skip it: July–August and late December for crowds and prices; November to March brings daily downpours, though villas are cheapest then
Cost band
$$$ Budget-friendly
DPS · Ngurah Rai (Denpasar)
What to do
- ✦Tegallalang rice terraces above Ubud
- ✦Uluwatu cliff temple with the kecak fire dance at sunset
- ✦Nusa Penida day trip to Kelingking and the crystal water
- ✦Mount Batur sunrise hike with a driver-guide
- ✦Seminyak and Canggu beach clubs
| Season | When | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Peak | Jul–Aug · late Dec–early Jan | High |
| Shoulder | Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct | Shoulder |
| Quiet | Nov–Mar (wet) | Low |
Guesthouses and private pool villas cost less than a mid-range city hotel in Europe, and drivers, day tours and meals outside the resort strip stay inexpensive.
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05 · Maldives · Indian Ocean
Maldives
Overwater villas, house reefs off the steps and lagoons too shallow to do anything but float.
Best time to visit
November to April, the dry northeast monsoon — December to January is the busiest stretch
Skip it: May to October if calm, glassy seas matter to you; wind and squalls are common, but resort rates fall
Cost band
$$$ Premium
MLE · Velana International (Malé)
What to do
- ✦Snorkelling the house reef straight from your villa deck
- ✦Sandbank picnic and a dolphin cruise at golden hour
- ✦Malé fish market and the old Friday Mosque
- ✦Bioluminescent plankton beach on Vaadhoo, when the season turns
- ✦Seaplane or speedboat transfer out to the atolls
| Season | When | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Peak | Dec–Jan | High |
| Shoulder | Nov · Feb–Apr | Shoulder |
| Quiet | May–Oct (wet) | Low |
The villa rate usually excludes the transfer, and seaplane hops, excursions and half-board all add a lot. Guesthouses on local islands such as Thoddoo or Dhigurah cost a fraction of resort prices.
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06 · Sint Maarten · Caribbean
St. Maarten
Turquoise bays, duty-free shopping and airliners skimming the heads of swimmers at Maho Beach.
Best time to visit
Mid-December to April, the dry trade-wind season — May and June are quieter and cheaper
Skip it: August to October, when the Atlantic hurricane season peaks and some resorts close for the summer
Cost band
$$$ Mid-range
SXM · Princess Juliana International
What to do
- ✦Maho Beach, where jets touch down a few metres overhead
- ✦Philipsburg boardwalk, Front Street shopping and the colourfully painted courthouse
- ✦Orient Bay's beach bars, with Mullet Bay cove a short walk away
- ✦Loterie Farm ziplines and rainforest trails on the French side
- ✦Kayak or catamaran across to Pinel Island's shallow reef
| Season | When | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Peak | Mid-Dec–Apr | High |
| Shoulder | May–Jun · Nov | Shoulder |
| Quiet | Aug–Oct | Low |
Cruise-ship weeks from December to April push rates up. All-inclusive resorts on the Dutch side cost more than French-side guesthouses around Marigot and Orient Bay.
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07 · New York · USA
New York
Skyline, museums and Broadway — a different city in every borough.
Best time to visit
April to June, and September to October
Skip it: Late November to December for holiday crowds and the year's top hotel rates, and July–August for humidity and price
Cost band
$$$ Premium
JFK / LGA / EWR · New York
What to do
- ✦Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- ✦Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island by ferry
- ✦The Brooklyn Bridge walk at golden hour
- ✦A Broadway show in the Theatre District
- ✦The High Line, Chelsea Market and the Village streets
| Season | When | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Peak | Thanksgiving–Dec · Jul–Aug | High |
| Shoulder | Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct | Shoulder |
| Quiet | Jan–Feb | Low |
Manhattan rooms cost far more than the same money spent in Queens or Brooklyn on the same subway line. Add Broadway tickets and museum admissions to the room rate before comparing.
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How we keep this honest
- ✦ No fake prices. We never show a fare or room rate we can't verify, because prices change minute by minute.
- ✦ Every search opens the partner's live results, comparing many airlines and hotels with the cheapest options near the top.
- ✦ Nothing is marked up. You pay the partner's price; they pay us a commission after your trip is confirmed.
- ✦ Best-time and season notes are general travel knowledge for each place — your dates and airport decide the real cost.