How to pick a summer vacation you can actually afford

(InvestigateTV) — Summer travel season is here. And whether the trip is with kids, family, or friends, one big question is where to go without busting the budget.

“We found the top five metro areas for summer travel this year are: Atlanta, Orlando, Austin, Washington DC and Honolulu,” said John Kiernan, managing editor of WalletHub.

Kiernan said their survey compared destinations using factors including transportation, weather, things to do and the average cost of a flight. He said those cities stood out for a mix of value and options once travelers arrive.

“They’re relatively inexpensive when you get there. They have good weather. They have a ton of things to do. And basically, no matter if you’re traveling with friends, with a spouse or family, there are going to be a ton of things you can do and fun you can have,” Kiernan explained.

Whatever the destination, Kiernan said the vacation budget should come first.

Those who use credit cards or travel rewards, he suggested, should still make sure the trip fits what they can afford.

“We found in surveys that more than 50 percent of people, when they’re on vacation, are thinking about those post vacation credit card bills. Because a lot of people, they don’t have the money to go on vacation, but they still do it anyway,” he shared. “But you don’t want to spend the whole vacation worrying about that. So, what you really want to do is figure out how much you’re going to spend on the vacation, roughly how much it’s going to cost and how much time you have and basically divide the amount by the time.”

WalletHub also ranked the destinations that scored lowest in its analysis. That list includes Las Vegas, Baton Rouge, De Moines, Iowa, Jackson, Mississippi, and McAllen, Texas.