With most of the world's borders being shut tight since March of 2020, you can forgive many of us for being desparate to plan a vacation other than a weekend road trip. Nearly all summer trips to Europe in 2020 had to be cancelled and at this point we are still unsure that a summer 2021 trip will be possible. Is there any good news for those Americans (and Canadians) wanting to plan an international trip in the coming late autumn and winter? The answer is YES, and things are much better than you would probably guess.

As the temperatures drop in the northern areas we naturally want to head south for sunny beaches, and the great news is that almost ALL of our favorite destinations are actually open and welcoming American and Canadian visitors. Mexico and the Dominican Republic are among the most popular and easiest destinations to visit, but also quite a few other Caribbean islands and even some Pacific islands including Bora Bora are ready to be booked. Click to read more

If you are one of the millions of people who will be extremely sick of the cold northern weather by the time February rolls in, we've got some good news for you. Almost all of Asia's top destinations have fantastic weather in February, and that includes almost all of the beaches and islands. You'll have your choice of some of the world's cheapest destinations and some of Asia's best beaches as well.

Below you'll find our list of the 17 best destinations in Asia for a February visit. Many of them are close together or at least have cheap flights between them, so visiting more than one city is usually cheap and easy. Backpacker types should probably start in Bangkok, while luxury travelers won't do any better than the Maldives. If you aren't locked into Asia you can find other choices on our main list of cheap destinations with great February weather. Click to read more

February is obviously one of the colder months in Europe so it's not among the best months for a visit. That said, if your choices are coming to Europe in February or not coming at all, you'll still have a great time if you choose among the cities below. It's better to focus on cities with mostly indoor attractions this time of year, and the cities below are all fantastic for that.

If you are looking for a warm-weather February destination you should probably look somewhere other than Europe. There is only one place where you might get any use out of that bathing suit, which is the Canary Islands and listed just below. The other cities on the list are those that combine decent February weather and plenty of worthwhile things to do in winter. Click to read more

By the time February rolls around in the Northern Hemisphere, nearly everyone is so sick of the cold weather that they are willing to pay almost anything just to get out of it for a week or two. Fortunately, the world is actually filled with cheap and warm areas that are waiting for your February visit.

The one complication for many people is that the flight itself might be quite long and fairly expensive to get to Southeast Asia or Latin America, but you'll see fare sales and low prices popping up in December and January so don't give up if they look too expensive at first glance. Booking as early as possible is usually wise, though plenty of the places on this list will have a wide range of available resorts even if you book closer to the last minute. Click to read more

Spending the Christmas and New Year's holiday weeks with family and friends is the longstanding tradition in most of the Western world, but those based in the colder northern climates are looking for alternatives. After a couple decades of being bundled up, many start to wonder if there is another way to spend the holidays.

Those with the resources have been heading to Hawaii for Christmas for a long time, but there are actually dozens of countries and islands with similar tropical climates around the world, and most of them are far cheaper, at least once you get there. Below is a list of nearly every major tourist destination that combines warm weather and low prices during the weeks around Christmas and New Year's.

Updated for 2021 Click to read more

If you are thinking about an Asia holiday in January, you are in luck. This is literally the best weather month in the majority of the famous destinations such as Bangkok, Singapore, and Goa. Below you'll find out picks for the 18 best destinations to consider for an Asia trip in January, and it's easy to combine many of them because they are close neighbors.

Those lucky enough to be staying for at least two weeks should definitely see more than one country. You can book a cheap flight into Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, or Singapore from almost anywhere, and then book cheap flights from there to visit anywhere else. Click to read more

If you are planning a Europe trip in January then you are obviously expecting cooler temperatures. Fortunately, most of the best and most famous tourist cities such as Paris, Rome, and London don't get much rain (or snow) in winter, so as long as you are dressed properly you can still see just about everything.

Below is our list of the 12 best European destinations to consider for a visit in January, including one actual beach. The days in Europe are pretty short this time of year, but at least hotel prices will be at or near their annual lows. This is also the only time of year when you can visit cities like Venice or Barcelona without being surrounded by thousands of other tourists at all times.

If this is your first trip to Europe you may also be interested in our recommendations for best first-time Europe itineraries of your own. Click to read more

As January approaches it seems like half of the Northern Hemisphere is looking for a place to escape the cold. The good news is that there are dozens of great options in the Southern Hemisphere and the Tropics, so it's just a matter of finding the one that suits you best.

Those who live in North America and Europe should start by considering the Caribbean, as it's far faster and easier to reach than the cheaper options in Southeast Asia that appear lower on this list. Best of all, the Caribbean comes in all price ranges, at least once you pay for your flight. Particularly in the Dominican Republic, you can find all-inclusive resorts that offer amazing value, even in high season like this. Click to read more

After a quiet autumn for tourism, the planes headed to Asia are all full again starting in mid December. Most tourists want to go to the beaches and islands, and there are plenty of those on the list below, but many of Asia's best cultural destinations also have fantastic weather starting in December.

Below you'll find a mix of the destinations that have great weather in December and are also very worthwhile stops. If you are looking for a sandy beach to relax on you'll have many good choices, but first-time visitors to this area should really include at least one or two of the main cities as well. It's worth noting that Christmas to New Years is peak season for crowds in Phuket and all other major beach areas, so booking early is wise. Click to read more

While December may not be the ideal month to visit Europe, it can actually be a lot of fun and you won't have much competition at the famous sights. Unless you have a special reason to do so, it's best to avoid northern Europe and even most of central Europe in winter. But that still leaves most of the most famous cities, which will be filled with shopping and working locals until just before Christmas.

Below you'll find our list of the best cities to consider for a Europe trip in December. With a bit of advance planning you should be able to get cheap flights between most of these as well, so you can visit several of them as long as you allow about 3 days in each. There is even one reasonable beach destination, although it may not be warm enough this month unless you are from one of the Nordic countries. Click to read more