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

The month of June is obviously very popular for Europe trips, and the weather is nearly perfect on the whole continent. You can even visit some of the more popular beach destinations without being overwhelmed by the local Europeans who book everything during July and August. June is actually one of the busiest months in cities like Paris and Rome, but still not so busy that you should avoid them.

Below we list the 20 best destinations in Europe for a June visit, along with reasons why each one is a top pick this month. Many of them are also close enough together that you can easily string them together into a little Europe tour of your own. Train rides of up to about 5 hours are generally wonderful and very scenic, not to mention faster than flying as well. Click to read more

Most of us from North America or Europe could easily assume that June is a perfect weather month for just about anywhere in Asia, but that is far from the truth. June is part of the rainy season in much of the Tropics, so figuring out where you should go this month could be tricky.

The good news is that the rainy season doesn't start until later in the year in some of the best Asia destinations. The hottest month is actually in April in the warmer areas closer to the equator, and by the time June rolls in you start to get afternoon cloud covers that make it cooler and nicer. Read below for the 12 best places for a trip to Asia in June. Click to read more

If you have your summer vacation in June then you are in pretty good shape. Since most of Europe's wealthier office workers have their holidays confined to July and August, those who are able to travel in June will find smaller crowds and better deals in most places. The best places to visit in June are spread all over the northern hemisphere, and many of them are cheap.

Planning in advance is still key, as demand from Americans and Canadians will book the best hotels at the best rates, but you do have more flexibility in June. We have listed 26 places around the world that all have fantastic June weather as well as reasonably priced accommodations once you arrive. Click to read more

If you are planning a trip to Asia in May you'll have probably more great choices than in any other month of the year, but it's still important to plan carefully. The main cities in southeast Asia such as Bangkok and Saigon are extremely hot this time of year, and you might get some rainfall as well.

Fortunately May is a perfect weather month to visit Japan, China, or South Korea, so stringing together a bunch of those places is ideal if you've got the time. Parts of India are still nice, and we have some good island destinations listed below as well. Click to read more

Those looking for ideal destinations in Europe for the month of May have nearly endless choices. The May weather is warm enough to be nearly perfect in all but the most northern cities, and yet tourist crowds are still small since many people can't get away until June or later.

Even though it's “warm” in most of Europe in May, the only places warm enough for sunbathing are in the far south and the Mediterranean. Those looking for a hot-weather destination in May should be thinking about Asia or the Caribbean. Click to read more

Anyone looking for an affordable destination with very good weather during the month of May will be happy to know that the list of possibilities is long. There are fascinating cities in most regions of the world that are worth a look, as well as many affordable beach areas for those looking to relax in the sun. Many people are just interested in where is it hot in May, and the list below will answer that question as well.

The list below is broken down by region to help you narrow the choices of holiday destinations in May more efficiently, and there are also links to pages with information about the cheapest beach destinations in the Caribbean and in Europe, which both are loaded with bargains this time of year. Of course for each city mentioned there are plenty of smaller cities nearby that are usually even cheaper, so hopefully this gives you some ideas.

For each destination you'll notice that we include prices for 3-star and 4-star hotels during the month. These prices are the lowest rates we could find for well-reviewed and well-located hotels in those areas, including all taxes and fees. You'll notice that in resort areas there is often a huge difference between 3-star and 4-star hotels, while in cities the difference in price is usually small.

Best destinations during COVID-19

As we all know, there is a global pandemic going on still in early 2021. Many countries are still closed to outsiders, but a surprising number are still open for visitors.

>>>Best destinations for Americans and Canadians during the COVID pandemic

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As of late 2020 there are around 400 all-inclusive resorts spread around the Caribbean, with more being constructed every year. More than 130 of those are in the Dominican Republic, with nearly 60 others in Jamaica. The Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Cozumel area has more than 130, and the rest are spread among other islands. When researching Caribbean vacations, you'll find the cheapest all-inclusive deals are clearly on the islands with the most resorts.

With so much competition it's becoming more clear that the Dominican Republic is the cheap-vacations value leader and the best choice for most people. The Punta Cana area is home to dozens of newer resorts that have a thousand or more rooms each, and the new airport and new highways make it the easiest and most efficient place to reach as well. But those looking for something smaller and more exclusive also have choices, so we track all of the islands that have more than a few all-inclusive resorts. In other words, the best all-inclusive resorts are often on islands with only a dozen or so choices. Click to read more

Extremely popular with both North Americans and Europeans during the winter months, the Caribbean is filled with islands and destinations that range from cheap & basic to posh & exclusive. You'll also find islands where English dominates, but also where Spanish, French, or Dutch are far more common.

Ranking Caribbean islands and destinations by price is challenging for a variety of reasons, so we simplified it by including only a cheaper 3-star hotel room for a week and two cheap flights from New York City. Generally speaking, islands with cheaper hotels will also have cheaper meals and diving etc.

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April is a wonderful month for a trip to Asia since you have so many great choices. It's still dry in southeast Asia, even if it's extremely hot, and April is warm enough to visit China or some of the other places a bit farther from the equator.

This is also one of the best months of the year for travel bargains since it's low season in the beach areas as well as the bigger cities. April is also the first month of the year when Bali isn't in its rainy season, so you can choose from nearly every good Asia destination and save money in the process.

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