Study reveals the best budget-friendly places to see the Northern Lights in 2025
'Last year's solar eclipse sparked an astrotourism trend among American travelers, which we are now seeing carry through into 2025,' said Eleanor Moody, HomeToGo Travel Expert and Spokesperson. 'With even more travelers wanting to witness out-of-this-world celestial displays, search increases have skyrocketed for places providing strong chances of seeing the Northern Lights.'
For budget-conscious travelers hoping to witness the northern lights without leaving North America, Canada and Alaska offer some of the best options.
Topping the list is Whitehorse, Canada, where the median nightly price for accommodation sits at just $160.68. While the city itself provides glimpses of the aurora, venturing to nearby dark-sky locations like Fish Lake and Takhini offers optimal viewing of the subarctic display.
Next up are Churchill and Yellowknife, Canada, both known for their prime locations beneath the auroral oval, where the northern lights frequently dance across the sky. Churchill boasts a median nightly accommodation price of $190.55, while Yellowknife follows closely at $192.61 per night.
Rounding out the top five are Denali, Alaska ($199.82 per night) and Fairbanks, Alaska ($227.63 per night), two destinations known for their crisp, clear winter skies.
Thinking about venturing outside of North America to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights? Here are the most affordable worldwide destinations.
Kemi, Finland: $101.97 per night
Lofoten, Norway: $132.87 per night
Luleå, Sweden: $133.90 per night
Alta, Norway: $143.17 per night
Narvik, Norway: $158.11
The post Study reveals the best budget-friendly places to see the Northern Lights in 2025 appeared first on The Manual.

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UPI
3 hours ago
- UPI
Clear Secure adds Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand travelers
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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
America's Best Small Towns of 2025
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We hope these small towns inspire you to hit the road and explore the little places on the map that help make our country the special place it is. Best Small Beach Town Asbury Park, New Jersey Bruce Springsteen's album "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J." put the town on the global music map in 1973, and for years, only die-hard music fans made the trip to Asbury Park in hopes of scoring tickets to shows at legendary venues like the Stone Pony. But in the early aughts, the LGBTQ+ community invested heavily in the town, restoring its Victorian colonial homes. 'Their investments in real estate and business start ups helped fuel the rebirth which we see exploding today,' says Deb Masco, an employee at the Asbury Ocean Club hotel. The historic boardwalk has been completely reimagined and rivals the coolest street in Brooklyn. 'The diversity is incredible,' says Clinch. 'You can walk down the boardwalk and see gay, straight, black, white, tattooed, conservative, you name it, types of people,' he says. The diverse community has fostered creativity that extends beyond music, to the arts, food, and design scenes. 'There's a raw, creative energy that's hard to describe unless you've spent time here,' says Shauna Lagala, complex hotel manager at the Asbury Collection. 'It's weird in the best way—a mix of old-school Jersey, artists, punks, surfers, and people who just don't want to live anywhere typical. It's the kind of town where you can grab a cold brew at a café run by someone in a band, then walk five minutes and end up in a tattoo shop or an art gallery.' Explore Asbury Park Best Small Mountain Town Boone, North Carolina Rising from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, Boone, North Carolina, hums with a renewed spirit. 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From immersive new exhibitions like Jack Boul: Land, City, Home at The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum to events like the iconic Tweetsie Railroad's Heritage Weekend in August, this year offers rich new ways to explore Boone's fusion of historic charm, modern creativity, and deep-rooted traditions that garnered it the moniker, 'Heart of the High Country.' Explore Boone Best Small Lake Town Ogallala, Nebraska 'Not Your Ordinary Town!' boasts a mural on East 1st and North Spruce, marking the entrance into downtown Ogallala, Nebraska. They're right: despite a population of 5,107 spread over barely five square miles, the 'Cowboy Capital of Nebraska' is brimming with history, culture, and Western flair. The town, which derives its name from the Oglala Sioux tribe, was originally a cattle drive stop along the Union Pacific Railroad. Today, it's a charming destination just minutes from not one, but two lakes. At Lake McConaughy—affectionately known to locals as 'Big Mac'—you'll find over 100 miles of soft white sand and clear waters that attract fishers, kayakers, and scuba divers. McConaughy's little sister to the east, Lake Ogallala, may not be as impressive in size, but its sedate, wind-protected waters and winter eagle-viewing facility have their own unique draw. As Ogallala continues to flourish, the town has big plans for the future: Lake Mac Casino Resort, a casino complex that includes a horse racetrack, 180-room hotel, and event space, is expected to complete construction as soon as 2027, with a temporary casino slated to open in the meantime. Explore Ogallala Best Small Desert Town El Centro, California El Centro is the type of town that takes you by surprise. You might expect to pass right through—only to end up spending the better part of an afternoon discovering awesome indie boutiques, stellar tacos, and a warm, creative community. Just over two hours east of San Diego and 15 miles north of the Mexican border town of Mexicali, El Centro has both grit and charm. 'Five cars is considered traffic in El Centro,' jokes Mark Silva, owner of the new Gateway Gallery in nearby Ocotillo. 'The town constantly seems to be on the verge of emerging.' The region's first hotels have popped up in the past year, including an Insta-worthy hot springs hotel midway between San Diego and El Centro, and a handful of makers and chefs are setting up shop in town. The annual Bombay Beach Biennale, a word-of-mouth gathering of creatives, will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year, and a shocking amount of musicians come through this remote desert area. This desert town's gems don't jump out. You need to be looking to discover the cool vintage and vinyl stores, craft beer bars, and artisanal coffee spots. It's fresh off its first-ever restaurant week and given its proximity to the border, the Mexican food is sensational. Plus, hot springs, hiking trails, and funky public art installations are all just a drive away. Explore El Centro Best Small Arts + Culture Town Sewanee, Tennessee 'Sewanee looks like a sleepy college town lost in the Tennessee woods, but there is something unusual happening [here] just about every day and throughout the year,' says Woody Register, professor of history and director of the Roberson Project on Slavery, Race, and Reconciliation at the University of the South. 'Throughout its 170-year history, Sewanee has been very much entangled in the hopes, dreams, conflicts, and contradictions of the world around it.' Set atop Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau, the town is a place that continues to support artistic self-expression and exploration in all forms—books, poetry, music, architecture, dance, theater. It's also a case study in how culture is forged by diversity, religion, history, tradition, and authentic human relationships. From publishing the The Sewanee Review, America's oldest continuously published literary quarterly, to hosting the historic Sewanee Summer Music Festival, Sewanee is, and has always been, a space for ideas to form and take root. Explore Sewanee Best Small Food + Drinks Town Bardstown, Kentucky If you're new to the whiskey world and are just dipping your toe into distillery tours, Bardstown, Kentucky, might be one of those blink-and-you'll-miss-it towns you pass on your way to Lexington or Louisville. But to connoisseurs, it's known as 'Bourbon Capital of the World,' and for good reason: there are 11 distilleries within a 16-mile radius of downtown Bardstown. Even if you're not big into brown spirits, there's plenty to tempt your taste buds here. During spring, summer, and fall, Bardstown hosts a robust farmers market and farm-to-table dinners. Throughout the year, buzzy events like Bardstown Burger Week and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival draw crowds. Any time you swing by, you can fuel up at a variety of seasonally-focused restaurants with bountiful bourbon selections (naturally), Kentucky-made beers, and seriously impressive wine lists (Oak & Ember, for instance, has a level-three sommelier on staff). 'The fact that Bardstown is not a big metro area is part of its charm,' says Kentucky native Norma Smith, a bourbon butler at The Trail Hotel, a newly-opened luxury boutique hotel . 'Folks can come here, learn about bourbon's history, explore local businesses, and not have to feel the hustle-bustle of a large city. Bardstown is a small town with plenty of awesome things to do—and taste!' Explore Bardstown Best Small Spa + Wellness Town Mineral Wells, Texas An hour west of Fort Worth, Mineral Wells, Texas, is a small town steeped in wellness history. It began in 1877, when James Alvis Lynch moved his family and livestock to the area, dug a well on their property, and discovered the water had a funny taste. After testing it on their cattle with no side effects, they began drinking the water themselves, and soon, James and his wife, Armanda, who both suffered from rheumatism, started feeling better. It's said the mineral waters here have a higher concentration of lithium, which helps treat a range of mental and mood disorders. Word spread like wildfire, and tourists from around the world flocked to Mineral Wells in the early 20th century to experience these healing waters. By 1920, the town had 400 mineral wells and was touted as the 'South's greatest health resort.' A century later, Mineral Wells—now the official Wellness Capital of Texas—is seeing a resurgence as locals rally together to revitalize historic properties and honor its wellness theme. Stop into town and you'll feel the slower pace of life and small-town charm coupled with that buzzy aura of rebirth and opportunity. Here, you'll realize there really is just something in the water. Explore Mineral Wells Best Small Retirement Town Panama City Beach, Florida With 320 days of sunshine, plenty of parks, and no state income tax, Panama City Beach (PCB) is an affordable small-town gem (population 19,393) on Florida's Panhandle that's increasingly capturing the attention of retirees. I've called this place home for over three decades, and each morning I take a walk along the soft, powdery white sand before joining water aerobics classes at Frank Brown Park—a perfect blend of gentle exercise and community connection. The laid-back town offers natural beauty alongside an active lifestyle, where you can fish, paddleboard, hike scenic trails, and spot bottlenose dolphins in the emerald Gulf waters. The fresh local seafood, annual wine festival, and host of new attractions add to the allure. 'We moved down here, and I just fell in love with this place,' says artist and Beach Arts Group founder Helen Ferrell. 'It's a great place to live, to raise kids—and people treat you well. They embrace everybody: the military, the tourists, the locals.' Daniel Pratt, the owner of Panama City Coffee Co., shared a similar sentiment. 'People stop and say, 'Hey, how are you doing?' There's a community feel here you just don't find everywhere.' Explore Panama City Beach Best Small Family Town Frankenmuth, MI Walking down the tidy Main Street of Frankenmuth, Michigan, it would be easy to mistake the town of roughly 5,000 for a Bavarian village, albeit without the alpine terrain. Flowers cascade from window boxes, almost too full of life to be contained. Common Bavarian architecture—large murals, steep roofs, ornate trim, and wooden balconies—is present in each and every building. Old-fashioned light posts brighten the picturesque two-square-mile town, adding another touch of historical decoration. The narrow Cass River meanders through town, very slowly at just one mile per hour on a good day. As a lifelong Midwesterner and toddler mom, I can't help but appreciate such a warm and welcoming environment that's perfectly suited for multigenerational trips. This walkable town is perfectly set up for family fun, with a gnome hunt, mural finder, family-style chicken dinners, multiple water parks, a slew of eateries, and festivals all year long. With easy access from multiple metro areas, including the Detroit airport, Frankenmuth proves it packs a punch when it comes to accessible fun for the whole family. Explore Frankenmuth Best Small Shopping Town Taos, New Mexico In northern New Mexico, where the Sangre de Cristo Mountains rise above the desert, the town of Taos unfolds. It's one of the few places where everything from shopping to dining feels like an authentic interaction with the people, the culture, and the land. The town is especially known for its handmade Southwestern art, jewelry, and pottery, much of which can be found in the Taos Plaza, the storefront-lined center of the Taos Historic District. The plaza's expansive history dates back to 1796, when the king of Spain granted the land to 63 families in the Taos area. The following settlement became a place where merchants traveled to display their wares—just as they do today. 'This town isn't just special, it's sacred. The pace, the people, the land—it heals you if you let it,' said Maria Valdez, the owner beloved local restaurant La Luna @ La Fonda, in an interview with Travel + Leisure. 'Taos is a crossroads of cultures, histories, and landscapes. You feel it the moment you arrive.' Explore Taos Read the original article on Travel & Leisure Solve the daily Crossword


CNBC
7 hours ago
- CNBC
Summer travel isn't as easy as it used to be for airlines
Making money in the summer is not as easy as it used to be for airlines. Airlines have drawn down their schedules in August for a variety of reasons. Some travelers are opting to fly earlier, in June or even May, as schools let out sooner than they used to. Demand for flights to Europe has also been moving from the sweltering, crowded summer to the fall, airline executives have said, especially for travelers with more flexibility, like retirees. Carriers still make the bulk of their money in the second and third quarters. But as travel demand has shifted, and in some cases customers have become altogether unpredictable, making the third quarter less of a shoo-in moneymaker for airlines. Airline planners have been forced to get more surgical with schedules in August as leisure demand tapers off from the late spring and summer peaks. Labor and other costs have jumped after the pandemic, so getting the mix of flights right is essential. Carriers across the industry have been taking flights off the schedule after an overhang of too much capacity pushed down fares this summer. But the capacity cuts are set to further drive up airfares, which rose 0.7% in July from last year, and a seasonally adjusted 4% jump from June to July, according to the latest U.S. inflation read. U.S. airlines' domestic capacity is down 6% in August from July, according to aviation data firm Cirium. The same period last year, they cut domestic capacity just over 4% compared with just a 0.6% downsize between the months in 2023, Cirium said. From July to August in 2019, airlines cut 1.7% of capacity. Carriers that bet on a blockbuster year were left disappointed earlier in 2025 when consumers weighed President Donald Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs and economic uncertainty. To attract more customers, many airlines slashed prices, even for flights in the summer peaks in late June and July. Demand has improved, airline executives said on earnings calls in recent months, but carriers including Delta, American, United and Southwest last month lowered their 2025 profit forecasts compared with their sunnier outlooks at the start of the year. Further complicating matters, some travelers have been also waiting until the last minute to book flights. "It really was, I would say, middle of May, when we started seeing Memorial Day bookings pick up," JetBlue Airways President Marty St. George told investors last month. "We had a fantastic Memorial Day, much better than forecast, and that really carried into June. But it does have the feeling of people just waited a long time to make the final decisions." Now, some airlines are already thinking about how to tackle ever-changing travel patterns next year. "Schools are going back earlier and earlier but what you also see is schools are getting out earlier and earlier," Brian Znotins, American Airlines' vice president of network planning and schedule, told CNBC. Public schools in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, returned on Aug. 5, and Atlanta public schools resumed Aug. 4. In 2023, more than half of the country's public school students went back to classrooms by mid-August, according to the Pew Research Center. Southwest, with its Texas roots, ended its summer schedule on Aug. 5 this year, compared with Aug. 15 in 2023. American, for its part, is shifting some peak flying next year. "We're moving our whole summer schedule change to the week before Memorial Day," Znotins said. "That's just in response to schools letting out in the spring." Those plans include additions of a host of long-haul international flights. "We are a year-round airline," he continued. Znotins said the carrier has to not just make sure there are enough seats for peak periods, but know when to cut back in lighter quarters, like the first three months of the year. "For a network planner, the harder schedules to build are the ones where there's lower demand because you can't just count on demand coming to your flights," Znotins said. "When demand is lower, you need to find ways to attract customers to your flights with a good quality schedule and product changes." American said its schedule by seats in August was on par with July in 2019, but that this year it was 6% lower in August from July. American forecast last month it could lose an adjusted 10 cents to 60 cents a share in the third quarter, below what analysts are expecting. CEO Robert Isom said on an earnings call that "July has been tough," though the carrier says trends have improved. The capacity cuts, coupled with more encouraging booking patterns lately, are fueling optimism about a better supply and demand balance in the coming weeks. "The mistake some airlines make, you tend to try to build a church for Easter Sunday: You build your capacity foundation for those peak periods and then you have way too many [employees]," said Raymond James airline analyst Savanthi Syth. She said it was unusual to see airlines across the board pruning their summer schedules before even the peak period ended, but she is upbeat about demand, and fares, going forward. "Time has passed and people are getting a little more certainty on what their future looks like and they're more willing to spend," she said.