Looking to splurge on your next vacation?
The travel website FloridaPanhandle.com analyzed costs in 100 popular vacation spots, looking into average prices for accommodations, transportation, food and attractions.
Here are 10 destinations that certainly call for big budgets.
According to the analysis, the most expensive vacation destinations, excluding flight costs, are:
- Gustavia, St. Barts
- Gstaad, Switzerland
- Aspen, Colorado
- Park City, Utah
- Maui, Hawaii
- London, England
- Cocoa Island, Maldives
- Maun, Botswana
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
- Monte Carlo, Monaco
The 10 most expensive vacation destinations around the globe.
Source: Tech Zone Daily
The list was dominated by islands and ritzy ski towns, though the draw of eco-tourism safaris in Botswana and Europe’s financial capital, London, rounded out the ranking.
Where hotels average $1,000 per night
The Caribbean island of St. Barts is the most expensive vacation destination in the world, largely because of its high accommodation costs, which average $1,770 per night, according to the analysis.
Average hotel rates in Switzerland’s Gstaad (No. 2) are $1,360, according to the research. The town in the Swiss Alps also has the highest average food costs on the list, at $177 per day.
Accommodations at the third priciest spot — Aspen, Colorado — average $1,385 for one person, but a family of four can expect to pay $2,274, according to the analysis.
A street in downtown Aspen, Colorado.
Nik Wheeler | Corbis Historical | Getty Images
To find those prices, FloridaPanhandle.com researched average rates for four- and five-star hotels for stays during Christmas (Dec. 21-27) and the spring (May 19-25), but did not include taxes.
Attractions: from $0 to $333 per day
To estimate the price of activities, FloridaPanhandle.com calculated the average cost for each location’s three most-reviewed attractions on TripAdvisor.
The ski town of Park City, Utah, averaged $333 for daily attractions — the highest on the list.
Attractions in Maun, Botswana, Africa’s lone destination on the list, averaged more than $100 per day for activities like a one-day visit to the Okavango Delta.
Despite having higher overall average costs, St. Barts and the Maldives’ attractions were valued at $0. Vacationers may have to pay top dollar for hotels in those locations, but their beaches are free.
Monaco, Monte Carlo.
Ostill | Istock | Getty Images
Monte Carlo had one of the lowest average rates for attractions on the list, a surprising result for a vibrant gambling hot spot.
While “Monte Carlo is known for its casinos, it is also not the most popular thing to do in town,” said a representative from FloridaPanhandle.com.
According to the company, the three most popular attractions in Monte Carlo are the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, an outdoor area called Casino Square, and the Casino of Monte Carlo, which has an entrance fee of 18 euros ($20).
Gambling losses, however, are not included in Monte Carlo’s average attraction costs.
