Move over, Euro Summer — Americans are staying closer to home this year.

Why it matters: Higher airfare and broader economic concerns have pushed many travelers to rethink long-haul trips.

The big picture: The Iran war has sent oil prices soaring, causing airlines to cut flights and raise fares, and drivers to pay more at the pump.

• Flight and hotel bookings have already dipped, Virginia Tech professor Mahmood Khan previously told Axios. "People are very hesitant to make long-term bookings."
• Meanwhile, budget travelers are mourning the loss of Spirit Airlines.

Zoom in: Travel adviser Erica Christie says clients are shifting toward affordable weekend trips in the Carolinas, New England and California.

• Bookings to Asheville, North Carolina, jumped 174% in the past year, according to Fora, the global travel agency where Christie works.
• South Carolina bookings rose 157%.

Travelers still heading to Europe are swapping popular (and pricey) hot spots like the Amalfi Coast and Lake Como for lesser-known alternatives — including the Italian Riviera near the French border, the Tuscan coast, Montenegro and Malta, Christie tells Axios.

Between the lines: Booking site Expedia reports travelers are choosing Philadelphia, Palm Springs, Fort Lauderdale and Puerto Rico over New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Honolulu.

• London, Paris and Rome are giving way to Dublin and Brussels.

By the numbers: 73% of Americans say they plan to take a summer vacation this year, up from 66% last year, per a new survey from transportation company Enterprise Mobility.

• Even so, most travelers (69%) say they're opting for weekend getaways, with about half citing affordability as the reason.
• 89% say they plan to stay domestic for their next trip.

The bottom line: Travelers aren't giving up on summer — they're getting more strategic.

The Dominican Republic and Morocco are trending summer destinations for U.S. travelers this year, per Kayak search data.

• 2026 FIFA World Cup host areas Kansas City and San Francisco also made Kayak's top 10.

Driving the news: Interest in the D.R. could reflect new routes and affordability, Kayak's Kayla DeLoache tells Axios.

• "International fares are getting expensive, but if we head to our neighbors to the north or the south, those are typically a little bit cheaper."

Follow the money: Average domestic airfares are up nearly $100 year over year, per Kayak.

• International airfares are up nearly $200.

Yes, but: It's still possible to book relatively affordable flights, DeLoache says.

• That's especially true if you're willing to travel midweek, and if you're open to lower-cost destinations.

Mexico, Iceland and Ireland have some of the most affordable airfares for U.S. flyers this summer, per Kayak's summer travel dashboard.

• DeLoache adds that it's smart to book flights early to lock in today's fares, as price hikes are likely.

🚲 Houston City Council approved a new pedestrian and bike connection linking Memorial Park to Uptown via the Buffalo Bayou trail network. (Houston Public Media)

🏫 Houston-area school districts closed 26 campuses over the past year. (Houston Chronicle)

☕️ La La Land opens a drive-thru cafe in Cypress. (Chron)

Travelers are increasingly turning weddings, reunions, etc. into bigger trips — a trend that American Express Travel is calling "milestone travel."

• They're also seeking out hands-on opportunities, big adventures that promise a good story to bring home, and unique local snacks, AmEx says.

⚽️ Expedia's "Unpack '26" report highlights sports pilgrimages — timely given the World Cup.

• "57% of travelers say they're likely to attend a local sporting event while traveling, rising to 68% among Gen Z and Millennials combined."

🏨 Expedia also highlights "hotel hopping:" staying at more than one hotel in the same area.

• It's a way of seeing different neighborhoods — or just saving money.

Speaking of big sports trips and travel, many Dutch fans came to Houston and turned the streets highlighter orange this weekend.

The big picture: The Orange Army came to support the Netherlands team, which won 5-1 against Sweden on Saturday.

Zoom in: The famous Oranje Fanwalk took over the streets as a reported 20,000 people drenched in orange walked from Rice University to Houston Stadium.

• It was led by the famous orange bus, complete with the Dutch "Links Rechts" song and left-right dance that everyone learned.
• Many fans attended the game, but plenty of locals just wanted to be part of the festivities, digging out their orange clothes — including plenty of University of Texas shirts and even a Lorax costume — to join the party.

At the stadium, a full house of 68,777 people filled the stands, creating a sea of orange with a prominent showing of yellow from Sweden fans, who also proudly marched in yellow to the stadium.

The bottom line: This is all part of the World Cup excitement — and the sharing of culture and tradition.

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Jet-setters, take note: We asked travel writer Lydia Mansel to share her top packing advice for summer trips.

The big picture: Forget folding tricks and compression cubes. The smartest way to pack lighter is to bring clothes you'll actually wear, says Mansel, who writes the packing-list newsletter Just Packed.

👕 Find your travel uniform. Mansel suggests sticking to staples that work for all kinds of trips. Think: oversized button-downs, plain white tees and loose linen pants.

🧴 Keep a mini-toiletry stash. Save samples, hotel shampoo bottles and travel-size toothpaste so you can "shop" your collection before each trip.

• She also recommends refillable capsules for liquids, lotions and serums.

👟 For Europe, skip the leggings. Prioritize comfortable linen and cotton pieces that you can easily wash.

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