Summer Road Trips: FL Ranks 5th On National List, WalletHub Says

FLORIDA — Summer remains in full swing, and with Florida being named one of the 2024 best road-trip destinations this season, you can enjoy summertime right at home.

Florida is near the top of the pack concerning top-notch summer road trips, according to personal-finance website WalletHub.

Data analysts ranked Florida fifth on a list of 50 states, giving the Sunshine State a total overall score of 57.11.

They considered costs of gas, hotel rooms, camping, living and vacation rentals among other factors including safety and activities. Florida ranked No. 23 for costs, No. 50 for safety and No. 2 for activities.

“Taking a summer road trip can be a very exciting way to experience a new place, but with the prices of gas, food and accommodations heavily impacted by inflation, you’ll want to be in a state that makes this type of vacation affordable," WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said in a news release.

"Safe roads are also key, and so is having plenty of worthwhile attractions to stop at along the road. The best states for summer road trips therefore are those that keep costs low while providing the best driving experience and most fun activities.”

WalletHub utilized the price of gas to measure costs. Travel agency AAA found the current average for regular gas was $3.479 per gallon Tuesday. This is 0.19 cents more than this time a year ago. The national average was $3.519 per gallon.

Florida is home to Disney World, the Everglades Holiday Park/Airboat Tours, multiple zoos, various aquariums including in Daytona Beach and Clearwater, Rapids Water Park and several beaches. The Ripley's Believe It or Not! Orlando Odditorium is also in Florida.

>> See the full methodology used here.