Jacksonville ranks high on Forbes list of worst cities for holiday travel. Here's why

Kim Luciani, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·4 min read

With nearly half of Americans planning to travel this busy holiday season, airports and roads are about to get crowded.

Worries about flight delays and cancellations have pushed some travelers to avoid the skies and take to the road instead. About a third of them plan to drive to their destinations, according to the 2023 Deloitte holiday travel survey

Because travelers to certain cities have been confronted with an increased risk of disruptions in air travel, congested roads, car crashes and higher hotel prices during the holidays, Forbes set out to reveal the worst cities for holiday travel.

Forbes compared the 42 most populated American cities across 14 metrics in three key categories – driving experience, city experience and air travel experience – to assemble its list.

Memphis topped the list of worst cities due to its high crime rate, low number of tourist attractions and highly rated restaurants, along with low transit and walk scores. Los Angeles was runner-up and stood out for the number of weather-related car crashes, high gas prices and traffic congestion.

Three Florida cities ranked in the top 15.

Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami among worst U.S. cities for holiday travel

Jacksonville came in at No. 3, with low walk and transit scores. According to Forbes, Jacksonville stood as the city with the:

  • Seventh highest number of people involved in fatal crashes between November and January (11 per 100,000 city residents).

  • Seventh highest number of weather-related car accidents in November, December and January (192).

  • Eighth fewest restaurants with four or more stars on Tripadvisor (744).

Coming in at No. 7, Miami ranked low in air travel experience, with Miami International Airport having the highest incidents of property loss and damage claims between 2013 and 2022.

Miami also had the:

  • Seventh highest number of people involved in fatal crashes between November and January (11 per 100,000 city residents).

  • Seventh highest number of weather-related car accidents in November, December and January (192).

  • Eighth fewest restaurants with four or more stars on Tripadvisor (744).

No. 15 Tampa received only 33.14 points in the "city experience" category which was 10th worst among the cities rated and includes crime rate, hotel price, number of tourist attractions and highly rated restaurants, walk score and transit score.

The worst American cities for holiday travel

The worst cities for holiday travel, according to Forbes' study:

  1. Memphis

  2. Los Angeles

  3. Jacksonville

  4. New York

  5. Tucson

  6. Oklahoma City

  7. Miami

  8. Indianapolis

  9. Colorado Springs

  10. San Antonio

  11. Las Vegas

  12. Albuquerque

  13. Portland, Oregon

  14. Dallas

  15. Tampa

  16. Fresno

  17. San Diego

  18. Atlanta

  19. Philadelphia

  20. Boston

  21. Sacramento

  22. Washington, D.C.

  23. Phoenix

  24. Detroit

  25. Nashville

  26. Denver

  27. Seattle

  28. Milwaukee

  29. Houston

  30. Austin

  31. Louisville

  32. Baltimore

  33. Chicago

  34. San Francisco

  35. Columbus, Ohio

  36. Charlotte, North Carolina

  37. Tulsa

  38. Kansas City, Missouri

  39. Omaha

  40. El Paso

  41. Raleigh

  42. Minneapolis

Holiday booking prices: flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises

Average booking prices for November and December, according to AAA:

FLIGHTS

  • The average price for a domestic flight is $681, up 5% from 2022.

  • The average price for an international flight is $1,231, down 5.7% from last year

HOTELS

  • The average price for a domestic hotel stay is $598, down 12% from 2022.

  • The average price for an international hotel stay is $772, up 5% from last year.

RENTAL CARS

  • The average price for a domestic rental car reservation is $590, down 20% from 2022.

  • The average price for an international rental car reservation is $696, up 9% from last year.

CRUISES

  • The average price for a domestic cruise is $1,507, down 12% compared to 2022.

  • The average price for an international cruise is $2,902, up 24% from last year.

TOURS

  • The average price for a domestic tour is $1,058, down 15% compared to 2022.

  • The average price for an international tour is $1,208, up 21% from last year.

AAA Thanksgiving 2023 forecast

Over 55 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday, a 2.3% increase from last year.

Most will drive, with 49.1 estimated to get behind the wheel, while 4.7 million are expected to fly and 1.55 million will travel by cruise, bus and train, an increase in all categories from 2022.

Thanksgiving gas prices: Over the river and through the woods for under $4. Lower gas cuts Thanksgiving travel cost

“For many Americans, Thanksgiving and travel go hand in hand, and this holiday, we expect more people on the roads, skies, and seas compared to 2022,” Senior Vice President of AAA Travel Paula Twidale said.

“Travel demand has been strong all year, and AAA’s Thanksgiving forecast reflects that continued desire to get away and spend time with loved ones.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa on worst cities for holiday travel list