Whether you're thinking of grabbing your suitcase for a holiday trip, you might want to double-check your destination if it's on Forbes Advisor's naughty list—especially if San Antonio is where you're headed. According to Forbes, the Alamo City has been dubbed the 10th-worst city for holiday travel, with its airport and hazardous driving conditions caused by weather-wrecking travel plans. San Antonio stands out with 212 reported car accidents due to weather from 2017 to 2021 in the holiday months, and the number of property loss and damage claims at its airport is not looking any better, with only about 21 percent getting reimbursed in full.
But San Antonio isn't alone in making travelers' spirits not-so-bright—the study, which analyzed air travel, driving, and city experience, uncovered the grinches in places across the country, like Memphis, which tops the worst list with a perfect 100 out of 100, according to Forbes Advisor, also, Mississippi's pride suffers from a high crime rate and low-rated transit; meanwhile, Los Angeles ranks second with the most weather-related car accidents from 2017 to 2021 and sky-high holiday hotel prices. Other cities making the unfortunate cut include Jacksonville, New York City, and Tucson, all with their unique travel woes, from dangerous driving conditions to astronomical accommodation costs and dismal delays at airports.
If you're one of the 48% of Americans planning to travel from Thanksgiving to mid-January as per Deloitte’s 2023 holiday travel survey cited in the rankings, be wary of cities like Memphis and Los Angeles, where you face the highest chance of road accidents and expensive gas, respectively. Flying isn't any more promising—New York City's airports have the second-highest percentage of disrupted flights during the holidays, and L.A.'s Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) struggles with property loss claims, with a mere 20% reimbursement rate for damaged goods.
Some cities might offer a sigh of relief for travelers; back in Texas, cities such as Houston, Austin, and El Paso fared much better, finding themselves in the top 15 best cities for holiday travel. But whether you're destined for the worst or best cities this holiday season, it's worth navigating those travel advisories with caution because, while forecasts may predict delays and disasters, the reality of holiday travel is as unpredictable as Santa's arrival time.
