Solar Eclipse Travel: Last-Minute Tips And Places To Stay

04.04.2024 - 17:07 / forbes.com

Eclipse fever is running high as the U.S. gears up for a total solar eclipse that will pass across a huge swath of the country on April 8. Looking for last-minute eclipse travel tips? Demand is off the charts for flights, hotels and rental cars along the path of totality. But it’s not too late to book travel for the solar eclipse—if you know where to look.

First things first, no matter where you go, you’ll want to get a pair of eclipse glasses so that you can watch this phenomenon safely. Then you’ll want to make sure you’re in the path of totality, which will go though 13 states. And you’ll want to leave plenty of travel time for the predicted traffic snarls as spectators descend on the path of totality.

So where should you stay to make a vacation out of it? A few companies have some handy last-minute eclipse travel tips.

In celebration of this monumental event that will pass over 13 states, Booking.com has curated a list of 13 properties that are still available in or right near the locations in the eclipse’s path of totality. The list of best last-minute eclipse hotels to book includes:

According to Airbnb, there has been remarkable 1,000% surge in demand for cities along the path of totality. But there are cities and towns in the U.S. that still have Airbnb inventory available to book for Sunday, April 7. These include:

• Richardson and Pflugerville, Texas

• Hot Springs, Arkansas

• Bloomington, Indiana

• Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio

• Rochester and Syracuse, New York

Want to get away from the city lights? “Camping offers an exceptional experience during a total eclipse. It gets you away from the city lights, immerses you in nature, and provides an unobstructed view of this cosmic phenomenon,” Erin Stender, CMO of Campspot, said in a statement.

Plus, campgrounds tend to have more availability than hotels during popular events like solar eclipses. Campspot has released an up-to-date camping guide of sites that shows real-time availability at campgrounds in states within the path of totality. And according to Campspot, all the states are showing campgrounds with at least one site available per night for the four nights surrounding April 8.

According to a recent survey, 25% of Americans planning to travel to observe the total solar eclipse plan to take an RV trip to witness the impressive event. The upside to traveling in an RV? It not only gives you shelter, it also gives you freedom—since you can easily pivot your location, depending on the weather. Plus, you can save money. “The fact that it’s a lot more affordable to experience this with family and friends in an RV makes this an irresistible option,” Craig Kirby, president & CEO of the RV Industry Association, said in a statement.

Outdoorsy, a