Summer Road Trips: GA Ranks 18th On National List, WalletHub Says

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

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

Data analysts ranked Georgia 18th on a list of 50 states, giving the Peach State a total overall score of 52.66.

They considered costs of gas, hotel rooms, camping, living and vacation rentals among other factors including safety and activities.

Georgia ranked No. 7 for costs, No. 32 for safety and No. 29 for activities. Additionally, analysts regarded Georgia as one of five states with the highest average cost of car repairs, ranking the southern state at No. 47.

“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 $3.335 per gallon Tuesday. This is 0.73 cents more than this time a year ago.

The national average is $3.45 per gallon, WalletHub said.

Georgia is home to the Georgia Aquarium, ZooAtlanta, a bustling entertainment industry, a number of historical sites, the annual Georgia State Fair, multiple lakes and beaches and rooftop restaurants.

>> See the full methodology used here.