Best Summer Travel Destinations Include Maryland

BALTIMORE, MD — Maryland is among the top 50 summer travel destinations for 2018, at least according to the consumer finance site WalletHub. The website ranked the metro area including Baltimore, Columbia and Towson, at No. 37 on its list of best spots for summer trips.

The study ranked 100 metro areas on 40 key indicators, from cost of the cheapest flight to the number of attractions to the weather. Availability of blue crabs and water sports wasn't on the list, but that can't hurt.

The Maryland region ranked 37th overall, coming in at No. 15 in terms of travel costs and hassles, 53 in local costs, 30 in overall attractions, and 43 for the weather.

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The "Travel Costs & Hassles" metric weighed factors including the cost of the cheapest flight and duration of the cheapest flight. "Local Costs" included cost of living, lowest nightly rate for a three-star hotel and the average price of a two-personal meal. "Attractions" rated the number and diversity of local attractions from amusement parks to spas, shopping centers, beaches, parks, walking and hiking tours, beer gardens and more.

The top 5 metro areas on the list are:

• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
• Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
• Austin-Round Rock, TX Metro Area
• Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
• Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metro Area

Read the full story here.

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PHOTO via Shutterstock / Sean Pavone