Auto Rental News
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

What Are Europeans' Favorite U.S. Destinations?

Data from Jetcost USA reveals which U.S. cities Germans, French, Spaniards, Italians, are looking to visit this August.

What Are Europeans' Favorite U.S. Destinations?

According to Jetcost, a large majority of tourists have opted for California at the top of Europeans' searches, with Los Angeles as the second most wanted city in the U.S. for German and Italian tourists.

3 min to read


Price search engine provider Jetcost announced in a statement that searches for flights on its website have increased by 250%, while those for hotels have increased by 330% in the first seven months of this year 2022. Searches for August 2022 holidays are already 30% above those for the same month in 2019. In addition, users spend 50% more time searching for different solutions, budgets, and alternative dates to find the offer that best suits their needs.

According to the statement, a big number of Europeans who have decided to travel during the August holidays in 2022 are going to the U.S. to enjoy their holidays. It is the first non-European country and the sixth in the world most searched.

Ad Loading...

"Normality is here and with it comes the millions of tourists who visited U.S. every summer before the pandemic," said Ignazio Ciarmoli, Jetcost's marketing director in the statement. "Californian cities remain major global tourist destinations continuing to attract a big number of tourists, and especially Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, which are one of the Europeans' favorites destinations. On the other hand, many Americans have chosen then too, along with the main European cities and sun and beach destinations, where their good prices, rich gastronomy, and nightlife continue attracting Americans tourists".

Jetcost USA regularly analyzes the searches done through its website, and for the month of August 2022, a large majority of tourists have opted for California at the top of Europeans' searches, with Los Angeles as the second most wanted city in the U.S. for German and Italian tourists, third for French, British, and Spaniards, and fourth for Dutch and Portuguese. San Francisco is ranked number four for the French and Italians, five for the Germans and Spaniards, seven for the Dutch and the Portuguese, and eight for the British. San Diego the 11th most searched by the Italians and 12th by the Portuguese.

California is not only one of the favorite holiday destinations for Europeans in the U.S., but also for Americans, as Los Angeles ranks seventh and San Francisco 21st in searches. Eleven other American cities are among the top 25 most searched in the world, including New York (1), Miami (3), Orlando (4), Las Vegas (6), Boston (14), Fort Lauderdale (15), Seattle (17), Honolulu (18), Atlanta (19), Chicago (22), and Dallas (25).

Cancun occupies the fifth position, Punta Cana the eighth, San Juan the ninth, and Santo Domingo the 10th. On the other hand, large cities in Europe are other top destinations on the list, including Barcelona (12), Paris (13), and London (16). Other major South American cities close the list of American preferences, such as Havana (11th), Managua (20th), Mexico D.F. (21st), and Buenos Aires (24th).

Top 5 Destinations Most Searched by Americans During August 2022

  1. New York

  2. Madrid

  3. Miami

  4. Orlando

  5. Cancun

More Rental Operations

Rental car agent shows woman her choice of rental car
Rental Operations•by Chris Brown•October 7, 2026

Advantage, Sixt Place Among Top Five in Annual Satisfaction Study

While Enterprise and National retain the top spots in JD Power’s 2026 rankings, the latest customer satisfaction results suggest renters can find competitive service beyond the biggest car rental names.

Read More →
an exotic car wrapped in an insurance policy
Rental Operations•October 1, 2026

The $100,000 Insurance Trap in Exotic Car Rentals

Exotic rental agencies often rely on customers’ personal auto policies to protect six-figure vehicles. But policy language can dramatically change the coverage for vehicles over $100,000 MSRP.

Read More →
globe of world and drivers license from UK
Rental Operations•September 28, 2026

The Booking Is Confirmed, But Is Your Customer Ready to Drive?

For international renters, a confirmed reservation doesn’t always mean they’re eligible to drive. Earlier checks can help operators catch documentation and payment issues before the customer reaches the counter.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Scenes from Car Rental Shows past
Rental Operations•by Staff•September 23, 2026

ICRS 2027 Opens Call for Papers

The International Car Rental Show seeks session proposals on the business, operational, and technology issues facing car rental operators. Submissions are due Jan. 15.

Read More →
hand holding phone and Turo logo
Rental Operations•by Staff•September 21, 2026

Turo to Launch Vehicle Delivery Service

Turo Delivered will let travelers search for vehicles that hosts can deliver directly to hotels, homes, airports, train stations, and other locations.

Read More →
plane, palm trees, car rental sign
Rental Operations•by Chris Brown•September 15, 2026

Palm Beach Airport Code Change Creates Car Rental Distribution Gap

A test of rental searches under the old PBI and new DJT airport codes returned largely different sets of brands and vehicles, highlighting a potential distribution problem for rental operators.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Team members of U-Save's new franchise
Rental Operations•by Staff•September 15, 2026

U-Save Continues Dominican Republic Expansion with Launch in Punta Cana

The new franchise location builds on U-Save’s existing Santo Domingo operation and will begin taking reservations for October 2026.

Read More →
A traveler searches for rental cars with an AI bot
Rental Operations•September 14, 2026

When AI Books the Rental Car, Who Controls the Sale?

As AI moves from comparing rental rates to completing transactions, operators need to understand how travelers find, interpret, rank, and ultimately see their offers. (Part 2 of 2.)

Read More →
map of europe and summer car rental rates
Rental Operations•September 11, 2026

European Booked Car Rental Rates Fell 5%, Results Varied by Country

Ireland, Cyprus, and the United Kingdom saw steep declines, while booked rates rose in Poland and Hungary.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
thumbnail of Chris Brown and Mike DeLorenzo with title Time to Rethink Rental Categories?
Rental Operations•by Chris Brown•September 8, 2026

Is It Time to Rethink Rental Categories?

As traditional economy and compact cars disappear from the market, longtime rental operator Mike DeLorenzo asks whether the industry’s familiar vehicle categories still make sense — and what operators need to rethink along with them.

Read More →
Ad Loading...