The cheapest places to travel every month of 2018

Start the year off with the inspiring majesty of the world's most famous canyon. Arizona temps are in the manageable 50s and usually sunny in mid-January, and the South Rim of the canyon is open year-round. Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the park with free admission, but make sure you avoid hidden expenses when visiting the Grand Canyon.

You can visit Bali for less than you think. Just catch a flight as soon as the holiday crowds have cleared out. January temps average 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and resort-style hotels can be had for well under $150 nightly, sometimes even dipping below $50.

Going to Cancun for Christmas used to be novel, but not anymore. And you definitely don't want to be there for spring break. Instead, book your romantic vacation right in between those two peak times with a February vacay — round-trip airfare can be had for under $250.

True to its nickname, the Golden City isn't known for being cheap. In fact, it's one of the most expensive U.S. tourist destinations, found a GOBankingRates study.

But, February flights dip to a manageable average of about $345 while hotels hover around $145. The Golden Gate Bridge is always free to take in, too. Just don't rent a studio while you're there.

Vietnam's status as an awesomely frugal tropical destination is an open secret, but few travelers are hip enough to know that March is the best time of the year to go. Why? The weather. The usually savage humidity drops to yearly lows in March, making the "Paris of Asia" a much breezier trip.

Like Ho Chi Minh, the weather makes your March trip to London totally worthwhile. Not only are there hotel deals, but temperatures start to hit the low 50s, London's famous rains are far less frequent, and the fog lifts from the vistas of Big Ben and the London Bridge.

When it comes to the U.S. Virgin Islands, the parades, dancing, pageants, food and live music of the Carnival make it an unmissable event. In St. Thomas, it all goes down in April. Even during the best time to visit, flights are a little lower than peak season, starting at under $600 round trip.

Denali's 6 million acres are worthwhile any time of year — especially during the colder months, when the park turns into a winter wonderland. But in April, a crisp spring warms up the Alaska chill.

Plus, April kicks off National Park Week, which means you'll have more events to choose from. Visit on April 21, and you'll get free admission, too.

Every May, the holy Silk Road city of Bukhara seems to travel back in time with the beautiful Silk and Spices festival, featuring folklore talks, folk dancing, handmade art, fashion shows and, of course, lots and lots of food and textiles.

For the best deals, choose packages that cover a week through Bukhara and other cities for about $1,200 per person.

Slide into Sao Paulo just before summer to take advantage of the last sub-$1,000 plane tickets of the warm season — with enough planning, you can snag airfare for as little as $750. The crowds won't be there yet, but the subtropical climate, Alto Ribeira State Park, Hopi Hari theme park and historic cathedrals will be.

If you want to head somewhere with "glacier" in the name, summer is the best time to go to Glacier National Park. Of course, the park is beautiful in the winter. But clear skies and gorgeous temperatures in the low 70s really illuminate the crystal waters and mountain peaks of the Crown of the Continent.

U.S. News and World Report notes that June lodging rates are the lowest of the summer. With chalets and resorts hovering at around $160 or below, it's not wrong.

Just about every globe-trotter dreams of Paris in the summer, and that's the problem. The influx of summer lovers means that June lodging commonly spikes to well over $200 a night.

Enter Lille, a sleepier alternative that's just as romantic and holds its own in museum selections from the industrial La Manufacture to the traditional Fine Arts Museum. Summer hotels can be easily had for under $100, too.

Visiting Tahiti in July, and you know you're in for blissful weather that hovers right below a pitch-perfect 85 degrees. As a bonus, July is the island's dry season, so you won't have to worry as much about those characteristic sheets of rain.

Resorts can easily climb to over $300, so keep an eye out for early deals to catch $100-ish nights at local hotels.

Currently experiencing a renaissance after a big post-Hurricane Sandy government investment, Asbury Park hits all the sweet spots. It's a peak-season summer destination that won't break the bank.

The freshly built arcades, concert stages and bars of the beachy boardwalk are pure Americana, and even cross-country flights barely break $335. Stay in nearby Neptune City, where summer hotels stick to about $165 to $175 nightly.

An hour's drive from Lisbon, Comporta offers an alternative to the hip Algarve and is every bit as scenic. Conde Nast Traveller describes the chill city as "blissfully uncrowded" in August. And you can get to its idyllic open beaches, canals and rice paddies for under $700 round trip during the late summer.

Lots of things wind down during August in Tanzania, including the summer tourist season and the scorching hot weather. Enjoy the perfect surf and cornucopia of safaris as temps dip down to the mid-80s. And hop on reasonable international flight rates starting at about $1,350.

Disneyland doesn't usually make the "cheap vacations" list, but the September off-season really helps ease the sticker shock.

Airfare drops to around $260, while nearby hotel costs hover around $100 per night, making the most magical place on earth a lot more magical for your wallet.

If you want that classic New England vacation but don't want to plunk down yacht-worthy cash, check out Portland in September. As Travel + Leisure puts it, fleeing summer crowds leave behind "a quiet — and perhaps even more charming — coastal Maine town." Hotel rates plummet in the post-season, too, often dipping as low as the mid-$100s.

Greece's tourist season is long over by the time October rolls around, which makes Santorini in October a truly hidden gem.

Airfare plummets drastically to less than $550. But the sapphire seas, wineries, mild temperatures, postcard-worthy beaches and breathtakingly beautiful hotel rooms feel anything but cheap, making it U.S. News and World Report's No. 1 "Best Vacation" for the month of October.

The beauty of winter sun is that its rays shine well after peak season, making for travel deals so bright, you gotta wear shades (seriously, you probably should).

The unspoiled nearly private beaches and rich wine route make Costa Brava feel extra luxurious. But October hotels on the beach in Roses are well under $50.

While most travelers visit Hong Kong for its stunning skyline and metropolitan bustle, Lonely Planet recommends a November jaunt — when the "summer rains have gone, and the mercury has dropped" — for some unexpected hiking opportunities, including the Oxfam Trailwalker event in the middle of the month. Airfare deals can be had for as low $525 in November.

Marrakech proves that you don't need beaches to take in plenty of winter sun, with November temps sticking to the low to mid-70s.

The old and new world collide among the outdoor markets, trendy dining, fashionable night clubs and low-key hiking. Despite the plethora of activities, hotels ripped straight from "Arabian Nights" often cost less than $100 in November. Just keep an eye out for common travel scams when visiting this destination.

Visiting the Mount Rushmore National Memorial is always free (minus the $10 parking fee), but the low-key holiday season is the best time to travel. Beat the crowds and save on hotels, which dip to an average of about $150 nightly in December.

Here's a holiday surprise: When Thrillist teamed up with travel app Hopper to do a little research in late 2017, they found that Kahului was America's 10th-most discounted December destination, calling the sub-$600 flights "historically cheap." Maybe this year's Christmas miracle involves a little less snow than usual?