People from all across the U.S. have been flocking to Texas, Illinois, New York and nine other states for the best views of Monday’s total solar eclipse, but traveling into the path of totality isn’t cheap.
Hotels and vacation rentals are booked up, flights have skyrocketed, and that’s not even adding all the different merchandise you can pick up to prove you saw the moon’s shadow completely cover the sun.
From limited edition T-shirts, to creative eclipse glasses, and totality-branded bandanas for your pets — this natural phenomenon has sparked a booming industry.
Michael Zeiler, an eclipse cartographer for Great American Eclipse, told LAist he expects the celestial event to generate more than $1 billion.
“We expect roughly 4 million people, and that’s a conservative estimate, will travel to see the eclipse,” he said.
The price tag of totality in Texas
Texas is the closest state for Angelenos to travel to see the total solar eclipse, and Zeiler said he expects more than 1 million people to make their way into the path of totality in the Lone Star State.
Texas is a popular destination for eclipse tourists, boasting some of the best weather this time of year and plenty of lodging options between its major cities.
“It also has a very long duration of total solar eclipse,” Zeiler said.
Waco, for example, will have 4 minutes and 13 seconds of totality and will host the Eclipse Over Texas event, some of which you can see live on Discovery’s Youtube, along the Brazos River. While the general admission tickets are cheap, getting there likely won’t be.
As of Wednesday afternoon, roundtrip flights from Los Angeles to Dallas, which is more than an hour-and-a-half away from Waco but has a bigger airport, cost anywhere from $553 on Spirit Airlines to $1,522 for a nonstop on American Airlines.
Now, this was one week ahead of the eclipse, so prices have probably fluctuated when compared to the solar tourists who’ve been planning their trips months to years in advance.
But let’s take a look at other prices that were in effect as of Wednesday afternoon.
For lodging, a three-night stay in a downtown Waco Marriott would cost more than $1,470, including a “special event” rate, and a similar room at a Days Inn was charging a little more than $1,060 for the same April 6 to 9 dates.
Most vacation rentals were booked up, including every location recommended on the Eclipse Over Texas website, but you could stay in a roomy RV parked on a private pasture about 15 minutes away for $150 a night through Airbnb.
Even all of the camping reservations at nearby Mother Neff State Park and Lake Whitney State Park were sold out, as were the short-term spots in an RV resort.
If you were to choose the cheapest options, the Airbnb RV and Spirit flight, it would cost more than $1,140 to be in Waco for the total solar eclipse, not including food, transportation, or any extras.
Making it to the Midwest
Carbondale, Illinois, and its population of nearly 22,000 people will get to see a total solar eclipse for the second time in seven years. But the visibility will be nearly double what it was in August 2017 — 4 minutes and 9 seconds of totality this time around.
Southern Illinois University canceled Monday’s classes so students and staff can attend its Crossroads Eclipse Festival at Saluki Stadium. Many visitors are expected to funnel into the city and other southern parts of the state from St. Louis, Missouri, which is about 100 miles away.
“The places that are going to be crowded on eclipse day are places that are easily accessible from nearby large cities,” Zeiler said. “So Southern Illinois will certainly get its fair share of eclipse visitors.”
A screenshot of the available Airbnb listings near Carbondale, Illinois on Monday, April 1.
Roundtrip flights from LAX to St. Louis on Wednesday ranged from $700 on Southwest Airlines to around $1,650 on United Airlines.
If you were hoping to stay close to Carbondale’s main event, good luck finding a room.
The Best Western, Value Inn and Suites, and every nearby Days Inn were sold-out. There were several Airbnbs available, including a $100 a night bring-your-own-tent campsite that promised a great view of the eclipse, but that too was taken just a few hours later.
It would cost you more than $1,060 to get to Carbondale for the eclipse if you chose the cheapest flight and snagged the campsite in time, not including the necessary outdoor supplies and interstate transportation.
What about the East Coast?
Rochester, New York, has been named one of the best places to watch the eclipse, and the city even prepared an astronomically-curated playlist to get people pumped up.
Rochester will see 3 minutes and 38 seconds of totality, which the city referred to as the “Path of Totality Awesome,” along with dozens of different events and even an eclipse beer series from local breweries.
“Rochester, in particular, has been doing an exemplary job of organizing for the eclipse,” Zeiler said. “They have lots of activities, a lot of preparations, so they’re going to draw a lot of people.”
Roundtrip flights from LAX to Buffalo on Wednesday ran anywhere from around $1,020 to $5,200, both on Delta Airlines.
A Best Western hotel in Buffalo, New York is sold out of rooms for the total solar eclipse as of Tuesday, April 2.
Screenshot of Best Western
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As far as hotels, the Holiday Inn and Best Western in downtown Buffalo were both sold-out, but you could snag a room at a Hilton for a little more than $1,330, or stay at a Super 8 about 10 miles away for $1,040.
Most of the available vacation rentals were going for around $500 to $900 a night, but you could book an upstairs apartment just outside the city through Airbnb for $282. If you were planning on roughing it, the 10 closest state parks were all out of camping during the eclipse.
It would cost you more than $2,050 to experience the eclipse in Rochester if you chose the cheapest options, not including event tickets, dining, or souvenirs.
So. Much. Merch.
There’s the typical shirts, mugs, and posters, of course, but there’s a lot of particularly unique keepsakes on the market.
To watch the solar eclipse, you’ll need a pair of protective glasses (naked eyes staring at the sun isn’t a good mix, we promise). They’re a necessity, and you should also make sure they’re safe, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be stylish.
Bill Nye and his “Science Guy” bow tie are featured on these solar eclipse glasses from The Planetary Society, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Carl Sagan that is now led by Nye.
If you’re looking for a pair that could last until 2044, when NASA expects the next solar eclipse to be visible from the contiguous U.S., sturdier framed options with a special magnetic clip-on viewing lens can be found at Halo Eclipse Spectacles.
But experts say be wary of counterfeits, and look out for the ISO mark and the name of the company that makes the glasses so you know where to turn if there’s a problem with the product.
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