It’s easy to see the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse if you’re one of the 32 million people living inside the Path of Totality. But what if you live outside that 120-mile-wide path? Planning a trip to see the eclipse is nothing like planning a weekend getaway. It’s more like attending the Superbowl, going to an outdoor concert, and watching the Fourth of July fireworks – on the same day.
The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse is on Monday, April 8. It’s about a month into spring. And the eclipse happens in the early afternoon.
The most important thing to know about planning a trip to see the eclipse is that seeing it depends entirely on the weather. Historically, southwest Texas has the least chance of clouds in early April, while anywhere northeast of Indiana has the highest possibility. But regardless of where you plan to see the eclipse, you won’t see anything if clouds blanket the sky on Eclipse Day.
That’s why I think you should use the eclipse as an excuse to travel and not just travel for the eclipse.
Dr. Gordon Telepun, an avid eclipse chaser, photographer, and developer of the Solar Eclipse Timer, devised a system for choosing a viewing location. This system balances three factors: historical cloudiness and weather, Duration of Totality, and travel logistics. Ideally, he wants to see the eclipse somewhere easy to get to, with the longest duration and the least chance of clouds.
But this system is designed for diehard eclipse chasers, photographers, and scientists. After seeing the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse, I wholeheartedly believe that everyone should see a total solar eclipse once in their lifetime. But not for the sake of cramming fifty million people into southwest Texas.
I suggest a system for choosing a viewing location that considers four factors: travel destination, historical cloudiness and weather, Duration of Totality, and travel logistics.
Choosing a great travel destination to see the eclipse opens some opportunities. First, it gives you something to do over the preceding weekend. And most importantly, if clouds blanket the sky on Eclipse Day, at least you’ll have enjoyed exploring a destination.
With that in mind, everything I have written about the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse is based on spending the weekend exploring a great travel destination and settling into a viewing location on Eclipse Day. If this sounds like what you’d enjoy, then continue reading this guide on how to plan a trip to see the eclipse.
After reading this guide, comment below and let me know where you will see the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse.
2024 Total Solar Eclipse Map
How to use this map | Click the icon in the top-left corner to open the Map Legend, then click on any of the legend items to display more information. If you have a Google account, click the (very faint) star at the end of the map’s name to save this map to your account, then access the map from your smartphone during your trip.
Things to Know About the Eclipse
The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse is on Monday, April 8, 2024. The eclipse spans from Mexico to Canada with a Path of Totality about 300 miles wide. But almost everyone in North America will be treated to a partial eclipse during the event.
Here are some fine details you must understand about a total solar eclipse to help you plan a trip to see it in 2024.
Contact Times
The first thing to know about a total solar eclipse is Contact Times. These are the precise times when different phases of the eclipse begin and end. Here’s a list of the Contact Times:
- 1st Contact – The moment the moon’s outer edge first passes over the Sun, starting a partial eclipse.
- 2nd Contact – The moment the moon completely blocks the Sun, casting a shadow across the Earth and beginning Totality.
- Max Eclipse – The moment the moon and Sun perfectly align.
- 3rd Contact – The moment the moon no longer completely blocks the Sun, ending Totality and beginning the second partial eclipse.
- 4th Contact – The moment the moon’s outer edge passes beyond the Sun, ending the partial eclipse.
Contact Times vary depending on your viewing location. There are two ways to calculate the precise Contact Times of your location:
- Xavier Jubier’s popular Interactive Solar Eclipse Map plots the eclipse path on Google Maps. Clicking anywhere on the map opens a box with detailed Contact Times. You can pan and zoom the map to find your location precisely. This is a better tool while planning your trip.
- Gordon Telepun’s Solar Eclipse Timer app for iOS and Android uses your geolocation to calculate precise Contact Times. The app features a unique notification system that audibly alerts you to the different phases of the eclipse. This is a better tool to use during Eclipse Day.
The most important thing to remember about the Contact Times is when to use your solar eclipse glasses. You must wear solar eclipse glasses during the partial eclipse between 1st and 2nd Contact, then again between 3rd and 4th Contact.
However, you cannot wear solar eclipse glasses during Totality between 2nd Contact and 3rd Contact because you would not be able to see anything.
Duration of Totality
The Duration of Totality is the time between the 2nd Contact and 3rd Contact. It’s when the moon’s shadow passes across the Earth, and anyone in the path experiences the eerie wonderment of a total solar eclipse.
The Duration of Totality for any total solar eclipse is greatest along the Centerline of the eclipse. For the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, the Duration of Totality is also greatest along the Centerline in southwestern Texas.
The Duration of Totality ranges from about 4.5 minutes along the Centerline in Texas to about 3.5 minutes along the Centerline in Maine. The time shortens the further you are from the Centerline. The time along the edges of the Path of Totality can be as short as 30 seconds.
Partial Eclipse
Totality is the most celebrated and advertised portion of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. But don’t discount the partial eclipse. It’s the preshow entertainment and afterparty of the event.
The first partial eclipse begins at the 1st Contact and ends at the 2nd Contact when Totality begins. Then, the second partial eclipse starts at the 3rd Contact and ends at the 4th Contact. You must wear solar eclipse glasses while viewing the partial eclipse.
Unlike the Duration of Totality, which is longer on the Centerline of the eclipse, the partial eclipse is the same duration regardless of how far you are from the Centerline. The duration of the partial eclipse shortens the further north you travel.
The partial eclipse in the Path of Totality ranges from almost 3 hours in Texas to about 2.5 hours in Maine.
Step 1
Choose a Viewing Location
Choosing a place to view the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse is the most complicated step in the planning process. There are hundreds of places in the Path of Totality from Texas to Maine. So, how do you choose just one place to view the eclipse?
Here’s what I recommend you consider when choosing a viewing location:
- Travel destination. Does the place you want to visit have things to do, like local shopping, outdoor recreation, and great places to eat? You’ll likely find things to do if the destination has a tourism office.
- Historical cloudiness and weather. AccuWeather says places in southwest Texas have the smallest chance of clouds in early April. The further north along the Path of Totality, the greater the chance of clouds. Places northeast of Illinois have the highest chance of clouds.
- Duration of Totality. The duration is longest along the Centerline in Texas. However, it’s only a minute shorter – and almost 3.5 minutes long – along the Centerline in Maine.
- Travel logistics. Fortunately, it’s remarkably easy to travel to almost any place in the Path of Totality.
So, what does all this mean?
The best-case scenario is to choose a viewing location in Texas, Arkansas, or Missouri along the centerline of the eclipse. Texas will undoubtedly have the best early spring weather to enjoy.
But you should also consider one of the numerous places in Indiana and Ohio where you could thoroughly enjoy a weekend whether the cloudiness cooperates. Many places in the Path of Totality in Ohio are exciting places to visit any time of year – like the birthplace of Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon.
If you enjoy cold climates and winter recreation, you might choose a viewing location in New York, Vermont, or New Hampshire. April is the tail end of the skiing season, but it’s possible to find ski resorts open as late as May. Although the odds are not good, can you imagine watching the total solar eclipse from the snow-covered ski slopes?
Check out my Travel Guide to the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse for an interactive map and list of places in the Path of Totality. You can also explore places to see the eclipse in each state or a list of state parks and national parks across the country.
Step 2
Pick the Best Travel Dates
The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse is on Monday, April 8. However, Monday is the worst day for travel. Think of the eclipse like the Super Bowl. Thousands of people will gather in areas designed for one-tenth of the number of people, and highways will be more congested than during rush hour on a rainy Friday.
The best travel dates for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse are Saturday, April 6, and Tuesday, April 9.
Arriving early allows you time to explore the destination before the big event on Monday. If your lodging is within walking or public transportation distance to your viewing location, you can park the car all weekend and never deal with congested highways. Leaving the day after the eclipse will also ensure you avoid the congested highways that will inevitably follow the end of Totality.
If three nights stretch your travel budget or available time, it’s better to arrive a day later but still plan to leave on Tuesday.
Monday is the worst day for travel almost anywhere in the Path of Totality. Locals who plan to attend a viewing party or festival will clog the highways early Monday. Viewers who must drive to their viewing location will only add to the highway congestion. People will become frantic the closer to Totality – it’s best not to drive at all within half an hour of the beginning of Totality.
If you must drive to your viewing location, the best time to arrive is 2 hours before the beginning of the partial eclipse or the 1st Contact Time.
The worst time to drive on Monday will be the six hours following the end of the total solar eclipse. Like fans at a hopelessly outmatched football game, people will begin heading for the cars as soon as Totality ends, skipping the second phase of the partial eclipse. For the next several hours, highways will be outrageously congested.
If you must drive from your viewing location, the best thing to do is patiently wait about 2-3 hours until the end of the partial eclipse or the 4th Contact Time.
Step 3
Book Your Lodging
Booking lodging is the second most complicated part of planning a trip to see the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. Avid eclipse chasers booked two or more years in advance. Casual eclipse observers began booking in early 2023. If it’s 2024 and you haven’t booked lodging yet, you might need to do some searching and settle for second best.
Fortunately, there are lots of options.
Instead of your usual hotel chain, you could consider booking a roadside motel. Some chains, like Red Roof Inn, Baymont Inn & Suites, and Best Western, have comfortable and safe rooms for a few nights.
You might need to look for lodging like a business traveler instead of a tourist. Look for hotels clustered around airports, especially the larger international airports.
Hostels are few and far in between in the U.S., but the community-centered lodging has come a long way in the past decade. Some hostels now offer private rooms for couples or if you would rather not sleep in a dorm room.
Short-term rentals will be a mixed bag of great deals and outrageous rates for the eclipse. But you might find a great house, condo, or cabin to rent through the weekend and eclipse if you look in the right places.
Campgrounds and RV resorts offer more lodging than just sites for travel trailers and tents. Some campgrounds have cabins for rent. Kampgrounds of America and Good Sam Club are two ways to find great campgrounds in the Path of Totality.
Finally, there is always the option to book lodging outside the Path of Totality. However, this option comes with the caveat of driving to your viewing location on Eclipse Day.
Read the guide on How to Find Affordable and Available Lodging for the Total Solar Eclipse 2024 to learn more about these options, and see a list of resources to help you book lodging for the eclipse.
Step 4
Get to Your Destination
Do you prefer traveling by plane, train, or automobile? However you like to travel, there are many great options for getting to your destination for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse.
Traveling with Amtrak
There are 11 Amtrak routes with 38 stations in the Path of Totality. These routes connect to Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans, and Washington – offering a chance to easily travel from almost anywhere in the country to the eclipse.
Traveling by train certainly has some advantages. You won’t have to deal with congested traffic on the highways or find parking at the viewing location. You’ll have to wade through the least number of fellow travelers at the stations. And you can enjoy the gorgeous scenery in Viewliner cars.
However, traveling by train does come with a few disadvantages. Amtrak has a notorious reputation for delayed trains – do not plan to travel by train on Monday. There are also far fewer trains scheduled than any other transportation, which means fewer available seats. And the cost of traveling by Amtrak is frequently higher than flying or driving.
Here’s a list of Amtrak routes with stations in the Path of Totality during the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse:
- Capitol Limited
- Cardinal
- City of New Orleans
- Empire Service
- Heartland Flyer
- Illinois Service
- Lake Shore Limited
- Maple Leaf
- Sunset Limited
- Texas Eagle
- Vermonter
The best Amtrak routes to travel for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse are the Lakeshore Limited and Texas Eagle.
Traveling into Airports
There are 15 international, 1 national, and 10 regional airports in the Path of Totality. These airports offer countless connections around the world for an easy flight to the eclipse.
Flying is a great way to travel for the eclipse because you bypass the congested highways and don’t have to deal with finding parking. It’s a better option than the train because flights are more flexible to sudden increases in air travelers.
International airports are typically larger than domestic airports because they must have customs and border control facilities for passengers flying between countries. These airports offer the most amenities, carriers, and flights.
There are 15 international airports in the path of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse:
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
- Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Frederick Douglas Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC)
- Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
- James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (DAY)
- Massena International Airport (MSS)
- Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG)
- Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV)
- Plattsburgh International Airport (PBG)
- Presque Isle International Airport (PQI)
- San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
- Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR)
- Watertown International Airport (ART)
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is the best to fly into for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. Although the Time of Totality is shorter than other places near the centerline of the eclipse, the Dallas – Fort Worth area features a few solar eclipse festivals and plenty of other things to do.
National airports are sometimes as large as international airports, with nearly as many passengers, but only serve domestic flights between metropolitan areas. Bill and Hilary Clinton National Airport (LIT) in Little Rock, Arkansas, is the only national airport in the Path of Totality. Although Little Rock has a shorter duration of Totality and a high chance of clouds on Eclipse Day, it’s still a good place to visit for the eclipse.
Regional airports connect smaller metropolitan areas to the national aviation network. These airports typically have few amenities or carriers but can easily connect passengers with larger airports.
There are 10 regional airports in the path of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse:
- Adirondack Regional Airport (SLK)
- Akron Canton Regional Airport (CAK)
- Barkley Regional Airport (PAH)
- Cape Girardeau Regional Airport (CGI)
- Dallas Love Field (DAL)
- Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport (TOL)
- Evansville Regional Airport (EVV)
- Texarkana Regional Airport (TXK)
- Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR)
- Waco Regional Airport (ACT)
Waco Regional Airport is an excellent airport to fly into for the eclipse. It’s easy to fly into the airport with connecting flights to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The airport is about five miles from Waco, a city hosting many events and festivals on Eclipse Day.
Traveling by Car
It’s easy to drive to the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse with dozens of interstate highways crisscrossing the Path of Totality. Interstates 10, 40, 70, 80, and 90 cross the nation through the eclipse path, connecting almost every state with viewing destinations.
But since most people traveling for the eclipse will travel by car, it will become increasingly difficult the closer the Eclipse Day. Friday evening and Saturday morning are the best times to drive to your destination before the eclipse, and Tuesday is the best day to drive out.
On Eclipse Day, plan for the driving time to be 2-3 times longer than a typical day. If you plan to spend the night before somewhere outside the Path of Totality, be ready to leave early to account for heavy traffic congestion. You can avoid much of the congestion after the eclipse if you wait about 2-3 hours before leaving your viewing location.
Step 5
Create an Eclipse Day Itinerary
After years of travel, I’ve learned that creating inflexible itineraries with no room for spontaneity is the best way to ruin a great trip. However, that is precisely what’s required on Eclipse Day.
Before creating the Eclipse Day itinerary, you’ll need to gather some information:
- All four Contact Times
- Opening and closing times for your viewing location
- Estimated travel time from your lodging to your viewing location
The most crucial times to place in your Eclipse Day itinerary are the 2nd Contact Time and 3rd Contact Time, also known as Totality when the moon completely blocks the Sun. You can start building the rest of your itinerary once you’ve placed these times in your itinerary.
Give yourself at least a 30-minute buffer before 2nd Contact to find a place to sit, set up your chairs, and get comfortable.
1st Contact Time is the beginning of the partial eclipse. To get the most out of the experience, I recommend planning to arrive at your viewing location before the partial eclipse begins. If seating is limited, I advise arriving 1-2 hours before the partial eclipse begins. Check the opening time of the viewing location and determine if you can arrive that early.
If you’re driving to your viewing location, plan for the trip to take 2-3 times longer than the estimated travel time you calculated earlier. With the travel time and 1st Contac Time, decide when to leave your lodging.
Planning the itinerary after Totality is much more flexible. Many people will begin leaving as soon as Totality is finished. However, this is the second partial eclipse. I suggest sticking around for the partial eclipse while everyone clamors to their cars to unhurriedly clog the highways.
I recommend planning to leave about an hour after the 4th Contact, the definitive end of the total solar eclipse event. By then, traffic will be less congested than when Totality ended, and people will rush for the gates faster than fans at a Panthers football game.
Step 6
Essential Things to Pack
Neatly folding your clothes into packing cubes and grabbing your travel tech bag is a good start to packing for any trip. But seeing the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse isn’t any trip. It’s like going to an outdoor concert that requires safety equipment.
There are only 3 essential things to pack for a solar eclipse:
- ISO 12312-2 certified solar eclipse glasses. American Paper Optics Eclipser HD Glasses are stylish and sturdy for long uses. Rainbow Symphony offers a variety of options like Solar Eclipse Glasses, Wrap-Around Goggles, and Clip-On Solar Eclipse Glasses. You can buy cardboard framed glasses from American Paper Optics or Rainbow Symphony in a pinch.
- The Solar Eclipse Timer. The Solar Eclipse Timer app for iOS and Android provides audible notifications and countdowns to the key moments of the total solar eclipse.
- A comfortable chair. The Coleman Portable Camping Chair is the standard go-to for collapsible quad chairs, and the Coleman Big-N-Tall Quad Chair is slightly bigger and offers a higher seating capacity. The Helinox Chair Zero remarkably weighs just 8 pounds but supports 265 pounds. The Snow Peak Low Beach Chair folds into a storage bag and features a durable canvas material.
A quasi-essential thing to pack is a good power bank to keep your smartphone charged throughout the day. Some of these power banks have enough capacity to keep multiple devices charged:
- The Anker PowerCore III is a versatile power bank for Apple and Android phones. What I love most about this power bank is the wireless 10W Qi charger – simply set a compatible phone on top of the power bank, and it’s charging. There is no need to carry a charging cable. But the power bank also has an 18W USB-C and 15W USB-A port for additional charging options.
- The Anker Magnetic Battery only works with Apple MagSafe iPhones, but Wired wrote an article about adapting MagSafe products for Android phones. This power bank features a wireless MagSafe charger with an integrated stand – perfect for setting the phone upright to see the timer on Eclipse Day.
- The Anker Prime 20,000 mAh Power Bank is perfect for charging multiple devices on Eclipse Day. The hefty power bank features two 100W USB-C ports and a 65W USB-A port with a max 200W simultaneous charging capacity.
After packing the essentials for comfort, safety, and power, how about packing a few extra things for entertainment? Take one of these outdoor games for hours of fun while watching the partial eclipse slowly inch across the sky:
- This GoSports Cornhole Set features a solid wood design and includes a hefty carrying case for easy travel.
- The GoSports Left Center Right Giant Dice Game is a recreation of my favorite travel game. This set includes 3.5” wooden dice, giant tokens, and a carrying bag.
- If you’ve played Yahtzee, you’ll understand how Farkle works. The GoSports Giant Wooden Playing Dice Set has 3.5” wooden dice and a dry-erase board for keeping score.
- If you can find a solid playing surface like a picnic table or concrete pad, then you’ll love having the GoSports Giant Wooden Tower Game. It’s an outdoor-sized version of Jenga! The set includes a dry-erase scoreboard and a carrying case.
- The GoSports Regulation Bocce Set is a great game that requires little effort. The set comes with a premium carry case.
Finally, consider downloading some or all these apps that will be extremely useful during Eclipse Day:
- AccuWeather is my favorite app for tracking weather. The app is typically accurate and easy to use and has some great features you might find useful. Download on iOS or Android.
- If you insist on capturing eclipse photos with your smartphone, get the Camera+ 2 app. It’s one of the best camera apps, with many features and settings for getting the most out of your smartphone camera. Download on iOS or Android.
- Google Maps will be invaluable for spotting congested highways and finding alternate routes after watching the eclipse. It’s also a great tool to help you find public transportation to and from your viewing location. Download on iOS or Android.
FYI: The 2045 Total Solar Eclipse
After 2024, you’ll have to wait 20 years until the next total solar eclipse crosses North America. But the 2044 Total Solar Eclipse barely glimpses the Rocky Mountains in the late evening until midnight. It won’t be a good eclipse to see.
The 2045 Total Solar Eclipse promises to be one of the best that’s crossed the United States in the 21st century. The eclipse begins early on August 12 in California and sweeps across the country to Florida. Remarkably, the Duration of Totality is around 6 minutes!
