Last-minute strategies for enjoying a total solar eclipse

EclipsesTravel & VacationContent Type: ServiceDallas, TXBuffalo, NYCleveland, OHRochester, NYMontreal, Québec

On April 8, Mexico, Canada and parts of 13 US states will be plunged into midday darkness. If you miss this show, you'll have to wait until 2044 to see another one very soon.

On April 8, a total solar eclipse will occur, blocking the sun for about 6,700 kilometers from Mexico to Canada, a cosmic spectacle that most of North America will not see again for another 20 years. Many have made plans to see it in advance.

Then there are the procrastinators, who have just realized they are about to miss an opportunity. If this is your case, you still have options, but slightly fewer.

“Right now, your goal is to get into the path of totality and see the eclipse for as long as possible,” explains Melanie Fish, head of global public relations for Expedia Group Brands. “It's not about finding the best party. Don't try to make it your dream vacation. You just want to get on the path to perfection.”

So, first, get some eclipse glasses so you can see them safely. Then find a way to position yourself along the path of totality, the band that passes through 13 states where the moon will completely eclipse the sun. You will be competing with people whose demand has already increased dramatically for flights and accommodation, so be prepared to pay more.

And come back the next day too, if you can. Otherwise, you could spend hours in traffic, as many people discovered after the 2017 solar eclipse.

Here are four strategies for conquering the total eclipse zone at the last minute.

Driving in the dark

If you have access to a car and live a few hours from the path of totality, there is always the option of taking a car. You can also find relatively cheap accommodation outside the area and drive from there.

But if you want to rent a car, you may face problems.

Car rental company Hertz announced a 3,000 percent increase in advance car rental reservations for cities along the eclipse's path compared to the previous year. The biggest demand so far has been in places like Dallas and Austin, Texas, as well as Cleveland and Indianapolis.

If you still want to try, reserve your car as soon as possible and focus your search on agencies outside high-traffic areas like airports, said Isabella Sawyer, a Hertz spokeswoman. Offices located in departments or neighborhoods could be more accessible, he said.

Whether you rent or own your car, you should prepare for traffic jams. “People arrive at different times, but everyone leaves at the same time, and that's the problem,” explains Axa Diaz, AAA spokeswoman. “Let's say you have about five million people watching the eclipse, and everyone leaves at the same time. That's the equivalent of 71 sold-out football games leaving at the same time.”

Spending an extra day may help you avoid traffic. Diaz said data from the 2017 total eclipse, which also occurred on Monday, showed a 41 percent drop in traffic departing from destinations on Tuesday, compared to Monday.

Fly to the area

You can also book a last-minute flight to a city in the path of totality, preferably one where you don't need a car. Searches for flights along the eclipse's path have quadrupled compared to the same time last year, according to Going.com spokesperson Katie Nastro.

“What makes this event unique is that people are not required to travel to one location to experience the eclipse, which means they can search in multiple cities along the path, or even cities close to the eclipse path,” he explained. Then, as long as they can find a rental car at their destination, drive to the track.

“For example, you could fly in and stay in Toronto, then drive to the border to view the eclipse from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, just a two-and-a-half-hour drive away,” Nastro explains. (Toronto's main airport still has rental cars on Wednesdays, with rates starting at around $40 per day.)

Go where the hotels are

The path of totality passes not only through small towns, but also through many metropolitan areas with hotels, from Texas to the US Midwest and upstate New York, as well as Dallas-Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester, New York and Montreal. .

But even in cities with more rooms available, you'll likely have to pay a higher rate.

“I saw a two-star hotel in Nashville that cost $900 all-inclusive,” Fish said of one accommodation he found (Nashville is a two-hour drive from the path of totality). “The Super 8 in Indianapolis costs $500 the night of the eclipse. So if you book last minute to see the eclipse, yes, you'll pay more.”

Booking your flight and accommodation via a travel booking app can help you save money and headaches, Fish said. But don't forget that you may need some type of ground transportation, so look for packages that include it.

If you decide to travel to an area with fewer hotels, consider renting a property short term. Airbnb, which saw a 1,000 percent increase in searches along the path of totality, still had about 40 percent of its inventory available in that area on March 20, said Haven Thorne, an Airbnb spokesman.

Pay attention to the weather and be flexible

Clouds are the enemy of the eclipse chaser. You can choose a place with the highest chance of clear skies and obsessively check the forecast, but the weather is fickle. If you go by car, be prepared for last-minute transfers. And when the big moment approaches, pull over safely in a park or parking lot – don't do it on the side of the road – turn off the car and prepare to be dazzled.

Even if you decide not to go anywhere, you can still take out your glasses and feel some of the environmental changes that will accompany this phenomenon. Many major cities will be able to see the partial eclipse: 94 percent in Chicago, 90 percent in New York, 82 percent in Atlanta, and 49 percent in Los Angeles.

As Expedia's Fish put it: “The party's in the sky, so all you have to do is look up.”

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Derek M. Norman is a senior associate editor in The Times's international section. More by Derek M. Norman