10. US Virgin Islands

Distance from NYC: 3 hours and 55 minutes

Average hotel room cost: $259 per night

The main islands of the US Virgin Islands — St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas — are home to historic colonial buildings, prime sailing, bustling shopping and nightlife, and hidden coves to explore. Although they have a low beach-density score of 0.1, the islands have 291 different activities to choose from and ferries that make island-hopping easy.