May 17, 2021
90% of Americans Have Taken a Road Trip in the Past Year
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Nearly seven in 10 Americans are yearning to escape from the people they've been quarantining with by taking a much-deserved road trip this summer, according to new research.
The survey of 2,000 people found that after a year of being cooped up at home, 67% of both men and women want to take a road trip to take a break from their "quaranteam," with Northeasterners being the most likely to want to hit the road (80%).
Three in 10 plan to road trip to see family and friends they've gone without for months on end. After a trying 2020, it's no surprise they want to reunite with loved ones and see new faces.
According to the research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Priceline to celebrate National Road Trip Day, road trips have become so popular that nine in 10 Americans have taken at least one in the last year, with the vast majority (75%) taking more than four.
Seven in 10 admitted that being stuck inside during the pandemic has made them nostalgic for the road trips from their youth and nearly half of respondents (48%) acknowledge that road trips are the safest escape option available right now.
No matter where they go, respondents detailed that they will still be taking COVID-19 precautions seriously and take precautions by packing food and snacks with them to minimize stops (52%).
Almost half of Americans (43%) say they plan on choosing the fastest route to their destination, while almost a third (30%) state they plan on avoiding rest stations in order to travel as safely as possible.
For road trip length specifically, though, just over a week proved to be right, with the average respondent declaring the "optimal road trip" length to be about eight days.
One in five people want to travel to a destination with outdoor activities and three in five (59%) want to embark on a journey to a new city.
One in five (19%) simply want a change of scenery from their homes, with Gen Z-ers being the most interested in "escaping" their house (80%).
"Road trips are here to stay with 63% frequently planning to head out on the highway even after the majority of Americans are vaccinated. Road trips are a great way to explore and feel safe doing so," shared Benjamin Harrell, Priceline's Chief Marketing Officer.
Sixty-four percent are looking to go "off the grid" without WiFi/cell service for a more retro getaway this summer.
Although millennials are overall the most interested in getting away this summer (56%), Gen Z-ers are the group more interested in unplugging on their road trip.
Yet nearly seven in 10 people say they'd be "totally lost" when driving without their phone in an unfamiliar area.
Further, nearly three in five (59%) of respondents are interested in renting a car for their summer road trip because they want to ride in style (59%), avoid putting mileage on their own car (57%) or prefer to drive to their vacation destination this year (49%).
"One in five are road tripping to get to their vacation destination this year and that makes perfect sense," Harrell added. "Americans are ready to see new things again and as the country continues to open up, rental cars and road trips are an accessible way to check out all the fun activities near and far."
