Summer Vacation Planning Gets Under Way

Forty-two percent of survey respondents who are planning to travel also said they have plans for a family trip, with such national parks as Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier and Acadia mentioned “frequently.” Many travelers also mentioned South Dakota and beaches.

More than a quarter (26%) of respondents said, however, that a weekend escape is the longest they can manage, and three-quarters of respondents said prices for gasoline and airline travel were not going to alter summer travel plans.

Among the top five trip ideas are adventure travel (13%), romantic getaways (11%) and girls’ or guys’ getaways (8%).

Among other findings:

• 64% of respondents plan to drive to their summer destination, and 28% of travelers say they will fly this summer, with Alaska, Ireland, Paris, Belize and Costa Rica as popular destinations.
• 41% of respondents said a hotel or motel was their lodging choice, with bed-and-breakfasts and inns preferred by 7% of travelers.
• 15% of those surveyed plan to camp in a tent, trailer or RV, and 14% said they’ll stay at a resort, cabin or cottage, often near a lake or beach.
• Nearly a quarter of those surveyed (23%) plan to lodge with family and friends at some point in their travel.