Holiday travel is officially back in full swing, but instead of crowding airports, many Americans are simply grabbing their keys and settling in for a long drive.
A new survey of 2,000 U.S. drivers found that nearly half of people (47%) are choosing road trips over every other form of travel this holiday season — even though those drives are getting longer and, frankly, a lot more draining.
On average, drivers expect to spend 13 hours on the road between November and January. That’s essentially two full workdays behind the wheel. And one in 10 respondents say they’re pushing past 30 hours of holiday drive time this year.
But here’s the wild part: even with all that time on the road, Americans still prefer driving. The two biggest reasons are: it’s cheaper (53%) and more comfortable (50%) than flying right now. Another 43% like the flexibility of having their own car, and 37% say it’s simply the easiest way to haul gifts.
Road trips may be booming, but they’re not exactly peaceful
Nearly one in three drivers says they’ve had a holiday trip completely derailed at some point — whether by a breakdown, a dead battery, or a sudden need to call a tow truck. And while many people genuinely enjoy the adventure of a road trip (57% said the journey feels fun and exciting), the reality hits hard afterward:
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29% feel relieved when it’s over
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17% say they’re totally exhausted
I can relate so hard.
Americans will go to impressive lengths for loved ones
For all the headaches, people are committed. Drivers say they’ve gone an average of 408 miles just to see someone for the holidays. And they’re equally willing to go out of their way: respondents have driven an average of 172 miles to pick up a family member.
One in 20 said they’d gladly drive 700+ miles to get someone to a celebration. That’s the kind of loyalty Hallmark movies are made of.
When asked what actually makes the holidays joyful, an overwhelming 71% said it’s simply being with friends and family, which explains why so many of us are willing to sit in traffic listening to the same four holiday songs on repeat.
Drivers try to prepare… but many skip key maintenance
A majority of respondents (62%) say they get their car serviced before a big holiday road trip just for peace of mind.
But here’s the curveball: 72% admit they’ve gone past the recommended mileage for an oil change.
That feels extremely on-brand for American holiday energy — we’ll check every gift off the list but forget the car that actually gets us there. (I might also be guilty of this myself…)
Holiday road trips are only getting longer, but people are embracing them anyway. Between affordability, comfort, and the desire to be with family, driving feels like the most realistic option for a lot of Americans right now, even if it means logging marathon mileage along the way.
If you’re hitting the road this year, it might also be worth knowing which U.S. holidays come with the highest driving risks — the data may surprise you. And for anyone bringing a furry friend along for the ride, there’s new research on why traveling with pets is creating more stress than ever for Americans this season.