Was 2025 a big travel year for you? It was for a lucky 38% of Americans who say they traveled more this year than in 2024, new research reveals. While some of us were stuck at home dreaming of our next vacation, the average American traveler visited three new places throughout the year - two new states and one new country.
According to the survey of 2-thousand U.S. adults who travel frequently, the average person went on two non-work trips in 2025. But it didn’t cost them a fortune, as the average traveler spent $2,261 on getaways this year.
- Road-trips were the way to go, with more than half (55%) reporting that most of their traveling this year was done in a car. Another 30% primarily flew here in the U.S., 13% jetted overseas and 2% were cruising.
- The most popular type of trip taken in 2025 was to visit loved ones (41%), followed by beach getaways (15%), outdoor adventure travel (14%), city breaks (11%) and staycations (8%).
- The top travel companions of the year were a spouse/partner (34%), immediate family (34%) and friends (24%).
- Another 11% traveled solo, 8% went with their pets and 3% went on a trip with strangers they met on apps.
- Americans’ favorite travel memories of the year include a trip to a U.S. city (21%), beach vacations (19%), small town visits (13%), going back to their hometown (12%) and visiting a national park (7%).
- Packing was an ongoing challenge for travelers, and the most forgotten item overall was a phone charger (15%), followed by sunscreen (14%), headphones (13%), toothbrushes (10%) and medication (5%). An unlucky 3% even left their passports and IDs behind.
- The average traveler snapped 181 photos on trips this year, but that still wasn’t enough.
- Taking more photos was the biggest lesson people say they learned this year, along with saying “yes” to spontaneous plans, and packing lighter.
- Overall, two-thirds of respondents are very confident they’ll be traveling more in 2026, especially for beach trips and road trips, which top bucket lists.
Source: Talker
Scott's Thoughts:
- Is travel FOMO a thing? If it is, I think I have it!
- My favorite trip this year was Vegas! APA World Championship in 9-ball was my ticket!
- Next year, I want to go to a beach. Any beach. VA, Myrtle, Nags Head, Avon... Don't care. Might even settle for Claytor Lake beach.