Fall is a great season for weekend getaways. Whether it's going away to see the changing autumn colors, or packing up the car with a grill and burgers to do some tailgating before a football game, people love to get away for a little while.
According to new research from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Americans prefer brief road trips to long summer weeks at the beach.
Two-thirds (66 percent) prefer to take a one day or weekend road trip as opposed to 31 percent who prefer to take at least a week-long trip.
More than half (57 percent) report that they would drive up to 300 miles one way for a weekend trip, and almost 75 percent prefer to drive to their destinations because of the freedom it provides.
"Our study found that Americans are willing to drive long distances for a little rest and relaxation, even if it's just over a weekend," said Steve Short, vice president at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, according to a company release. "With car rental branches located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population, Enterprise makes it easy and convenient for drivers to travel to their destinations."
Other driving and leisure trends identified through the study include:
Age:
-Younger adults, under the age of 45, are more likely to value spending time with family of road trips, compared to older adults.
-Millennials, aged 25 to 34, have the least amount of time to take road trips. Approximately 51 percent are unable to take more trips because they can't be away from work.
-Millennials make more time on a road trip though for food (35 percent), but are less likely to take time for attractions and scenic drives.
Religion:
-Midwesterners are willing to drive the farthest for road trips.
-Westerners are nearly three times more likely than those in other areas to take a road trip for outdoor recreation. Almost 31 percent of westerners drive to their destination because of its "remoteness."
-Northeasterners take the fewest number of days for trips. They travel most often for entertainment purposes, like concerts or sporting events.
Gender:
-Men reported that they love the drive, while women focus on relaxation.
-Forty-two percent of men were likely to take a road trip because they like to drive, compared to a quarter of women.
-Women were 1.5 times more likely than men to take road trips because they come back feeling "rejuvenated and refreshed."
-For trips, Forty-one percent of women reported that they're likely to have rented a vehicle in order to prevent wear and tear on their own cars, versus a quarter of men.
-By a margin of 11-to-1, men claim they've rented a vehicle for the chance to drive a new car compared to females.
The 2014 Enterprise Leisure Travel Survey was conducted with 1,001 U.S. travelers who took at least one road trip over the last year.
The survey was conducted from May 14-21, 2014 by Gfk using KnowledgePanel.
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