GAITHERSBURG, MD (May 19, 2015) - A new study by the award-winning travel app GasBuddy found that 73% of people will be traveling this summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with a majority (83%) planning to take at least two trips. Eighty-six percent of those traveling will be doing so by packing up the car and hitting the road.
The survey of over 150,000 GasBuddy members revealed that Memorial Day tops the list as the most popular weekend to travel out of the three major holidays during summer, followed by Independence Day then Labor Day. Almost half, 45%, of travelers plan to take a road trip during non-holiday weekends.
The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is currently $2.715, amongst the highest price in nearly six months. However, based on the survey, 58% of people responded that gas prices do not impact their vacations plans, while 17% say they plan to take advantage of the lower gas prices compared to recent years.
"People can't get enough of the classic, summer road trip," said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy. "Nearly half of the people who responded claimed they love going on them and wish they could take more. Even with the current uptick in gas prices, we predict most U.S. travelers will pay the cheapest Memorial Day gas prices since at least 2009." Other key findings from the survey include:
- 85% of road trippers plan to drive more than 200 miles round trip; 50% plan to drive more than 500 miles round trip
- 40% will try to spend less than $500 per trip, including food and lodging
- Top three reasons for choosing a specific destination:
- Visiting family and friends
- Relaxation
- Sight-seeing/unique local attractions
- A third of people believe that the West Coast has the best road trip routes, in terms of things to do, things to see, accessibility, etc.
- Most are leaving the kids at home; 65% won't be traveling with anyone under the age of 18
Tips for drivers
More than 82% of travelers will cross state lines during their summer trips this year. Due to varying state taxes and other factors, gas prices can range dramatically during a road trip. The GasBuddy app shows real-time prices at all gas stations across the country so travelers can find the cheapest station to fill up. By using the GasBuddy app, travelers can save hundreds of dollars per trip.
Before hitting the road, travelers can use the Trip Cost Calculator to help plan and budget the trip.
Full survey results located here.