As festive lights begin to line streets and store fronts, and thoughts of buying gifts begin to occupy our minds, we’re reminded of how quickly the holiday season seems to roll around. An exciting time of festive cheer, it appears that everyone has the same idea to gather round with those near and dear.
Between Thanksgiving and New Year, the holiday season is known for being one of the busiest times to travel. To help us understand the nation’s travel habits better, we surveyed Americans across the country to learn more about the motivations behind our festive journeys. With this information, we’ve been able to deliver our comprehensive Christmas travel forecast!
From the most popular mode of travel to how much it costs to close the gap between loved ones, read on to explore key travel trends during the holidays. Plus, discover which states were voted the most festive in the country – and the nation’s favorite holiday movie.
Which holiday do Americans travel for the most?
We gathered insights from participants across the U.S. to find out how many of us choose to get away during the holidays and why.
When asked about their holiday travel plans, our survey showed that more people have traveled for Christmas than any other festive holiday. In fact, only 24% of Americans have never traveled for Christmas before, making it the most popular holiday for hitting the road.
Breaking down the top travel habits over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, we asked residents from different states how they spend their time – and money – over the holidays.
Thanksgiving travel predictions and trends
Thanksgiving lands on the fourth Thursday of November, officially kicking off the holiday season around a month before Christmas.
According to our survey results, we’re more likely to go the distance to visit family for Turkey Day and Christmas than holidays such as New Year’s Eve. In fact, according to our Thanksgiving air travel statistics, more than half of Americans (56%) will travel to visit family on November 28th.
To take a closer look, we found that almost three-quarters of respondents from Virginia (73%) plan to see their families at Thanksgiving, closely followed by Arizona (68%), and Nevada (65%). Meanwhile, two-thirds of people from North Carolina and Tennessee (62%) plan to travel to visit relatives.
Our Thanksgiving travel forecast also found that:
- Following more modern traditions, one in five Americans (20%) said they’ll be traveling to see friends at Thanksgiving instead
- Americans are more likely to travel for business over Thanksgiving (9%) than Christmas (7%) or New Year (6%)
- One in three respondents (32%) from Colorado said that have never traveled for Thanksgiving before, with more than a quarter (26%) planning to stay local this year
- People from Washington are most likely to take a city break over Thanksgiving, with one in seven respondents (13%) planning a getaway
Christmas travel forecast and trends
Following similar trends to Thanksgiving, the festive season is one of the most family-oriented of winter holidays. And, according to our latest Christmas travel statistics, when it comes to bringing good tidings to our kin, almost three in five Americans (59%) will vacation to visit family for December 25th.
At the top spot, almost three-quarters of respondents (72%) from Arizona travel to meet relatives over the Christmas break. Meanwhile, over two-thirds (69%) of those from Virginia plan to see family, followed by South Carolina (67%), Texas (63%) and Tennessee (62%).
But that’s not all we found, according to our survey:
- Americans are more likely to take a beach vacation over Christmas (6%) than Thanksgiving (5%)
- Almost one in five people (18%) from Tennessee plan to take a city break at Christmas
- Respondents from North Carolina are less likely to stay local at Christmas (19%) than at Thanksgiving (21%), with one-third (33%) planning to visit friends
- People from Kentucky are the least likely to travel, with almost two in five (39%) saying they have never traveled over Christmas
- In Michigan, three in 10 people (30%) have never had to travel for Christmas, with a fifth (20%) planning to stay local this year
New Year travel trends
Since the 12 days of Christmas don’t end until the first week of January, New Year’s Eve is very much part of the festive party season. We asked how people plan to start the countdown to midnight on one of the biggest nights of the year.
Across the country, Americans are less likely to travel for New Year than Christmas and Thanksgiving, with more than four in 10 (45%) having never traveled to ring in the New Year.
What’s more, our survey also found more of an even share between those traveling to visit family (27%) and friends (23%) on New Years, compared to Christmas and Thanksgiving.
One in seven Americans (13%) plan to stay local and watch the ball drop from their hometown. Nowhere followed this trend more than respondents from Michigan, where more than one in five people (21%) plan to stay put on December 31st.
We also found that:
- More than two-fifths of those surveyed from Virginia (44%) will travel to see family over New Year, followed by 39% of residents from Washington and Nevada
- Respondents from Colorado are the most likely to leave town to celebrate the New Year, with over one in six (16%) planning to take a city break
- Meanwhile, over half of people from Pennsylvania (56%) say they have never traveled for New Year, compared to Florida where only four in 10 (43%) have never traveled
How do people travel over the festive season?
Whether you’ve taken a job in another state or left for college and settled down on the opposite coast, it’s common to have friends and family spread far and wide. When it comes to visiting loved ones over the holiday season, our survey asked how people prefer to travel.
Given the options of driving, taking a train, or flying, the following states said they prefer to fly:
- Almost two-thirds of people from Arizona (64%)
- Over half of people from California (52%) and Oregon (51%)
- 46% of people from Florida and Washington
- 41% of people from Georgia and Tennessee
- 40% of people from Maryland and North Carolina
- 39% of people from Colorado
To help you prepare for the crowds over the holidays, we’ve gathered a list of the five busiest airports in the country:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) – located in Atlanta, Georgia, ATL sees more than 104 million passengers a year
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – in Dallas, Texas, DFW airport welcomes more than 81 million passengers a year
- Denver International Airport (DEN) – in Denver, Colorado, DEN sees more than 77 million passengers a year
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – in Los Angeles, California, LAX experiences more than 75 million passengers a year
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – more than 73 million passengers visit ORD airport in Chicago, Illinois, each year
The cost of festive travel
To gain insight into the hidden costs of traveling during the busiest time of the year, we asked people to share how much they spend to see their loved ones.
The average annual cost of festive travel expenses in the U.S. is $963.24, with over half of Americans (52%) paying for travel on their credit card. Meanwhile, almost one in four people (23%) use their savings to pay for festive journeys.
Across the country, we also found that:
- Most people (56%) use their debit card to pay for travel
- One in six people (15%) use travel rewards or points
- One in 12 people (8%) receive help from family or friends to cover the cost
To see how people manage these costs, we also found that 21% of people plan their festive vacations one to two months in advance, while 21% prepare two to four months ahead. Almost one in five people (19%) prepare four to six months before traveling for the holidays, while 13% only plan their journeys the month before their trip.
The states with the highest holiday travel expenses above the national average include:
- Arizona – $1,377.50
- California – $1,216.41
- Nevada – $1,168.13
- Tennessee – $1,108.77
- Missouri – $1,097.95
- Oregon – $1,068.21
- Virginia – $1,064.38
- South Carolina – $1,054.26
- Washington – $1,053.63
- Wisconsin – $1,041.00
However, for many people, traveling during the holidays simply isn’t in their budget.
From those we surveyed, we discovered almost one in four people (23%) from Oregon can’t afford to travel during the festive period, followed by Kentucky (19%), Missouri (16%) and Nevada (16%).
Which are the best states for Christmas?
At the surprise of no one, New York was voted the most festive state in America – according to our Christmas travel forecast, around 60 million tourists are expected to visit New York City during the holiday season, ranking it among the best cities for Christmas. Meanwhile, more than 698,000 passengers are estimated to fly in at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). That’s a lot of people to squeeze onto the Rockefeller ice rink!
Following New York, one in eight survey respondents (12%) voted California as the most festive state, proving that Christmas cheer is a lifestyle, not a location. There are plenty of places in California that embrace holiday charm during the festive period, from the bright lights of Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. to the winter wonderland of Lake Tahoe.
Florida took the bronze with 10% of the votes, followed by Louisiana (7%) and Texas (6%).
What is the nation’s favorite Christmas movie?
Whether you’re enjoying the in-flight entertainment or getting cozy with your family, watching holiday movies is one of the highlights of the festive season. To round out our survey, we thought we’d settle the debate and find out what America’s favorite holiday movie is.
Home Alone (1990) was voted the best holiday movie to watch on a festive trip, followed by National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) and Elf (2003).
And if you’re more of a TV buff, check out our blog on What’s the Best Holiday Television Special?
Were you surprised by any of the results? Our survey shows us that as a nation, we’re still holding on to family traditions over Thanksgiving and Christmas. Meanwhile, if you’re thinking of taking a festive city break and want to avoid the busiest crowds, beware that more people tend to travel at Thanksgiving and Christmas than at New Year!
Whether you’re visiting friends, family or taking a well-earned Christmas vacation, be prepared for the festive flurry as we begin to travel for the holiday season. Watch out for the busiest travel days of the year and book an airport parking spot in advance to help you save money.
