European Travelers Cutting Back on Transportation Costs

Travel plays a significant role in European culture and more adults are packing their bags than ever before. However, in the face of a weakening currency, many European travelers are cutting back where they can and choosing cost-conscious means of getting to their destination.

"With travelers spending less on leisure trips, air and rail transportation took a hit in France, Germany, and the U.K.," says Phocuswright's research analyst, Brandie Wright. "Less air and rail means more drive trips. In France, which had the biggest jump in budget travelers, nearly two thirds of travelers who didn't book airfare ended up driving to their last destination."

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In a marketplace of mixed signals, intentions for transportation purchases in the coming year remain modest. Intentions for car travel is decreasing in France, where one in five travelers plan to travel more by rail. On the other hand, Germany is likely to continue seeing more leisure trips close to home, as travelers have much stronger intentions for increasing road travel than air or rail trips.

Complex trips that involve both lodging and air purchases have historically been high among British travelers, and intentions – albeit pre-Brexit – are even more optimistic for next year.

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Learn more about European consumer travel trends.