by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:45 AM ET, Mon August 3, 2026
Travelers are increasingly focusing on flexibility, affordability and choosing destinations closer to home this summer, especially for road trips, according to new research conducted by Enterprise Mobility.
The research comprises three surveys conducted in the U.S., France and Ireland via other research and data companies. Each survey had over 1,000 adult travelers as a sample size.
In the United States, 73% of Americans are planning to travel this summer, up 7% from last year. France saw similar numbers, with 78% of travelers expecting to travel this summer.
Yet while more travelers are planning trips, that doesn’t mean they’re all heading as far abroad as they can. Sixty-nine percent of Americans are choosing shorter weekend trips, with 49% of those identifying cost as the major reason for the weekend getaways.
Additionally, 89% of travelers heading somewhere this summer are traveling domestically, with 15% and 14% of these heading to Florida and California, which were the biggest destinations identified.
Enterprise’s international survey segment also follows this closer-to-home trend: 56% of Irish travelers and 53% of French travelers will be traveling domestically instead of internationally.
For American travelers, 58% are planning to take to the roads. Those planning to rent a car while in-destination consider flexibility (54%), freedom (48%), and the ability to visit several locations in one trip (45%) as main reasons for renting a car.
“...What stands out is the desire for flexibility,” said Brendan Grieve, Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise Mobility, Ireland. “People want to explore at their own pace, often visit more than one place and make the most of the destinations on their doorstep.”
Flexibility is key for these domestic travelers, who often cite the necessity of driving a car: 42% of travelers in Ireland said having a car provides freedom and flexibility to travel, and 41% of French travelers have reported giving up visiting a region while on vacation because they didn’t have access to a car.
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