by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 6:15 PM ET, Thu May 15, 2025
The American road trip is experiencing a revival.
New data from Bank of Americas 2025 Summer Travel and Entertainment Outlook report shows that spending on airfare is down 3 percent year-over-year across the bank's consumer credit card accounts.
And where are those dollars going instead? In more than a few cases, to fund trips on the open road.
About 63 percent of travelers are opting for a road trip in a personal car or rental vehicle this summer, compared to 45 percent who will fly via commercial airline, according to Bank of America.
The roadtrip figure dwarfs all other alternative modes of transportation that travelers are turning to during the coming months. For instance, about 12 percent will be traveling by train, and a separate 12 percent are taking a cruise. Rounding out last place, is travel by bus with 9 percent of travelers.
The road trip seems to be very much in vogue, Bank of America's David Michael Tinsley told reporters on a media call.
There are various factors behind this development.
The report says consumer demand started softening in February. Thats around the time the U.S. economy began experiencing a downturn amid the U.S. presidential administrations new tariff policies, sweeping federal layoffs and U.S. rhetoric that caused a sharp decline in international visitation to this country (which is poised bring about economic fallout of its own, according to reports from the World Travel & Tourism Council and also the International Trade Administration.)
Given that backdrop, cost-cutting is indeed among the reasons Americans are opting to drive, rather than fly for vacation this summer. Being wallet conscious, however, is tied as a reason with travelers who are choosing a road trip simply because it allows for exploring at your own pace. Just one percentage point ahead of those two factors are travelers who simply enjoy a road-trip style of vacation. The Bank of America data breaks down as follows:
- Enjoyment of the road trip experience itself: 41 percent?
- Lower cost: 40 percent?
- Opportunity to explore destinations at ones own pace: 40 percent
When the Bank of America data was reviewed by household income, the picture becomes even clearer. Over 60 percent of lower and middle income households are planning on driving for their vacation, rather than flying. Higher income households, by contrast, are continuing to opt for flying, Tinsley explained.
"Driving is going to increase this year," Bank of America's Mary Droesch told the media. "70 percent (of card holders) are traveling domestically and many of them intend to do that by driving. Obviously, one of the key reasons is driving can often be less expensive."
Canadians may not be coming to the U.S., but Americans continue heading north
Another notable pattern unearthed by the Bank of America data: Canada and Mexico continue to be the most popular destinations for American travelers despite the recent geopolitical fractures between the Trump Administration and leaders with those two countries.
About 19 percent of Americans traveling this summer will either be visiting Canada or Mexico. Europe remains in second place in terms of popularity among American travelers, attracting 14 percent of travelers this summer. Asia is a distant third place at 9 percent of travelers.
The top destination of all for U.S. travelers this summer however, is the United States itself. About 70 percent of travelers are planning to vacation stateside this summer. Thats an increase of 3 percent over last summer.
Digging a little deeper, 52 percent plan to explore somewhere in the United States that's beyond their own home state, while 25 percent plan to travel within their state.
California remains top U.S. destination?
Separately, the Bank of America report showed that year after year, California continues to be the most popular destination for vacations among American travelers.
That was true in 2024. And in 2025, California pulled even further ahead of the competition as the place drawing the crowds.
California, Florida, Texas and New York were some of the top destinations last summer. California by some way, said Tinsley. "And when we repeat that analysis for the first few months of 2025, what we seeover that period, California has moved further forward."
While New York, Texas and Nevada, by contrast, have all lost ground in attracting tourists.
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