According to a recent study conducted by the world’s largest professional manager of vacation rental properties; Wyndham Vacation Rentals, nearly 90 percent who plan on hitting the road this summer will spend an average of 12.3 hours driving to their vacation destination. The study also found that men tend to take the wheel on road trips.
However, the actual disparity between genders is steep. Nearly four in five men (79%) say they drive on a road trip compared to just one in five women (23%). Perhaps more surprising, women are the more aggressive road trippers. They’re more likely to describe their driving style as “Pedal to the Metal” (49% vs. 41%) while men are more willing to take the “Long & Leisurely” route (29% vs. 21%).
Other findings show that food plays an important part in the road trip.
Vacation rental travelers can be very particular when it comes to snacks for the ride, even making unique and specific choices like egg and lobster sandwiches or summer sausage with squirt cheese. When it comes to choosing between food groups, here’s where they stand:
They try to snack healthy in the car. When picking their favorite road trip snack or beverage, only 4% of vacation rental travelers cite fast food as their top choice. 26% prefer healthier options like nuts, seeds and trail mix.
Where you live might affect your choice. Vacationrental travelers from the Pittsburgh, PA metro area have the biggest sweet tooth, while those near Cleveland-Akron, Ohio are more likely to crave something salty. Tampa-St. Pete, Florida and Denver, Colorado tie for the most health-minded vacation rental travelers, while those from Los Angeles, CA are most likely to be found in the drive-thru.
Part of the fun is getting there.
Surprisingly, most vacation rental travelers don’t really get annoyed by things like talking too much or playing “I-Spy.” However, when they start to get agitated, here’s what sets them off:
Bad driving is their biggest complaint. Nearly half (49%) of vacation rental travelers agree that bad driving is far and away the most annoying road trip occurrence. 22% rank backseat driving their second biggest annoyance.
Men and women clash on car-ride fun. Men are less appreciative of aspiring singers with 35% finding singing or humming moderately to extremely annoying compared to just 25% of women. Women are more likely to roll their eyes at steering wheel drumming with 26% finding it very to extremely annoying (compared to 18% of men)
