Majority of U.S. Travelers Book Car Rental in Advance

Auto Europe, a global car rental aggregator, has conducted a survey to find out more about the preferences of North Americans planning to travel to Europe.

According to the survey, 40% of North Americans planning to visit Europe in the next 12 months do so as part of an annual trip, while 30% travel to Europe multiple times a year and 24% travel to Europe every two to three years.

When it comes to the top destinations in Europe, 53% of North American travelers plan to visit Western Europe, 20% plan to visit the U.K., 13% will travel to Eastern Europe, 7% said Ireland, and 2% will go to Iceland.

The majority of travelers will go to Europe with 2 to 3 people in their party (70%) while only 5% plan to travel in a group of 5 or more, according to the survey. Most travelers plan to visit Europe with family (74%) while 13% plan to travel with friends.

When booking a rental car, 56% of travelers will book two or more months in advance. According to the survey, they book in advance because they “want the best price” and “like to feel relaxed leading up to their trip by booking early.” Only 2% plan to wait to book their rental vehicle within 72 hours of their trip.

“We were not surprised to hear that so many of our customers are frequent travelers to Europe,” said Imad Khalidi, Auto Europe’s president and CEO. “Our expertise in the European market helps ensure clients have a smooth rental experience, and we go to great lengths to ensure that we have the types of vehicles they are looking for even in peak travel months.”