Brussels – Europeans are continuing to travel, but without straying too far from home. According to data released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union, in 2025, EU residents made 1.2 billion personal and business trips, 1.4 per cent more than in 2024. Of these, 848 million took place within the country of residence (70 per cent), while 264 million took place in another Member State (22 per cent). In total, 92 per cent of journeys remained within the EU’s borders.
National habits also make a difference. In Romania, 89 per cent of trips were within the country, followed by Spain with 87 per cent. Greece, France and Portugal stand at 85 per cent. Luxembourg, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of the scale: just 5 per cent of journeys are domestic. Next come Belgium (29 per cent) and Malta (32 per cent).
In terms of expenditure, however, travelling abroad is significantly more expensive. In 2025, Europeans spent 379.4 billion euros on travel outside their own country, compared with 266.2 billion spent on domestic travel. Only 8 per cent of trips were to a country outside the EU, and less than half of these crossed European borders. The highest costs came from accommodation and transport. Domestic travel accounted for 90.3 billion euros and 56 billion euros, respectively. For trips abroad, expenditure rose to 131.3 billion euros on accommodation and 121.5 billion euros on transport. Travelling remains a widespread habit, but the destination takes its toll on the wallet.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
