2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Daniel Miller)
FILE-People celebrate the Fourth of July along the coast of La Jolla's Windansea Beach on a hot summer day in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images) Most Americans admit they can’t afford to take a summer vacation in 2025. Nearly 25% of respondents polled said they are skipping taking a trip completely.
Some consumers are willing to go into debt to enjoy a summer getaway, according to a new survey. Summer is coming up soon and while some Americans are making plans for a vacation, others admit that they may have to forego a trip this season. Nearly half of people are planning to travel during the summer months, but a majority of respondents in a recent poll shared that they are not taking a trip because travel costs are too expensive, according to Bankrate’s 2025 Summer Travel Survey .
Why you should care: Sixty-five percent of Americans say they can’t afford to travel for a summer vacation, but other reasons given for their desire not travel include their inability to take time off from work (16%), traveling is too much of a hassle (16%), 15% are concerned about air travel safety, another 15% cite their health and age, while 11% point to family obligations. RELATED: List: The cities most affected by inflation in 2025 Separately, another 68% said every life is too expensive, which is a key reason why they aren’t traveling this summer. Respondents elaborated on specific factors preventing them from taking a summer trip: travel is too expensive (64%), they’re focused on other financial priorities (45%), I have too much debt (29%), 6% listed other, while 1% said they are unsure.
Dig deeper: Vacation plans vary among respondents, with 24% saying they are planning to skip summer vacations completely. And another 10% admit that they are staying close to home for a staycation for a portion of their summer vacation. Meanwhile, another 46% said they plan to travel for their vacation, either domestically (38%) or internationally (15%).
RELATED: Why your summer vacation feels so short, and what you can do about it By the numbers: Twenty-nine percent said they plan to go into debt for their summer vacations using a variety of payment methods. Approximately 56% are planning to pay cash for their trip, compared to 47% who said they will use a debit card, while 42% said they plan to use their credit card and pay in full to avoid interest, and another 20% said they are using their rewards points or miles to finance a getaway. Bankrate noted that the groups more likely to rack up debt for summer travel are Millennials and Gen Zer’s.
About 34% of Millennials say they are going to take on debt or a summer vacation using credit cards, which 27% admit they will pay off over time. But 5% said they plan to finance their trip by borrowing money from family/friends, 4% plan to use Buy Now, Pay Later services, while 3% say they’re using personal loans. Data for Bankrate’s survey consisted of an online poll taken between March 10-12, 2025, of approximately 2,238 Americans 18 years and older.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by Bankrate’s 2025 Summer Travel Survey, which polled 2,238 Americans 18 years and older. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.
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