
In 2023, European tourists traveling to another EU country stayed an average of 6.9 nights. However, the length of stay varied significantly by destination: in Estonia, it was 3.4 nights, while in Greece and Cyprus, it exceeded 9 nights.
Factors Influencing Trip Duration
Differences in trip length are linked to accessibility and distance from major outbound markets. Island destinations like Greece and Cyprus tend to attract longer stays due to travel costs and distance. In contrast, countries like Belgium or Luxembourg, which are close to their main visitor sources, typically receive shorter trips.
How Do Europeans Travel Within the EU?
The most commonly used mode of transport for intra-EU travel was the car, accounting for 45% of trips. Air travel followed with 40%, being the dominant mode for destinations such as Spain (77%), Greece (85%), and Malta (99%).
Other means of transport were less significant:
- Train: 6% (important in Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany).
- Bus: 5% (notable in Lithuania and Latvia).
- Waterways: 3% (key in Estonia, Finland, and Sweden).
Where Do European Tourists Stay?
72% of overnight stays within the EU were in rented accommodations:
- Hotels: 40%.
- Apartments or villas: 22%.
- Campgrounds and caravans: 7%.
Non-rented accommodations also played a significant role, with 17% of tourists staying with family or friends, and 7% in second homes.
Average Travel Spending Within the EU
The average spending per trip to another EU country was €824, with variations by destination:
- Greece and Cyprus: over €1,200.
- Spain and Ireland: over €1,000.
- Slovakia: €314.
Per night, the average spending was €119, with Malta and Iceland standing out at over €150 per night.
Seasonality of Travel
Summer remains the peak travel season within the EU. In destinations like Croatia, nearly half of all tourist trips (44.3%) occurred in July and August. Other countries with high summer concentration included Bulgaria (42.5%) and Greece (36.7%).
Source: EUROSTAT