More than half of Americans plan to travel this holiday season

The holiday season is one of the busiest travel periods of the year, typically marked by family gatherings or warm-weather escapes. Hotels.com asked Americans how they plan to spend their December and discovered some interesting dynamics when it comes to traveling for the holidays.

According to the Hotels.com Winter Holiday Travel Survey, the majority of Americans (58 percent) plan to travel within the U.S. for the holidays, while only one-third of Americans intend to stay home. The survey also revealed that nearly 1 in 10 Americans will be taking a more adventurous route and plan to travel abroad.

The survey also showed that those traveling within the U.S. are more likely to stay in a hotel (43 percent) than lodging with family or relatives (16 percent). On the other side of the family travel equation, the majority of Americans (54 percent) prefer visiting relatives to book hotel accommodations rather than stay with them during the holidays.

“The holiday season is abound with family gatherings for many Americans, but those seeking an adventure during their time off can find some amazing celebrations around the world during this time of year,” said Taylor L. Cole, APR travel expert for Hotels.com. “It’s a wonderful time to explore different cultures and traditions and a great way to jump start any New Year’s travel resolutions.”

The Winter Holiday Travel Survey also found that 9 out of 10 Americans say they’d give up all of their holiday presents to go on a dream vacation during the holiday season. And if they could make one travel wish for 2015, where would travelers flee to? Everywhere – from warm and cold weather destinations to international and domestic hot spots, America’s2015 travel bucket list is very diverse.