TORONTO - Whether its because of skyrocketing airfares, chaos at most airports, or that people are still not comfortable post-pandemic being among huge crowds, one thing is for sure: more North Americans will be taking road trips this summer.
The family car, van or SUV, where you’re surrounded by family members, is where people say they will feel safer in the summer of 2023.
And the numbers back that up. According to several recently published surveys, a record number of Canadians and Americans will be relying on their motor vehicles to get them where they want to go on summer vacation.

Travel Pulse surveyed thousands of American travellers and 80 per cent - approximately 208 million people - said they would be taking at least one road trip this summer. And 56 per cent of those respondents say they’ll be staying with family or friends once they reach their destination to help save on ever-increasing hotel costs.
In Canada, 77 per cent of respondents to an Ipsos survey, said they will be taking road trips this summer. Interestingly, 24 per cent of Canadian respondents planning a trip abroad said they will rely on a rented vehicle once they reach their foreign destination.
In the Ipsos survey, 43 per cent of respondents said they will take car trips outside their provinces but most - 67 per cent - said they will contain their road trips to no more than six hours.

Road Trip Car-aoke

With travellers spending so much time in their vehicles this summer, one wonders how they will keep themselves entertained.
While younger members of the family have plenty of electronic options to keep themselves amused on road trips, it appears that mom and dad will rely on music to keep themselves entertained while piling up the kilometres.
What songs will inspire them to go the extra mile? Well, U.S.-based travel insurer Global Rescue actually conducted a survey to find out the Top 20 songs “that inspire adventure and encourage exploration” among holiday drivers.

The results:

1- Dancing Queen by ABBA
2- Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers
3- Caribbean Queen by Billie Ocean
4- Every Little Thing’s Gonna Be Alright by Bob Marley
5- Saturday in the Park by Chicago
6- Teach Your Children by CSNY
7- Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker
8- Already Gone by Eagles
9- Rocket Man by Elton John
10- Lose Yourself by Eminem
11- Autumn Leaves by Eric Clapton
12- Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra
13- I Feel Good by James Brown
14-  Don't Stop Believin’ by Journey
15- Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
16- Nothing Else Matters by Metallica
17- Burn it to the Ground by Nickelback
18- I’m Leavin’ on a Jet Plane by Peter, Paul and Mary
19- Timber by Pitbull
20- Bohemian Rapsody by Queen
The see the complete collection to to http://www.globalrescue.com

Electrifying Road Trips

Meanwhile, while the uptake of electric vehicles remains relatively low, there is burgeoning interest in electric for road trips. In a survey conducted by Compare The Market,  54 per cent of Canadians agree they’d feel better about going on a road trip in a hybrid electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle because of the fuel efficiency, mileage and cost savings, while 47 per cent highlight the environmental benefits.
With that in min, Compare the Market has compiled a list of the best EV-friendly routes globally based on the availability of EV chargers.
Interestingly, Italy’s idyllic Amalfi Coast tops Compare the Market’s survey. The picturesque 53km route, featuring crystal waters and views of iconic Italian landmarks like Mount Vesuvius, boasts 23 EV chargers.
The second route in the ranking is one of the most iconic road trips in the U.S. - California’s Big Sur. This 120km route features plenty of twists and turns, glorious ocean views and offers 55 EV chargers. Two Australian routes also crack the list, The Great Ocean Road and the Through the Red Center route. The latter is a 3,030-km route that has 55 EV chargers.
For the complete Compare the Market survey, go to https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/car-insurance/features/best-ev-road-trips/ certainty.