According to the travel portal Urlaubsguru, the top five package holiday destinations for German travelers in 2025 are Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, and Portugal. For long-distance travel, Germans are most interested in visiting Thailand, the Maldives, and the Dominican Republic.
Despite tighter travel budgets, luxurious destinations like the Maldives remain popular. This indicates that German travelers prioritize high-quality, relaxing holidays and are willing to save longer to make their dream vacation a reality. On the other hand, Barcelona is the most popular city for short trips.
Lifestyle-related Travel Trends
Germans are flexible when it comes to preparing for travel in the week before their vacation. Forty-three percent of all respondents spend 50 to 100 euros, 28 percent pay 100 to 200 euros, and 13 percent spend more than 200 euros. Only 16 percent spend less than 50 euros before their trip.
More than half of those surveyed (56 percent) spend much of this money shopping the week before their vacation. In contrast, a quarter spends the most on personal care, cosmetic products, hairdressers, or beauty appointments. Around nine percent spend the most money on various travel gadgets before their trip, and eight percent invest the highest proportion in (new) technology.
The current omnipresent health trend takes a break on vacation: 66 percent of all respondents drink more alcohol on vacation than at home. In general, only around 15 percent of people prioritize a healthy lifestyle on vacation; 85 percent use the vacation to indulge themselves.
Holidays are also an investment in their relationship. More than half of all respondents (60 percent) travel with their partner, and 47 percent say their love life is better on holiday than at home. Around 57 percent of all female respondents help their partners pack their suitcases.
What Do German Families Value?
In July of this year, 83 percent of German families reported planning vacations for 2025. Families, especially those with fixed holiday schedules, plan vacations early. According to the trend report, flexibility is a priority for family vacations, with about 44 percent of families planning to travel by car and around 30 percent planning to travel by plane. Just over 14 percent will reach their holiday destination by train, while almost eight percent will travel by ship.
Taking a vacation within Germany is particularly popular with families, with 22 percent planning a family vacation in Germany. Additionally, 16 percent are planning vacations both within and outside of Germany, while 23 percent are planning one vacation outside of Germany, and 10 percent are planning several. Nine percent are not planning a family vacation for 2025, and only two percent said they do not want to or cannot travel.
Moreover, only 16 percent of respondents find traveling with their children relaxing.
Forty-eight percent of people find vacationing friendly but also very tiring. Ten percent find vacationing with their children very tiring, and around 26 percent prefer to travel without their children to be able to relax. Most parents say that a vacation with children can be exhausting and stressful. Popular holiday destinations have responded to this by offering a wide range of entertainment programs for children and young people as well as babysitting services. This means parents can take a break when on vacation with their children.