The purpose of the survey was to explore the travel plans in the United States between December 15, 2007 and January 15, 2008. More than 300 respondents participated, ranging in age from 30 to 69, and reporting annual household incomes of $125,000 and up.

It’s Home for the Holidays, Then Away for a “Fun” Vacation With Family in Tow

Those taking a vacation over the winter break will spend the actual holiday at home (65%), and when they do travel, more than half (53%) will bring their entire immediate family. Fewer than 30% will travel just with their spouse or partner, 4.6% will include other family members, and 5.1% will include friends. And while very few plan to travel alone (2.6%), virtually all who do report they find the experience relaxing. (Hmmm Factor: While 40% of solo travelers find it a great opportunity to get re-acquainted with themselves, only 20% report they “enjoy the company.”)

Traveling with immediate family may not be a relaxing way to spend the holiday – only 40.8% find it so – but it’s certainly fun (83.5%). Playing with the kids tops the list of popular vacation activities at 57.9%, followed by eating and drinking as much as possible (38.5%). Travelers also plan to sleep a lot (33.8%) and visit a spa (32.3%) during their stay.

There’s a good chance that for many, all that excess food and drink will be a long-lasting holiday keepsake, as only 20% of respondents plan to work out more than usual. On the other hand, for a few respondents (6.7%), the anticipated rigor of “hiding from extended family” might help keep those extra pounds at bay.

Dining Is Delightful. And a Spa? Aaaah!

More than half of holiday travelers (58.5%) report that staying at a hotel or resort is a great way to spend time with family and friends. When choosing that hotel or resort, fine dining tops the list of desired amenities at 60.5%, followed by family dining at 57.4%, pools at 55.4%, and spas at 50.3%. In fact, the idea of a spa resort appeals to the vast majority, with 34.4% very interested and 41.9% somewhat interested.

Fitness centers are important to 33.8% of respondents. And when it comes to outdoor activities, winter holiday travelers gravitate toward cold-weather sports, with skiing (29.7%) outranking warm destination activities such as golf (15.4%) and boating (14.4%).

Visiting Relatives: Free Room & Board Offset Long Lines for the Bathroom

Of those holiday travelers who plan to visit family, the majority will stay at a relative’s home (63.9%), while 34% will book rooms at a hotel or motel, and just under 10% will stay at a nearby resort or spa. As many as 93.8% find the holidays a great time to reconnect with family, and 80.6% enthusiastically look forward to these visits – although 54.9% also admit to a sense of obligation to spend time with family.

The big incentive of bunking at a relative’s house? Free room and board (50%). Almost 10% look forward to sleeping in their childhood bed, while 16.3% dread the prospect of sharing a bathroom with extended family. And for a small but vocal minority of 4.3%, a windowless cabin in the wilderness would be an attractive alternative.

Then there are the time-honored traditions associated with a holiday amongst family. Paramount among these is the expectation of overeating (71.5%). More than half (54.9%) anticipate having to pretend to like certain gifts and 29.9% are certain someone in the family will drink too much eggnog.

Immediate Family Reigns Supreme

Given the choice, 53.8% of those who plan trips to visit relatives would prefer to stay home and celebrate with immediate family, and 41% would simply stay home and relax. Almost 30% would celebrate with immediate family elsewhere. (Will they join their leisure traveling counterparts next year?) And 67.4% plan to carve out time away from their vacation with extended family to enjoy time with kids and spouse. At the end of the day.