City-breaks or extended stays? How Romanians traveled in the first 8 months of 2023

Now that summer has come to an end, we can see how Romanians traveled in the first eight months of 2023.

So far this year, most Romanians who booked flights through a travel tech company chose to travel not so far from the country, with 49% choosing short-haul flights (500 – 1500 km), 48% medium-haul flights (1500 – 4000 km), while 2% of them traveled distances greater than 4000 km to reach their preferred destinations.

Short-haul destinations

The most popular short-haul destinations so far this year have been Milan, Rome, Venice, Vienna, Bologna, Istanbul, Memmingen, Athens, Naples and Berlin. These destinations were Romanians’ favorite city-break getaways, with 45% of them staying there for up to 3 days, 31% chose stays of 4 to 6 days, while 21% stayed for 1-2 weeks in these cities. The most popular month for short-haul destinations was July.

However, a third of them planned ahead, booking 3 weeks to 2 months in advance, 15% bought their tickets 1 to 2 weeks before departure, while 16% of Romanians decided on last-minute tickets, bought up to 3 days before departure. The average price Romanians paid for their short-haul trips was 104 euros.

Medium-haul destinations

London, Paris, Barcelona, Dublin, Madrid, Tel Aviv, Lisbon, Eindhoven, Dortmund and Malaga top the list of Romanians’ preferred medium-haul destinations.

Similarly to short-haul trips, a third booked 3 weeks to 2 months ahead, 16% 1 to 2 weeks in advance, and 15% decided to book last-minute, up to 3 days before departure. The average price they paid for medium-haul flights was 134 euros, and the most popular travel month was May.

Long-haul destinations

Romanians who flew far away in the first 8 months of 2023 traveled to Tenerife, Las Palmas, Toronto, New York, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Colombo, Denpasar, Montreal or New Delhi, especially. In this case, more Romanians chose longer stays, with 49% of them returning in 1 to 2 weeks, 19% spent 2 to 3 weeks at their destination, while 15% chose even longer experiences, of 3 weeks and up to 2 months. Long-haul destinations were especially popular in March.

While a third of Romanians who booked their long-haul trips through Kiwi.com bought their tickets 3 weeks and up to 2 months in advance, 15% of them made their plans well ahead, booking 2 to 4 months in advance – however, even in this case, 14% still chose last-minute deals. The average price they paid was 497 euros.