How Canadians’ road trips changed over the holidays

Canadians extended their holiday travel at home in December, booking more and longer domestic road trips rather than heading abroad.

According to new data from Turo, the car‑sharing marketplace in Canada, Canadians booked 30 per cent more road trips within the country in December 2025 compared with December 2024. Trip days booked rose 42 per cent year over year, suggesting that as fewer travellers went to typical winter destinations such as the United States and Mexico, more opted for longer domestic journeys close to home.

The shift showed up across major cities on airport‑related bookings. Halifax posted a 176 per cent increase in trips, Calgary rose 37 per cent, Vancouver climbed 34 per cent, Montreal increased 17 per cent and Toronto was up 6.5 per cent, all in December 2025 versus a year earlier.

“Looking ahead to 2026, this shift toward Canadians staying closer to home is becoming the new normal,” said Bassem El‑Rahimy, Head of Turo Canada. “Canadians are prioritizing longer trips at home, spending more time on the road to reconnect with family and rediscover Canadian destinations, and we expect to see that momentum carry forward this year.”

Turo said the trend underscores how holiday travel patterns evolved in 2025, with domestic trips extended and spread across more days, and interest in local destinations gaining traction as Canadians stayed closer to home.

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