NEWTON, Mass., March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced the results of its annual European travel survey of 1000 U.S. travelers. Fifty-one percent of respondents are planning to travel, or already have traveled, to Europe in 2011, up from 42 percent who said they did so last year.  These findings suggest that rising airfares are not having a significant impact on Americans' plans for trans-Atlantic trips this year.

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European Hotspots

London claims the crown as the top European destination U.S. travelers plan to visit this year. However, it appears the throngs are not being enticed to the British capital by the upcoming nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton – just four percent of respondents say that next month's Royal wedding has increased their interest in traveling to the U.K.  

The top five European cities that U.S. travelers plan to visit in 2011, according to the survey:

1. London, U.K.

2. Paris, France

3. Rome, Italy

4. Barcelona, Spain

5. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Euro-meter: What's Hot and Not for U.S. Travelers

Hot:

• Europe in the Fall: 53 percent of Americans planning to visit Europe in 2011 will travel in September or October.
• Speaking the Local Language: 73 percent make an effort to speak the local language in Europe, when it isn't their mother tongue.
• Adventure Eating: 90 percent of those who have visited Europe are experimental in their choices of local cuisine.

Not:

• U.S. Fashions: 52 percent alter the way they dress in Europe, to appear less "American".
• European Beaches: 37 percent maintain the beaches are worse than those in the U.S., while 54 percent say they're the same.
• Holidays Overseas: Just six percent of those planning to visit Europe this year intend to travel in December.

Driven to Distraction

Twenty-four percent of Americans planning to visit Europe in 2011 will drive during their trips, while 61 percent have been behind the wheel while overseas in previous years – and seven percent of these motorists have vowed never to do so again.

The top five most common driving mishaps in Europe, according to the survey:

1. Misreading the map and getting lost - 53%

2. Stress leading to arguments with passengers - 28%

3. Driving on the wrong side of the road - 20%

4. Nearly having an accident - 16%

5. Receiving a parking ticket - 10%

• 30 percent of those who have taken to the roads didn't brush up on the local driving laws, before getting behind the wheel.  
• 28 percent maintain that Europeans are better drivers than Americans, while 48 percent believe that both nations' driving abilities are on a par.
• Despite many U.S. travelers choosing to drive, 92 percent maintain that Europe's public transportation network is superior to the U.S. system.

Culture is King

The top three things that travelers look forward to when visiting Europe, according to the survey:

1. The culture - 48 %

2. The attractions - 17%

3. The food - 11%

"American travelers have an enduring love affair with Europe, and there are certainly no signs of this changing in 2011," said Karen Drake, senior director of communications for TripAdvisor. "With such a rich history and a wealth of unique cultures, cuisines and attractions, many U.S. travelers appear eager to enjoy trans-Atlantic trips this year."

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features (including Flights search, TripAdvisor Mobile and TripAdvisor Trip Friends) with seamless links to booking tools.

TripAdvisor® Media Group, operated by TripAdvisor LLC, attracts more than 50 million unique monthly visitors* across 18 popular travel brands**. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 40 million unique monthly visitors***, 20 million members, and over 45 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 28 countries worldwide****, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also operates TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors. The division includes Business Listings, which allows hoteliers to connect directly to millions of researching travelers, and Vacation Rentals, which helps property managers and individual home owners list their properties and showcase hotel alternatives. 

TripAdvisor Media Group websites have been recognized as top travel resources in 2010 by Conde Nast Traveller, Good Housekeeping, TIME magazine and Travel + Leisure.

TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Group are operating companies of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE).

TripAdvisor and the TripAdvisor logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TripAdvisor LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.

©2011 TripAdvisor LLC.  All rights reserved. 

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Media Group Sites, Worldwide, August 2010

** In addition to TripAdvisor, The TripAdvisor Media Group of websites includes: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.travel-library.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com and www.kuxun.cn.

***Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, August 2010

**** TripAdvisor sites operate in 28 countries worldwide: www.tripadvisor.com, www.tripadvisor.co.uk, www.tripadvisor.ca, www.tripadvisor.it, www.tripadvisor.es, www.tripadvisor.de, www.tripadvisor.fr, www.tripadvisor.jp, www.daodao.com, www.tripadvisor.in, www.tripadvisor.se, nl.tripadvisor.com, www.tripadvisor.com.br, www.tripadvisor.com.tr, www.tripadvisor.dk, www.tripadvisor.com.mx, www.tripadvisor.ie, www.tripadvisor.com.au, www.tripadvisor.com.sg, www.tripadvisor.co.kr, no.tripadvisor.com, pl.tripadvisor.com, th.tripadvisor.com, www.tripadvisor.ru, www.tripadvisor.com.gr, www.tripadvisor.co.id, www.tripadvisor.com.ar, and www.tripadvisor.tw.  

SOURCE TripAdvisor