Europeans spent nearly a week on average vacationing within the European Union in 2024, with Greece and Romania recording the longest stays, according to data from Eurostat.

The two countries exceeded the EU average of seven overnight stays, with visitors spending close to nine nights on average. By contrast, Estonia and Belgium recorded the shortest stays, at 3.1 and 3.6 nights respectively.

Differences in travel duration across the EU are often linked to transport accessibility and geographic proximity, Euronews reported. Destinations such as Greece, Spain and Cyprus, which typically require longer and more expensive journeys and are among Europe’s most popular tourist destinations, tend to encourage longer stays. In contrast, Belgium’s close proximity and easy access to neighbouring countries such as the Netherlands and France make shorter trips more common.

Spending levels also varied significantly by destination. In 2024, the highest average travel expenditure was recorded for trips to Cyprus and Greece, two countries primarily accessed by air. Visitors from other EU member states spent an average of 851 euros per trip, ranging from 344 euros in Slovakia to 1,476 euros in Cyprus. Greece followed with an average of 1,370 euros, ahead of Ireland (1,231 euros) and Spain (1,120 euros).

Travel remained highly seasonal, with August accounting for 12.8% of all intra-EU trips and July for 11.7%, meaning nearly one in four trips took place during the two peak summer months. January accounted for just 4.5% of trips in 2024.

Seasonality was most pronounced in Croatia, where 44.1% of inbound trips from other EU countries occurred in July and August. Greece followed with 34.9%, closely trailed by Bulgaria at 34.6%.

Meanwhile, a study by the National Bank of Greece said Greek tourism has posted consecutive record years over the past decade, excluding the pandemic period. International tourist arrivals rose by a cumulative 50% between 2016 and 2025, increasing from around 25 million to more than 37 million.

The report attributed the growth largely to structural factors, including a 46% increase in air connectivity between 2015 and 2024 and an improvement in the quality of tourism infrastructure, with four- and five-star hotel beds accounting for 55% of total capacity in 2024, up from 42% in 2015.