Here’s the naked truth:
Travel makes a lot of things better. It frees you up from stressors, allows to decompress, and generally helps shed your everyday skin.
The result?
Your brain gets to spend more time and energy on more pleasurable things like sex. In turn, that makes intimacy with your partner much more delicious.
To prove it, at Passport Photo Online, we’ve decided to poll 1,000+ Americans and uncover their mating habits when vacationing with their partners, how tech affects their relationships, and much more.
Scroll on to see the hidden gems we’ve discovered.
Key Takeaways
- Most Americans (80%) believe sex is better away from home.
- 82% of Americans say their job put a wall between them and their intimacy-seeking partner while vacationing at least once, and 33% claim work always gets in the way.
- 72% of couples are more likely to experiment and act out their fantasies while traveling.
- Lubricants are America’s favorite vacation sex accessories (50%), closely followed by sex games (49%) and lingerie at 46%.
- The top venues for romantic rendezvous are hotel rooms (75%), followed by showers or bathtubs at 65%. Other top spots include tents (60%) and (rental) cars at 39%.
- “On a beach” is the most fantasized about location for vacation sex (51%), followed by “in nature” (49%), and “in the ocean or sea” at 45%.
- 83% of vacationers believe their sex life suffers from too much screen time.
Most Americans Believe Sex Is Better Away from Home
For starters, we asked the respondents how much sex they typically have with their significant other on vacation vs. at home.
It turns out 50% of Americans have MORE sex while away. Another 34% report they have the same amount of intimacy with their partner, and 15% have less.
That makes sense.
While you might think everyone would get busy on vacation more often, it’s important to consider those who travel with family, friends, or kids.
Now—
It’s not the quantity but the quality that matters.
When we asked the survey takers to what extent they agree with the statement, “When vacationing, my partner and I have better sex than at home,” the results came in as expected:
- Agree: 54%
- Strongly agree: 26%
- Neutral: 17%
- Strongly disagree: 2%
- Disagree: 2%
As you can see, most Americans (80%) believe sex is better away from home. Moreover, we found that 85% generally grow kinkier while vacationing, which is true regardless of gender.
Lastly, we asked the respondents how likely they are to experiment in bed with their better half on vacay than at home.
Below are the results:
- Likely: 44%
- Very likely: 32%
- Neutral: 18%
- Unlikely: 3%
- Very unlikely: 3%
Thus, 72% of American couples are more likely to experiment and act out their fantasies while traveling, leaving the tried-and-tested rituals home.
The reason?
Perhaps, new surroundings could be particularly stimulating and encourage many to add some zing to their sex life. You can take advantage of a private balcony looking out on the rustling palm trees or get it on in the newly-discovered bathtub.
Plus, new spaces will almost certainly get your creative juices flowing when choosing positions with your better half.
What Couples Pack to Spice Things up on Vacation
Fun fact:
Did you know that sex toys are illegal in Thailand, The Maldives, the UAE, Malaysia, and a few other far-flung countries?
So—
Before you pack your bags and grab a quick romantic weekend away, check your destination’s laws to avoid facing the authorities upon arrival.
OK, back to business.
As we’ve mentioned, 72% of Americans are more likely to experiment sexually while away. So we wanted to see what exactly they pack when heading off on trips.
Below are the results:
- Lubricants: 50%
- Sex games: 49%
- Lingerie: 46%
- Sex toys: 37%
Thus, lubricants came out on top as Americans’ favorite vacation sex accessories (50%), closely followed by sex games (49%) and lingerie at 46%.
Last but not least, there are sex toys (37%).
A word of advice: if you want to bring any battery-powered toys, be sure to remove the batteries and put them in a different place. Otherwise, you’ll draw unwanted attention from the TSA when your carry-on starts buzzing.
Do you need passport photos? Find out more:
The Hotel Room Is the Preferred Venue for Intimate Vacation Encounters
With all that passion brewing, it’s only a matter of time before couples get busy on vacation.
So—
At this point, we wanted to discover Americans’ most likely venue for intimate encounters.
Below are the results:
- Hotel room: 75%
- Shower/bathtub: 65%
- Tent: 60%
- (Rental) Car: 39%
As you can see, hotel rooms are couples’ sweet spot for love (75%), followed by showers or bathtubs at 65%. Other venues for romantic rendezvous include tents (60%) and (rental) cars at 39%.
In other words, all the usual suspects.
Keep scrolling to see Americans’ most fantasized about locations for vacation sex. That’s where we kick it up a notch.
Over Half of American Couples Dream about Doing It on the Beach
As promised, here’s the fun part.
We asked Americans about their most fantasized about locations for vacation sex with their better halves. Below are the results:
- On a beach: 51%
- In nature: 49%
- In the ocean or sea: 45%
- On a balcony: 42%
- In a hot tub/pool: 40%
- Aboard some form of public transportation (e.g., airplane, train, bus, boat): 24%
So—
Over half of the respondents (51%) say sex on the beach (not to be confused with the cocktail) tickles their fancy.
It’s also worth pointing out that 40% of the survey respondents mentioned they’d love to do it in a pool.
If only it weren’t for the kids doing a cannonball into the water…
Smartphones in the Bedroom Cause Issues for Most Vacationers
Did you know?
About 75% of American travelers consider their phone the number one travel accessory. Another 71% check their cell phones an average of 32–80 times per day, according to our recent study.
So—
We wanted to ask the survey respondents if their smartphones ever got in the way of their sex life with their significant other while on vacation.
The result?
A full 84% of American couples say their partner’s cell prevented them from getting busy at least once. As a follow-up, we asked, “How likely are you to initiate sex if your partner is on their phone in bed?”
Below are their responses:
- Likely: 40%
- Very likely: 28%
- Neutral: 22%
- Unlikely: 8%
- Very unlikely: 4%
Lastly, we asked the survey takers if they feel their sex life suffers from too much screen time during travel: 83% said, “Yes.”
So the next time you’re on vacation with your better half, it might be a good idea to use your smartphone less often, so it doesn’t ruin the vibe.
Is Your Job a Buzzkill?
America is known for its always-on culture.
Most of us try to stay connected even during downtime to avoid letting our bosses down.
In fact, over half of US workers (55%) feel pressure to respond to work emails or messages on vacation, even if the employer doesn’t require it.
But—
How does this hustle culture affect our sex life?
To find out, we asked the survey respondents if their job (e.g., emails, messages from coworkers) ever put a wall between them and their intimacy-seeking partner while vacationing: 82% said, “Yes.”
Here’s how often it happens:
- Sometimes: 39%
- Always: 33%
- Often: 15%
- Rarely: 13%
So, don’t work on vacation. Seriously.
Stacking It All Up
There you have it.
If you have any pro tips on how to avoid getting sucked into an endless vortex of work emails, texts, and Instagram Reels during time off, share them in the comments below.
Until next time!
Methodology
We conducted an online survey of 1,019 US respondents who’d been in a relationship and gone on vacation with their partner at least once via a bespoke online polling tool in July 2022.
The respondents were 52.4% male, 47.4% female, and 0.2% identified as other. 14.6% of respondents were 25 or younger, 49.2% were aged 26–38, 25.8% were aged 39–54, and 10.4% were 55 or older.
This survey has a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 3%. Given the gender and age makeup of our sample size, the study’s findings are statistically significant for the population at large.
This study was created through multiple steps of research, crowdsourcing, and surveying. Data scientists reviewed all survey participants’ responses for quality control. The survey also had an attention-check question.
Fair Use Statement
Did our findings help you learn more about vacation sex? If you believe your audience will be interested in this information, feel free to share it. Just remember to mention the source and link back to this page.
Sources
- Pochin C., “One Thing You Should Never Do With Your Vibrator – Or You Could End up in Jail”
- Woolf M., “Smartphone Use On Vacation [2022 Study]”
As a Digital PR specialist and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Max has 5+ years of writing experience.
Over the course of his career, Max’s work has garnered significant attention, with features in numerous prominent publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, Inc., Business Insider, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, BBC, TechRepublic, Glassdoor, and G2.