There is a familiar feeling, somewhere between the airport gate and the hotel lobby, that the usual rules no longer apply. A late dinner becomes a midnight feast, a souvenir that would gather dust at home suddenly seems essential, and the word “yes” comes more easily than it does on a Tuesday in Berlin or Lyon. New research suggests this is not just holiday abandon — many travellers are consciously rewriting their own rulebook while away, and some are surprised by what they find.
The survey, conducted by the astrology-based advice app Hint, polled 14,673 adults across the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, Australia and Latin America. It found that 61% of respondents deliberately behave differently when travelling than they do at home. That figure is striking given that the same people describe themselves as predictable and routine-driven in their daily lives.
A temporary shift in judgement
Nearly half of those surveyed (47%) said they had knowingly done something while abroad because it felt appropriate during a trip, even though they would likely reject the same choice at home. This suggests a temporary recalibration of the standards people use to evaluate their own decisions when they are away from familiar surroundings.
That shift can show up in everyday holiday choices. For example, 38% of respondents admitted they had bought something they would normally consider unnecessary, because it was inextricably linked to the memory of the trip. A ceramic bowl from a Lisbon market or a hand-knitted scarf from a Kraków stall becomes more than an object — it is a portable piece of the experience.
Similarly, a late evening out can feel more valuable because the number of evenings available on a trip is limited. In fact, 42% said they had stayed out later than they actually wanted to because they did not want to “waste” a holiday evening. The pressure to make the most of every minute can override fatigue, a dynamic familiar to anyone who has stumbled back to a Madrid hotel at 3 a.m. after vowing to be in bed by midnight.
The survey also revealed that travellers are often replacing one set of expectations with another. They are not simply abandoning restraint; they are adopting a different framework that justifies the time, money and effort invested in the trip. A €20 cocktail in a Parisian rooftop bar is easier to rationalise than the same drink at a local pub, because it is part of a larger narrative of exploration and indulgence.
Recognising this shift in real time is not always easy. 35% of respondents said they arrived home surprised by something they had done or agreed to while away. That could be a spontaneous booking for a weekend in Slovenia, a decision to try a new activity, or a conversation that led to an unexpected invitation.
The findings echo broader trends in European travel. As holiday rental prices soar in cities like Madrid, where the Formula 1 race has pushed some listings to €20,000 a night, the pressure to justify spending is mounting. Yet travellers seem willing to pay a premium for experiences they cannot replicate at home. Meanwhile, destinations like Slovenia are marketing themselves as compact playgrounds for active visitors, appealing to the same desire for novelty and self-reinvention.
The survey cannot tell us whether holiday behaviour is a truer reflection of who we are, or simply a temporary deviation. What it does suggest is that the routines we cling to at home may be more flexible than we realise. For the 61% who knowingly change their behaviour while travelling, a holiday creates a temporary excuse to rewrite the rulebook — whether that means splashing out on something unnecessary, squeezing one more drink into the evening, or saying yes to an experience they would usually turn down.
As the travel industry continues to evolve, with new visa rules affecting EU travellers heading to Thailand and debates over sustainability shaping choices, the question of how we behave away from home remains a rich field for research. For now, the evidence suggests that the person who boards the plane is not always the same person who lands — and that may be exactly the point of going away.
