Study Says a Quarter of Americans Prefer To Travel Alone

While the thought of packing up the family and traveling this summer gives you palpitations, you might be relieved to know you're not alone if you'd prefer to travel alone.

In fact, 22% of the people in a survey of 2,000 Americans commissioned by Travelex say they prefer taking vacations by themselves.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll, say that 45% of those surveyed felt that traveling companions "held them back" on trips. To that end, nearly half of those in the survey say they'd be more likely to talk to locals if they were traveling alone, and 57% say they'd be more likely to "exit their comfort zone" if people they knew weren't tagging along.

On the flip side, 53% of those polled say they've been forced to partake in an activity they didn't want to do by others with whom they were traveling in the past. A third feared their traveling companions would annoy them.

Traveling unfettered would also afford vacationers the chance to meet someone special -- with one in ten citing that they'd met someone special while traveling alone.

However, traveling alone isn't for everyone: 49% said they feared being lonely if they traveled by their lonesomes; 52% say their safety would be a concern if/when they vacationed by themselves.