Vacationers Are Discovering Multimodal Travel, And Nothing Will Ever Be The Same

05.08.2023 - 09:37 / forbes.com / Daniel Durazo

Adam Lubinsky is a poster boy for multimodal travel. When he commutes from Brooklyn to his Manhattan office, he switches effortlessly from a folding bike he has modified to make electric and then onto the subway.

"This allows me to bike straight from home to the office or a regional airport," he says

Lubinsky is a principal of the design firm WXY Studio. And lately, he's found that he is no longer the only one with a foldable bike or doing the multimodal thing. Leisure travelers have gotten on board with the trend, too.

A new survey by Enterprise in the U.K. found that more than a third of leisure travelers are already making use of multimodal travel options. It also found 42% of business travelers want better multimodal travel options for work trips.

"This new research highlights that there is now a great opportunity for the establishment and growth of the shared mobility ecosystem," says Oz Choudhri, Enterprise's head of mobility solutions for the U.K. & Ireland.

New research by Allianz Travel Insurance is similar to Enterprise's findings in the United States. Overall, two in ten travelers (20%) booked a combination of transportation modes, ranging from personal, rental, and recreational vehicles in addition to flights, cruise ships and train or bus travel.

“We've found that some Americans are opting for a combination of different transportation modes to meet their summer travel needs this year," noted Daniel Durazo, a spokesman for Allianz.

Reality check: multimodal travel has existed since the invention of the wheel, and that's a long time. But the idea of combining a rental car, train, and even an electric scooter to get you to your destination faster is relatively new. And being able to do all of that from a single app is something that's only now starting to gain traction with leisure travelers. It is the future of transportation, according to experts.

"Being able to choose between different transportation alternatives and modes gives us the possibility to prioritize our values," says Francesco Maria Cerroni, a principal at Buro Happold who has studied multimodal travel.

He says the main objective of multimodal travel is reducing travel time. But there can be many other benefits, including energy consumption and saving money. And saving money might be one reason many leisure travelers are considering multimodal ground transportation options.

Companies are responding to demand. That's particularly true of car rental companies, which are adjusting their fleets and adding new rental options.

"This might include offering a wider range of vehicle types to meet different traveler needs, incorporating more sustainable options, and finding ways to better integrate with other forms of transportation,"