New study from Airbnb: Families in Poland, Czechia and Hungary need diverse and affordable accommodation to travel

Parents across Poland, Czechia and Hungary remain eager to travel, but rising costs and limited access to suitable accommodation are increasingly shaping whether trips happen at all. New research commissioned by Airbnb, and conducted by Ipsos¹, highlights how affordability and access to a diverse range of accommodation options are becoming critical to enabling family travel across the region. 

Family travel remains strong, but families are increasingly facing barriers that make trips harder to plan and afford. Rising costs, limited access to suitable accommodation, and challenges in finding options that meet family needs are shaping whether trips happen at all. Most families travel on their own, reinforcing the importance of having access to accommodation that offers space, privacy and the ability to meet day-to-day needs while away from home. 

Across the three markets, more than one in three parents who travel (36%) say they had to limit or completely give up a family vacation in the past year. This was mainly due to high costs: 60% of those who changed their plans point to rising expenses, including the overall cost of the trip (34%), accommodation (24%) and transport (21%). At the same time, more than half of parents (54%) report difficulties with accommodation when planning or booking trips with children (related to either affordability, availability or fit to family needs).

Families remain eager to travel

Despite these challenges, families continue to travel widely. Large cities remain among the most common destinations, around 80% of families who travel have visited a city in the last year. At the same time, rural travel remains popular among families and is visited by over two-third (69%) of the travelling families. Trips vary in length, with many families combining longer stays of around a week with shorter breaks, reflecting the need for flexible travel options.

In Poland, for example, 83% of parents who travelled, visited large cities in the past year, with a similar share touring smaller towns and 63% spending time in the countryside. Family trips most often last around a week, with 41% of Polish parents reporting stays of 7–10 nights, although shorter trips of 4–6 nights (28%) and weekend breaks (7%) are also common.

A diverse accommodation offer matters for families

When choosing where to travel, families prioritise practical considerations. Accommodation price ranks among the top three criteria for 35% of parents, alongside weather (37%) and access to child-friendly infrastructure such as playgrounds (37%).

Family travel needs vary widely, and what makes a stay suitable goes far beyond price alone. While some parents prioritise amenities such as access to swimming pools or on-site meals, many place greater value on practical features like fully equipped kitchens (38%), private outdoor space (36%), and separate bedrooms (35%), which offer the space and flexibility needed for a comfortable trip. To make travel truly accessible, families need a broad range of accommodation options that reflect these differing preferences.

These needs are reflected in how families choose accommodation. They rely on a mix of options, with both hotels and entire apartments or houses widely used, underlining the importance of having access to diverse types of stays. This is evident in booking behaviour: While 74% of travelling families stayed in a hotel or resort room, 65% also rented an entire apartment or house, highlighting the importance of a varied accommodation offer for families. Online platforms play a key role in helping families find these options, particularly when searching for apartments and houses that better match their needs and budgets.

This diversity is especially important as 25% of parents cite a lack of family-friendly options as a key barrier, reinforcing the need for a broad and flexible accommodation offer that can support different family travel needs.

As cost pressures continue, ensuring access to a diverse and affordable accommodation offer will be essential to keeping family travel accessible across the region.

“Families across Poland, Czechia and Hungary continue to travel, but rising costs and limited access to suitable accommodation are increasingly shaping how and whether trips happen,” said Małgorzata Kacprzyk, Senior Public Policy Manager CEE, Airbnb. “This is why affordability and inclusivity must be at the centre of how we think about family tourism going forward. Policymakers need to take into consideration how regulation impacts access to accommodation, ensuring it supports a diverse range of options that meet real family needs. A more inclusive accommodation market is essential to keeping travel accessible for families of all sizes and circumstances.”

¹ About the Study

The results are based on a survey of 1,500 parents aged up to 60, each with at least one child under the age of 14, across Poland, Czechia and Hungary, who had travelled with their children using paid accommodation in the past year. The survey was commissioned by Airbnb and conducted by Ipsos in March 2026.  Data was collected through online interviews (CAWI). Poland accounted for a share of 60% of the weighted sample in total CEE results.  The study explored how and where families travelled, how they booked accommodation, their preferences and expectations, as well as the key barriers they faced and the features they considered essential for a family-friendly stay. All data in this press release is based on this survey.

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 1.4 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, Hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.