After two weeks of summer vacation, it’s time to return home. Bizarre: For many people, the journey home feels shorter than the outward journey to their vacation. But why is that and what is the so-called return journey effect all about?

The phenomenon is also known as the return trip effect and describes the fact that people subjectively perceive the return journey of a trip to be shorter than the outward journey, even though both routes are the same length. Scientists have been researching what the reason for this might be for years.

These are the explanations for the return trip effect

According to the online encyclopedia for psychology and education, one possible explanation for this effect could be that the traveler is more familiar with the surroundings on the outward journey and therefore only later does he or she get the feeling that he or she is actually on the road. This could make the outward journey seem longer.

Researchers believe another explanation lies in the different expectations of the outward and return journeys. This influences the subjective perception of time.

Subjective sense of time and memory play a role

Another study takes the approach that emotional feelings before a trip, such as anticipation (upcoming vacation) or nervousness (upcoming job interview), play a role. As a result, the body is under more tension on the outward journey, which slows down the perception of time.

The theory that the return journey effect is related to familiarity with the travel route has been refuted. This is because the effect also occurs with new but equally long return journey routes. It is therefore assumed that the decisive factor is memory. On the way back, it is more difficult to remember the exact duration of the outward journey, which makes the return journey seem shorter.