Americans Love Traveling for Work--and Sometimes Even Will Admit It: Business travelers indulge in fun and decadent pleasures while on the road.

• Author: Bower, June
• Position: GOING PLACES

All work and no play?... not when Americans travel for business, as it turns out they enjoy hitting the road for work, and one big reason is they indulge in some fun--some may say decadent--activities while doing it, even if they do not share all the saucy details with the boss, reveals a survey (conducted by InvinciBull, a virtual private network launched in September by Finjan Holdings, Inc.) of U.S. business travelers.

The survey found that 80% of business people claim traveling for work is "good" or "great" A mere eight percent would rather stay at home, and just 11% find it a grit-your-teeth-and-get-it-over-with drag.

So, why do road warriors relish their work sojourns so much? In between meetings and glad-handing on the conference floor, they pass their spare time pursuing pleasure, and lots of ft:

* Eat, drink, and expense it. Eighty-one percent of business travelers go to bars at least sometimes while on the road, compared to 76% who do so at home--and, the younger the traveler, the more they knock them back, as 85% of those 18 to 34 say they hit the bars during work travel, compared to 74% of those over 55.

* Mini bar?--don't mind if I do. Seventy-eight percent raid the hotel mini bar at least sometimes and, the younger the travelers, the more unlikely it is that they can resist its siren song. Ninety-six percent of those 18 to 34 indulge, and that drops to 79% for those 35 to 54. The 55-and-over crowd exercise the most self-restraint, although 68% concede to a mini-bar binge even occasionally.

* Expand your palate (and your waistline). Half try new cuisines on the road, and travelers age 18 to 34 are most likely to broaden their culinary horizons: 55% of them say they consume novel foods on business trips, while 44% of those 55 and over venture into new food terrains.

* Skip out or stay in?--or, better yet... both. Leisure activities make business travel bearable.

* Let's see the local sights. Sixty percent sightsee during their spare time on business trips, and older workers do so the most: 72% of those over 55 take in the local sights; 38% of cohorts aged 18 to 34 wander off to take it all in.

* Let's see the naughty sites. Fifty-three percent cop to watching adult content on work trips at least sometimes. Sixty-two percent of men enjoy X-rat-ed materials...