The concept of lifestyle adds a behavioural component to travel models that used to be dominated by engineering and econometric traditions. This paper presents an overview of how lifestyle is defined and measured in transport studies, and how travel behaviour is influenced by lifestyles. Lifestyles are often are often used pragmatically rather than theoretically in the behaviour studies. Nevertheless, some important theoretical contributions have been made, especially in sociology by scholars such as Weber, Bourdieu, Ganzeboom and Schulz who agree on the communicative character of lifestyles: individuals express their social position through specific patterns of behaviour, consumption and leisure. These behavioural patterns are shaped by underlying opinions and orientations, including beliefs, interests and attitudes. Thus, travel behaviour is not simply determined by price, speed and comfort but is also related to attitudes, status and preferences. Because lifestyle has many different dimensions, a variety of measurement approaches exists.Nevertheless, most studies suggest that travel behaviour is conditioned by specific lifestyles.How lifestyles themselves can be modified to promote more sustainable patterns of transport has not received much attention to date. This paper argues that lifestyles need to Submitted to the International Journal of Sustainable Transportation www.tandf.co.uk/journals/ujst 2 be considered as dynamic rather than as static and given, and that future research could delve more deeply into this area.