Driving to Europe may be the saviour of Brits’ holidays as major airport plans cap on flights
Driving to Europe may be the saviour of Brits’ holidays as major airport plans cap on flights
Tens of thousands of Brits are facing holiday disappointment and chaos as major airlines are forced to pull flights this summer. The situation has been made even more challenging by Heathrow announcing its plan to put a cap on passengers this summer, as staff shortages continue to cause disruption.
Disastrous airline cancellations and disruption at airports continues across the country. But according to the used car buying service, ChooseMyCar.com, all hope is not lost. Driving to your destination can be your saviour this summer.
Using some of the UK’s favourite holiday destinations, ChooseMyCar has calculated the cost and time difference between flying and driving to our summer breaks. What they found is that taking the car can actually be just as cost-effective as hopping on a plane - with the added bonus of knowing your car trip won’t be cancelled.
UK airports have faced utter chaos in the last few days, with renowned airlines such as British Airways opting to halt tens of thousands of flights over the coming days and weeks. The decision by several airports to not fine airlines for cancelling their slots has allowed several airlines to ground swathes of flights without facing penalties.
British holidaymakers are now facing tough decisions over whether to risk booking flights abroad for their summer holiday - but driving is a surprisingly viable alternative. Using Stratford upon Avon as a starting point in the UK, ChooseMyCar found that some European destinations were actually cheaper to get to via car - especially when factoring in the costs of hiring cars if you opt to fly instead.
One destination explored is the popular Spanish resort town of Salou. According to the research, flying to Salou as a family of four would incur costs of over £2,000, and would take approximately 14 hours from start to finish. Yet the same journey via car would cost just £1100 - and only take an extra three hours.
Other popular summer holiday destinations that have been explored include:
- Nice: 12 hours hours and £2270 to fly, compared to 15 hours and £1134 to drive
- Malaga: 12 hours and £2100 to fly, compared to 24 hours and £1440 to drive
- Naples: 13 hours and £2600 to fly, compared to 22 hours and £1450 to drive
- Algarve: 14 hours and £2270 to fly, compared to 48 hours and £1640 to drive
- La Rochelle: 10 hours and £2370 to fly, compared to 11 hours and £723 to drive
- Zandvoort: 9 hours and £2420 to fly, compared to 8 hours and £549 to drive
Founder of ChooseMyCar, Nick Zapolski, said that the research gave many families hope that they could still enjoy a holiday abroad this summer.
“As this disruption continues across UK airports, it’s seeming more and more likely that many of us will face flight cancellations or won’t be able to book one in the first place. Prices are also likely to go up as demand far outstrips supply. But taking the car seems like a great option to save our summer holidays.
“Driving can actually be a great way of seeing Europe, as well as having no risk of cancellations. I for one would be happy to spend a bit more time and money if it meant guaranteeing a break away for me and my family.”
More details on these trips can be found at ChooseMyCar, see https://choosemycar.com/resources/news/drive-to-europe-how-much-does-it-cost-and-is-it-cheaper-than-flying.
