Add a comment

Print

Send to a friend

Bookmark with:

What's this?

Dual Gloom Makes For a Quiet Bank Holiday

22-August-2008, Writes Dan Drage dan.drage@consumerchoices.co.uk

According to the AA, a combination of money worries and poor weather will lead to a low key Bank Holiday.

Financial worries and a washout August are forcing people to rethink their Bank Holiday travel plans new research from the AA (www.TheAA.com) suggests.

Results show that in the lead up to the August Bank Holiday more than half of motorists polled by the AA admit that they are not going to be travelling at all over the long weekend. And nearly a quarter of subjects admit that the increasing cost of petrol is the number one factor affecting their decision to travel.

With fuel costs rising from an average of 96.69p to 126.33p for diesel and from 95.4p to 114.03 for petrol since last year's August Bank Holiday, it is clear that Britons are beginning to feel the pinch and are cutting back on trips out in the car.

And those that have decided to hit the roads in search of some sunshine are set to keep their journey close to home - with half of motorists saying they'll be heading away just for a day-trip rather than the full weekend or longer.

But in true British spirit, those planning to travel over the Bank Holiday weekend seem undeterred by the continuing unsettled weather conditions.

Almost half of motorists (49%) deciding to travel are planning to visit coastal areas, a 20% increase on the 2007 August Bank Holiday figure. AA Routeplanner reveals that Blackpool, Brighton and Bournemouth look to be the popular seaside destinations over the course of the weekend.

Andy Taylor, AA Patrol of the Year, 2008, shares his tips for travelling over the Bank Holiday weekend:

“Given that this is the last Bank Holiday before Christmas, people might make some last minute plans and the roads could get very busy. We would always advise drivers to make careful preparations for their journey, whether it’s a last minute decision or a planned journey.”

Chris Eagle, Commercial Manager at CreditChoices.co.uk, also chips in:

“Check petrolprices.com to find the cheapest petrol station on route, and lose any unnecessary weight from the boot of your car. This will help you to conserve fuel.”

Add a comment

Print

Send to a friend

Bookmark with:

What's this?