Photo credit: Chris Potter
Is it a good idea to drive from the UK to Europe on holiday?
As we are firmly in the summer season for those lucky people who live in the Northern hemisphere it is well worth considering this before you book yourself onto a cramped and frankly rather dull flight.
Sure, flying might be quicker but is it any fun? Queuing up for ages to get allowed to sit on a tiny seat next to annoying holidaymakers and their annoying children isn’t my idea of a great start to a holiday. Getting in the car and exploring foreign roads, now that is what it is all about.
The Strong Pound Keeps Costs Down
Anyway, I started checking out whether Brits could still find cheap fuel in mainland Europe but I got back some conflicting answers. It seems that petrol costs have risen sharply in the likes of Spain, France and Italy in the last 5 years. Having said that, the strength of the good old pound means that it doesn’t cost as much as you might think to fill up abroad.
The highest prices I could find quoted online were for France and Italy, where around £1.50 and £1.70 respectively will get you a litre of the stuff which makes you car go places and doesn’t contain any lead. Luxembourg and Andorra are quoted as the cheapest places to get fuel but I couldn’t find the current prices.
A survey by those good folks at the Post Office suggests that around 8% of the population might be put off taking their car to mainland Europe because of high fuel costs. That seems like quite a low figure, doesn’t it?
It looks at thought diesel car owners will find the biggest difference in price. It doesn’t matter though, does it? This is the time of year when you need to go out and do something different. Forget about the office, forget about your mother in law, forget about the bills and forget about that ingrown toenail which gives you hassle when you try and do the conga at Christmas. Get into your car and enjoy a great summer holiday on the road.