How Long Does it Take Brits to Prepare for a Holiday?
Whether it’s a city break, a summer beach retreat, or a far-flung escape on the other side of the world, once we’ve booked a holiday, we all count down the days until we can jet off and explore a new part of the world.
When it comes to booking a holiday, do you already have a destination in mind, or do you spend ages researching different cities and resorts? And how long do you take scouring the internet for the best deals once you’ve narrowed it down to one area?
These were just a couple of questions we wanted answering, so we decided to survey Brits on their holiday prepping habits. From uncovering the most time-consuming activities when getting ready to jet off overseas, to discovering just how much is spent on those little extras; it’s time to sit back, relax, and discover if your holiday habits are similar to the rest of the country…
Finding the best deal is the most time-consuming aspect of planning a holiday
It comes as no surprise that the most time-consuming task when deciding where to go on holiday, is searching for the best deal – something 43% of Brits agree with. Whether it’s trawling through online travel agents to find a package deal, to seeing if booking flights with a budget airline, and your hotel separately is cheaper, it’s something a lot of us dedicate extensive time to.
However, for 20% surveyed, it’s booking travel arrangements that take the longest; and for one in 10, it’s packing their suitcase (although admittedly, if you’ve got a big wardrobe, it can be hard narrowing down which outfits to pack for that perfect Insta shot!).
Results vary from city to city, with residents in Sheffield finding that packing their suitcase takes the longest, at 18%, whereas for one in 10 people in Leeds, shopping for new clothes is the most time-consuming of all holiday prep tasks.
In Nottingham, the biggest task they’re faced with is looking at activities to do whilst they’re away (23%), and one in three in Norwich find that booking holiday and travel arrangements takes the longest.
For 25% of us, we spend approximately a week preparing for a holiday, but for 23% of the nation, it can take a month or longer, from finding the right deal, to searching for activities, booking airport transfers, and deciding which clothes to pack.
However, those in Norwich are extremely prepared, with 24% saying they take more than a month to sort out all arrangements, and one in six in Leeds spending more than two months in total, preparing for their upcoming holiday.
34% of us spend up to £300 on holiday extras
The average one-week holiday costs £600pp, but for 34% of Brits, an additional £100-£300 is spent on holiday extras – whether that’s on toiletries, beauty treatments, transfers, or new clothes. For one in 10 Brits, an extra 50% of their total holiday costs are spent on extras.
Gen Z spend the most on extras, whereas Baby Boomers spend the least on average, at just £107.69 per trip. When we compare cities, London spends the most, at £152.02, whereas Edinburgh spends the least, at just £90 per trip (69% less than London).
Top tips for saving money on your holiday extras
It’s easy to budget for your flights and accommodation, and you can work out how much money to take with you, ahead of time. But for all those little extras that you want to treat yourself to before you jet off, just how do you make sure you minimise your spending?
Take a look at these three tips to make sure you avoid overspending.
1. Don’t pay extra for miniatures
If you’ve got luggage in the haul, then you can take your regular toiletries, but if you’re flying on a budget airline, you’ll likely only have a cabin bag. If that’s the case, you’ll need to stick to the 100ml of liquids rule – but, resist heading to the shops to buy miniature bottles of toiletries, as they’re often not good value for money.
Instead, purchase miniature reusable bottles which you can decant your toiletries into, for your trip. Then, when you get back home, wash and store away your bottles, so you can use them for your next short haul trip.
2. Check all options for your airport transfers
If you haven’t booked a package holiday, then chances are, once you’ve reached your destination, you’ll need to sort out your transport from the airport to the hotel. Make sure you do your research beforehand so you know exactly how much taxis will cost.
If you’re travelling as a group, then don’t assume that public transport is cheaper – it might be that a taxi costs less if it’s split between you all.
3. Look out for free activities
If you’re going on a city break, then don’t carelessly rack up loads on activity fees. Most museums and galleries have a day a week where they offer free entry, so put together an itinerary based around that.
Also, lots of cities will offer passes where you get discounts on major attractions, so if they include a view you want to visit, you can cut down on costs that way.
4. Book your parking in advance
A great way to save money when it comes to holiday extras is to organise your parking or transport to the airport in advance.
Pre-booking an airport car-park comes with the additional benefit of being located closer to the airport itself so you’ll have less hassle when it comes to transporting your luggage.
We all look forward to our holidays, but it can become stressful if you’re still booking things last minute. That’s where we come in. Whether you’re looking to book airport parking, or if you’re travelling by ferry and you want port parking, we have access to more than 1,200 car parks across 200 airports, and can help you to find the cheapest deal. So, that’s one holiday extra taken off your mind!