Even when UK travellers are keeping an eye on the budget and ensuring that their cheap holidays stay that way, they are not prepared to skimp when it comes to getting around.
That’s the message coming out of a survey commissioned by cheap car hire comparison company carhiremarket.com, which revealed that well over half of respondents said that they preferred hiring a vehicle for their overseas holidays than relying on public transport.
The poll found that 58 per cent of UK travellers said that they found car hire was the perfect way to ensure their comfort, safety and ease of travel – especially when language barriers were a problem.
Perhaps unexpectedly, older travellers were less likely to fear for their safety on public transport abroad, with just 12 per cent of over-55s citing this as a worry, as opposed to 22 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds. The older group was also less worried about getting lost, with only 16 per cent worrying about this while abroad, compared to 27 per cent of younger respondents.
Maybe there is something to be said for being a seasoned older traveller when it comes to experience of foreign travel systems and the confidence that comes with age?
Carhiremarket product manager Andrew Shorrock commented: “Even though most public transport systems abroad are very safe and easy to use, this survey shows many of us have concerns about using them, due to confusing systems and not speaking the local language.”
“Hiring a car abroad can be extremely advantageous in terms of comfort and not being tied to public transport time restrictions.”
For me, this last point is key to choosing car hire on holiday – and it is quite surprising that more respondents didn’t mention how useful one’s own transport can be, enabling the traveller to reach those more remote and fascinating areas, the most spectacular scenery and some of the more exclusive attractions.
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