With the bank holiday weekend coming up, research from American Express reveals how much Brits spend on bank holiday getaways.
Key findings include a total spend of ?8.6billion and more than half (59%) of Brits plan to travel for longer than two hours to reach their getaway destination.
The research also reveals that the majority (64%) will travel by car and Brits spend on average two and half times more when they go away compared to when they stay at home (?407 Vs ?116). Top costs for those on bank holiday getaways include accommodation (?92), travel (?61) and dining out (?40).
Maggie Boyle, director at American Express, said: ?Whether you?re planning home improvements or topping up your tan this bank holiday, it?s wise to think ahead about your spending. Using a credit card that gives cashback or rewards will mean your money works harder for you, and you can accrue points to treat yourself later in the year.?
Meanwhile, using road analysis data, Virgin Atlantic has collaborated with INRIX to reveal that Brits are predicted to spend up to 13 hours on the road this bank holiday weekend ? longer than what it takes to fly to New York (seven hours and 45 minutes).
The company says that journeys of less than 100 miles from London could take up to 70% longer to reach and that beach getaways are not the only victim of travel disruption this bank holiday, with historical hotspots such as Edinburgh taking up to 13 hours to reach by road from London.
The carrier?s chief commercial officer, Shai Weiss, said: ?Many of us are willing to spend countless hours travelling around the UK over the bank holiday, but very few think about the possible destinations we could reach in the same time.
?With Virgin Atlantic flights to New York taking as little at seven hours and 45 minutes, and with a three course meal and hours of movies included you can relax on your journey as well as enjoying a holiday of a lifetime over your bank holiday.?
