This article has been a study on driving through Europe, the costs in both financial terms and time. The study is a comparison of these costs towartds the costs of hiring a car and flying to your intended destination.
Travelling to Spain
from the UK by
land has always been a feat of endurance, but more and more holidaymakers are taking
on the drive.
While you must take your hat off to those that try such a
huge feat of driving, there are other factors that many holidaymakers forget
about. Driving for those who drive for a living could expect a more favourable
response.
Driving is a tiresome event. From Northern France
to Almeria in Spain
you can expect a 1500 mile drive. To speed the journey up you can use the toll
roads through France
and Spain. The
expenses for these tolls vary from 10 Euros up the 35 Euros; plus you could
expect to top up your fuel tank about 3 times. Fuel of course in France
is more expensive than Spain,
but both cheaper than the UK.
The total cost for tolls and fuel for such a journey would
be: tolls approximately 150 Euros and fuel about 180 Euros. While that is a
toil in itself on your wallet, if you have three other passengers you will have
reached Southern Spain in an economic fashion. The
Channel Crossing can vary with a car and four passengers varying from 120 Euros
to 280 Euros. Suddenly the economy is put into question. But don’t forget you
need to find this expense and effort to do the return journey.
When planning a holiday we must consider both the financial
cost and the human cost such as tiredness. Without doubt tiredness can spoil
the holiday for the driver. Once the driver has waken in the morning he may
feel reasonably fresh but by mid afternoon drowsiness and tiredness sets in for
the rest of the day. This lethargy can stay around for a few more days into the
holiday once the destination has been reached.
In this study, a comparison of the long drive and the costs
involved , versus the airfare and the use of a hire car at your destination
airport. Here are the results we found?
July and August are the only months that differ. So for 10
months of the year the financial cost to drive is more expensive than to fly
out and use a family hire car. In fact the comparison means that you would save
between 50 to 75% of the value of the long drive.
Meanwhile the extra hike in the airfares for the peak summer
season brings the competition to an almost dead heat; with the only balancing
factor being the driver tiredness. Fly and use a hire car and you will have a
driver with you to enjoy the holiday. Drive down and you may find that the
driver is more of a ghost for a few days while he or she recovers.
The overall conclusion from this study is the air flight
puts less pressure on the family holiday than would a long drive. For those who
thought the drive would be so much more economical need to go back and check
their calculations.
Mr. P. Booker
Car Hire | Car Rental Specialist
About the author
