London, 5th December

Brits will drive two hours to see loved ones over the festive season

But draw the line at flying long-haul to see relatives

The countdown is on with just xx days to Christmas. As festive excitement grows, Europcar has been finding out how far people are willing to go for the big family get-together and how they survive stressful journeys.

Most respondents (81%) will be spending the festive season at home this year, although almost half said they would be willing to drive for up to two hours to visit family and friends. 30% wouldn’t want to drive more than an hour.

15% would be willing to hop on a short flight, while just 5% would take a long-haul flight to visit loved ones at Christmas.

“Whether Christmas is a low-key event at home for immediate family or close friends, or a chance to catch up with the extended family or distant friends you don’t see often enough, driving seems to play a big part in the festive season,” commented Sarah Clarke, Consumer Marketing Manager for Europcar Mobility Group UK. “Even for those not travelling long distances to visit loved ones, there is bound to be plenty of shopping trips, parties, meals out or festive walks wrapped up in plenty of cosy layers.”

To reduce the stress of travelling over the festive period, 29% of respondents said they would simply avoid it. 19% sing along to Christmas songs to survive the journey, 17% stock up on sweet treats and 13% schedule lots of stop to break up the drive. 11% let younger passengers watch movies and games on their tablets to take away the boredom and avoid the constant cries of “are we there yet?”

Sarah Clarke concluded: “Journeys can be less stressful in a more suitable vehicle, so hiring a larger car could help take the pressure off long trips – or big shopping outings. And to make rental even more convenient, Europcar can deliver and collect the vehicle so that all the focus can go on getting decorations up, presents wrapped and sprouts peeled.”

Top Tips to survive Christmas travel:

• Plan ahead – work out the route ahead of time, check for road closures you’ll need to avoid and make sure you leave more than enough time to do the journey in case of heavy traffic or other delays en route.

• Work out stopping places so everyone can stretch their legs and use the loo without having to find somewhere in a hurry when the youngest is suddenly desperate for a wee.

• Pack plenty of drinks and snacks to satisfy even the fussiest of passengers.

• Download music and podcasts to keep everyone entertained, on multiple devices if necessary, and don’t forget everyone’s headphones.

• Don’t let the petrol or diesel get too low before stopping to refill, no one needs a panicked search for the nearest petrol station when their phone has no signal and maps won’t load.

• Make sure you have enough space in the car to pack all the luggage, gifts, food, passengers and pets safely and comfortably.

Europcar’s Delivery & Collection service is available six days a week from branches nationwide. It is quick and easy to book online, and the vehicle can usually be delivered to a work or home address within 24 hours. Delivery & Collection is available on all types of vehicle, including cars, vans and electric vehicles.

Find out more about Delivery & Collection at Europcar.co.uk

End

Contacts

Press Relations

Wendy Harrison/Cecile Stearn:

europcarmobilitygroupUK_PR@harrisonsadler.com

020 8977 9132

Notes to Editors

About Europcar Mobility Group

Europcar Mobility Group is a global mobility player, with 75 years of mobility services expertise and a leading position in Europe.

“We help to change the way you move” is what we stand for and brings us together. More than ever, we're committed to delivering simple, seamless, innovative solutions that make mobility easy, enjoyable and increasingly eco-friendly.

To do this, we offer to individuals and businesses a wide range of car and van rental services, be it for a few hours, a few days, a week, a month or more, on-demand or on subscription, relying on a fleet of more than 250.000 vehicles, equipped with the latest engines including an increasing share of electric vehicles.

Our brands address differentiated needs, use cases and expectations: Europcar® - a global leader of car rental and light commercial vehicle rental, Goldcar® - a frontrunner at providing low-cost car rental services in Europe, and Fox-Rent-A-Car®, one of the main players in the car rental market in the US, with a "value for money" positioning. The Group also operates the "myEuropcar" platform for vehicle subscription, and "Europcar on Demand", a roundtrip car-sharing service present in key cities in Europe.

Customers’ satisfaction is at the heart of the Group’s ambition and that of our more than 8,000 employees, everywhere we deliver our mobility solutions, thanks to a strong network in over 130 countries (including 16 wholly owned subsidiaries completed by franchisees and alliance partners).

More info: www.europcar-mobility-group.com

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