The cheapest way to your holiday destination

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Car Rental News - 30/06/2008

 

From Scotland to the continent, the question is whether it’s better value to drive your own car – or a rental car – or f

With the price of petrol reaching record high levels, Scots – as well as many others – are trying to decide whether it’s a better idea to fly or drive when going abroad on their summer holiday.

No matter which way you do the sums, the soaring price of petrol has driven up the cost of this year’s summer holiday abroad. So the question is - is it still a good idea, economically, to take your car on the trip, or is it a better bet to fly?

Last year, Scotland on Sunday looked at the costs involved in driving to Barcelona, Bordeaux and Pisa for a two-week holiday break in the sun last year, as compared to flying. Driving was clearly more economical. Calculations showed that the per-person cost for flying a family of four to one of these destinations was around double that of the costs involved in taking the family car to these same destinations.

The picture has changed this year, and calculations show that the further you’ll be travelling, the better flying now looks. This shouldn’t be all that surprising with the price for unleaded petrol in the UK now averaging £1.19p per litre – up from 90p last summer. The price in France has increased from 85p to £1.17. It’s even more expensive in Italy at £1.21. The cost of petrol in Spain is the lowest, but isn’t helping the drive from the UK.

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