Should I Fly or Drive?

“Is flying and hiring cheaper than driving?”

When it comes to holidays, many people argue they can do it cheaper themselves. The theories include “airlines charge a fortune”, “car hire at £10 per day is a rip off”, and “it’s cheaper just to drive”. But is this really the case? When you start planning your holiday (particularly to the Mediterranean), one question is usually should I fly or drive? With this in mind, we’ve taken a look at a few locations to see if flying and hiring is cheaper than driving all the way.

Cannes, 2^nd July – 9^th July

Ah, the south of France. Cannes is the perfect place for a week away in the sun. Visit Monte Carlo or St Tropez, sun yourself on the fantastic beaches or head inland to Mont Ventoux and the vineyards of the Rhone Valley and Provence. But how should you get there?

Photo by: stevanzz/Fotolia

The modern approach to travel dictates you should fly and hire a car. Quick, easy and cheap. Or is it? Could you be better off driving the whole way? We’re basing the following prices on 2 people travelling for a week’s holiday in July 2016. Let’s start with the Fly & Hire approach.

Fly & Hire

This involves getting to the airport 2 hours before your flight and a 2 hour flight. Assume your flight departs around 8am and you’ll be in resort in time for lunch! The cost breakdown is pretty simple, on top of your accommodation you have your plane ticket each and hire car costs.

Flights: Heathrow to Nice, £96 pp via British Airways

Car hire: Nice Airport £196

Total: £388

When it comes to speed and costs, this seems pretty tough to beat! Let’s have a look at driving from home.

Drive

OK, you get to leave home pretty much when you want but the driving will take around 24 hours plus stops, ferries etc. Also, you essentially lose 2 days of your holiday to the car (although the scenery is pretty special). This may make you reluctant to make any day trips once you arrive and you have the added inconvenience of driving a right hand vehicle abroad.

From London

Drive time: 14hours each way plus ferry/train

Distance: 867miles (1,734 return). Assuming 40mpg = £206.73

From Bristol

Drive time: 15hours 20mins each way plus ferry/tunnel

Distance: 986miles (1,972 return). Assuming 40mpg = £235.10

Ferry: From £130 return via P&O

Channel Tunnel: From £122

Hotel: £94 for 2 nights

So, flying and hiring is cheaper and quicker. This seems like a no brainer to me!

Frankfurt, 21^st October – 28^th October

Stick with me on this one, this offers you the chance to visit the Nürburgring for a track day (if you take your own car) and see a race, in this instance, the GLP’s RCN Circuit Challenge. If you’re not bothered about the racing then you could drive down through Bruges or Cologne before exploring historic Frankfurt and the nearby villages of Würzburg and Cochem.

Photo by: eyetronic/Fotolia

Fly & Hire

Flights: Heathrow to Franfurt, £109 pp via British Airways or Lufthansa

Car hire: Frankfurt Airport £172

Total: £390

Drive

You’ve got some great places to break the journey with here if you want to split it in two before your Nürburgring experience. Bruges is probably the pick of the bunch but Cologne, Brussels, and Aachen are all worth a visit (particularly Aachen for its cathedral).

Photo by: rcfotostock/Fotolia

From London

Drive time: 8hours each way plus ferry/tunnel

Distance: 477miles (954 return). Assuming 40mpg = £113.74

From Bristol

Drive time: 10hours 10mins each way plus ferry/train

Distance: 600miles (1,200 return). Assuming 40mpg = £143.07

Ferry: From £98 return via P&O

Channel Tunnel: From £130

Hotel: £106 for 2 nights

Well, this time you’re better off taking your own car which works especially well if you want to get a few laps in on the Nürburgring!

Alicante, 30^th July – 6^th August

Time to hit the Costa Blanca! Sun, sea, and sangria are the order of the day whilst you top up on your tan. Make time for the Castillo de San Fernando or the towns of Denia and Calpe.

Photo by: vicenfoto/Fotolia

Fly & Hire

With a flight time of just over 2 hours, this option will have you on the beaches in no time!

Flights: Heathrow to Alicante, £168.31 pp via British Airways

Car hire: Alicante Airport £139

Total: £475.62

When it comes to speed and costs, this seems pretty tough to beat! Let’s have a look at driving from home.

Drive

This option gives you the chance to break the journey in Bordeaux which can only be a good thing! Explore the vineyards or wander through the countryside if you have the time.

From London

Drive time: 20hours each way plus ferry/tunnel

Distance: 1,251miles (954 return). Assuming 40mpg = £298.29

From Bristol

Drive time: 21hours each way plus ferry/train

Distance: 1,374miles (2,748 return). Assuming 40mpg = £327.62

Ferry: From £120 return via P&O

Channel Tunnel: From £130

Hotel: £62 for 2 nights

Once again the fly & hire option is cheaper and much more convenient in this instance. Ok, if you have a two week break booked then driving all that way is more of a viable option but 40 hours in the car is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Things to take away

As the Frankfurt example highlights, we’re not saying that car hire is always the best or cheapest option. Instead we recommend you research your holiday options carefully, think of all the little extras that add up and compare on a like for like basis.

Even if it is much cheaper to drive, how long will it take? Do you want to spend ages in the car just to get there or is that part of the adventure?

Also, consider how many people are travelling. If there’s a group of you travelling then the savings made from driving would probably be more attractive but do you want to put the mileage on your car?

Whatever you decide, why not check out these must drive European roads in case you’re passing by? Also, don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest travel tips and news.