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Parents reveal what they do for the perfect family holiday

8th May 2014 Print

A third of parents admit they have taken their children out of school to go on a family holiday, while an additional 30% say they would consider doing it in the future.

These figures are revealed in a new survey which shows how important an annual holiday is to British families. More than half of those polled also said they would sacrifice other household expenses to ensure they could take a holiday.
 
Car insurance expert Admiral and One Poll surveyed 1,000 parents to find out what they consider when planning a family holiday. Cost was far and away the biggest concern for families going on holiday. Two thirds of those surveyed said they worried about how much they were going to spend. The second biggest concern was the journey to get there (24%) and poor accommodation was third (23%).
 
More than two in five families (43%) said that since the start of the recession in 2008 they have chosen to holiday in the UK rather than overseas.
 
Admiral managing director, Sue Longthorn, said: “Despite concerns about the cost, it seems we are determined to have our annual family holiday, with many parents even taking their children out of school in order to save money.
 
“Then there is the decision of where to go. The proliferation of holiday websites has meant getting away to Spain, Greece or Turkey can be relatively cheap, and at least the weather down at the Med is reliable. However holidaying at home has some huge benefits and there are some amazing places to spend your family holiday nearer to home.”
 
Admiral asked the parents polled for the essential elements of a British family holiday. The top ten they chose were:

1. A beach (43%)
2. Good restaurants (35%)
3. Countryside (35%)
4. Sightseeing (32%)
5. A pub (29%)
6. Going for walks (28%)
7. A swimming pool (28%)
8. An amusement park (26%)
9. A zoo or animal park (20%)
10. A castle or historic house (19%)
 
For 11%, a television was essential.
 
But with many of these available abroad, why should British families choose to holiday at home rather than overseas? Admiral also asked the parents what they think are the main benefits of a holiday in the UK. The top five were:

1. You can take your own car (47%)
2. Less time travelling to get to your holiday (35%)
3. You don’t have to fly to get there (34%)
4. British food (30%)
5. People speak English (28%)
 
Sue Longthorn, said: “I think the list of essential elements would make a brilliant holiday, although it’s a shame that more than one in ten need a TV for their holiday to be complete.
 
“With regards to the main benefits of holidaying in the UK, it’s interesting to see that the top three are all related to getting to your destination. It’s certainly a big advantage to have your own car and to be able to go when you want. For those with a young family, holidaying nearer to home is particularly good as kids don’t always make the best travel companions on long trips.”
 
So you’ve decided to stay in the UK for your holiday, where do you choose to go? The more picturesque corners were the top choice for the parents Admiral questioned. The five favourite places people said they would want to spend a holiday in the UK are:

1. The Lake District (27%)
2. Cornwall (26%)
3. Devon (15%)
4. Yorkshire Dales (13%)
5. The Peak District (12%)
 
Sue Longthorn, said: “There really are some beautiful places to take a holiday in the UK, the people we surveyed told us they were prepared to drive an average of 292 miles to get to their holiday destination, that’s far enough to get a family from London to the Lake District, a family from Glasgow to the Peak District and one from Nottingham to the Cornish coast.”
 
Admiral is giving 100 UK families the chance to take a family holiday in beautiful West Wales this autumn. It has teamed up with the Bluestone National Park Resort in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and has 100 holidays to give away to one of the country’s premier family holiday resorts. To enter visit bluestonewales.com/campaigns/admiral-partner-competition