Sixt upgrades the festive journey home
For most, the festive drive back to the family home at Christmas really gets you in the mood for the season of eating, drinking and being merry. However, for many disgruntled UK public transport users, it is a time of extortionately inflated prices, cramped carriages and long journeys home.
To combat this, vehicle hire firm Sixt, Europe’s leading car rental company, is aiming to assist commuters with their annual pilgrimage home by providing a rather more luxurious yet thrifty alternative to rival the cost of festive train travel.
The cost of hiring a Volvo V50 manual estate with Sixt for four full days across the Christmas period, including petrol costs for a return journey to the selected location, can be up to £1,225.53 less than the cost of a 1st class return train journey home based on four passengers.
In particular, those travelling from London to far flung destinations such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle can reap the biggest benefits with the minimum saving coming in at a whopping £704.
As well as the mammoth savings, users also receive the extensive benefits and freedom of having access to a vehicle for use across the entire festive period. Satellite navigation systems can also be added to bookings for less than £10.
Paul McLoughlin, Managing Director, of Sixt UK, said: “The drive home for Christmas is for many one of the most exciting drives of the year, as people are looking forward to seeing loved ones and returning back to their home town. Though, for some, the journey is a source of annoyance as rising travel costs and over-crowded public transport leaves passengers disgruntled and out of pocket at a time of year when they need spare cash the most.
“At Sixt, we are always looking at ways of keeping costs down for our customers and it is encouraging to see that we can offer a viable, luxurious and competitive alternative to taking public transport at the inflated seasonal prices.”
Travel cost comparison table
Route Train cost* (£) Car hire cost** (£) Saving (£)
London – Bristol 468 354.99 113.01
London - Nottingham 416 356.62 59.38
London - Manchester 1,596 370.47 1,225.53
London - Edinburgh 1,560 430.60 1,156.40
London - Cardiff 376 360.61 15.39
London - Glasgow 1,108 403.43 704.57
London - Swansea 612 366.67 245.33
London - Liverpool 936 370.68 565.32
London - Norwich 426 354.66 71.34
London - Leeds 944 368.01 575.99
London – Exeter 1,034 368.44 665.56
London – Newcastle 1,104 382.98 721.02
For more information, visit sixt.com.
*Based on first class travel for four people on a train at 9am, Friday 23rd December and returning on Tuesday 27th December
**Based on car hire cost for Volvo V50 Diesel and including fuel costs for a return journey to the selected location (based on Volvo V50 doing 74.3mpg and 1 litre of diesel costing £1.39)