Top fly-drive holiday destinations

With January blues now in full swing, over a million Brits will book their next break in the sun this month and, according to independent car hire price comparison website carhiremarket.com, it looks like most will be jetting off to Spain and Portugal come Springtime. Based on last year’s booking trends, Ibiza, Palma de Majorca and Faro were the top destinations for a sunny break, but car hire bookings for locations further afield look to be on the increase, suggesting Brits are becoming a bit more adventurous.

Around £500 million will be spent this month* on holidays, but instead of following last year’s trend, why not think about heading further afield? A fly-drive vacation promises independence, freedom and the ability to explore an abundance of landscape and scenery. Carhiremarket.com has put together its top five destinations for a fly drive holiday outside Europe in 2012:

1. North America – What better way to explore the states of the USA or Canada than with your own hire car? The sheer size of the states and provinces lend themselves to being explored with the ease and flexibility of your own vehicle, and with wide, well-signposted roads, the superb scenery and sites can easily be enjoyed.

2. Australia – In such a vast country like Australia, a fly-drive holiday is the ultimate way to be in full control on your holiday and ensure you experience the very best that a huge, dramatic and varied landscape has to offer. If some of the drives do seem just that bit too far, why not arrange some inbound flights in-between so the wonders of the Blue Mountains, Ayres Rock, Sydney and The Great Barrier Reef can all make an appearance on your itinerary. You can even drive on the left hand side!

3. New Zealand – Known for some of the best and diverse scenery the world has to offer, a fly-drive holiday in New Zealand is a fantastic way to embrace the stunning views and explore the uncongested open roads. Rugged mountain ranges, fresh flowing rivers and deep blue oceans can be etched in your holiday memories and in just a two week holiday you should be able to see many of the beautiful main attractions on both the North and South Island.

4. South Africa – If you fancy a holiday filled with beaches, huge open spaces, mountains and of course, game parks, a fly-drive holiday to South Africa might be just the get away to book this January. Visit some of South Africa’s highlights including Victoria Falls, Swaziland, Kruger Park Cape Town and Garden Route at your own pace. Add to this the fantastic weather and extensive road network and you have an out-of-the-ordinary fly drive destination perfect for the avid traveler.

5. Malaysia – If you are looking for a more culturally-diverse break, then the architectural history, heritage and lifestyle of Malaysia could be just what you are after. The energetic capital city of Kuala Lumpur and the stunning east coast are definitely worth a visit; and with modern highways, English road signs and driving on the left you’ll soon be familiar with your surroundings. There are good links to key destinations and by making your own way round you are much more likely to stumble upon sites that most tourists never see.

For more information on travelling abroad and great value car rental, car hire comparison or for more information on car hire destinations or airport car hire, visit carhiremarket.com.

*Both stats taken from research published by ABTA on 10th January 2012.