High travel costs ‘leave stretched Britons worried’

The rising cost of travel is leaving some Britons reticent to visit friends and family over Christmas. 

Newly-released research by the Consumer Finance Association (CFA), which saw over 2,000 adults questioned, has discovered over a third of consumers have serious concerns about how much it costs to get from A to B, with the situation only worsening during the festive period. 

If people are already struggling financially, the thought of forking out extra money to see their loved ones on or around December 25th may not be very appealing, as it could plunge them into further debt. 

Russell Hamblin-Boone, chief executive of the CFA, said: "Travel is a significant cost that is often forgotten when people consider how much money they will spend at Christmas. This year though, people are clearly concerned about the extra cost of putting fuel in their cars and the price of train tickets to go and see family and friends."

He added it would be "a shame" if the expense of travel meant that families could not be together over Christmas. 

Individuals are determined to avoid letting their arrears build up over Christmas though, with 56.3 per cent relying on their savings to get by, while 21.1 per cent will fall back on their current pay cheque. 

However, 26.5 per cent expect to use their credit card at some stage, while 17.3 per cent will turn to some other form of borrowing. These two groups are the most at threat, as without a structured repayment plan they could find themselves in financial trouble further down the line. 

The study discovered the typical Briton will travel 62.83 miles to spend Christmas with their family, with Londoners travelling the furthest (85.09 miles) and people in the East taking the shortest trips (52.88 miles).

By Amy White