Your complete guide to Christmas travel: how to save on your commute home and the busiest and best time to travel

Travelling home over the Christmas period is a stressful time for many, leaving Brits devoid of festive cheer. Leading flexible car insurance provider, Cuvva explores the different ways to travel home this Christmas and shares the best and worst times to set off, to avoid transport disruptions and getting caught up in the Christmas rush.

Comparing all the ways to get home from trains and flights to hiring a car, National Express and sharing the long drive home with a family member or friend using temporary cover come out on top, as the most affordable ways to travel at £15.90 and £28.24. Based on a three hour trip from London to Bristol.

While the busiest day to travel is the last working day before Christmas Eve, which has been dubbed ‘Frantic Friday’ due to the number of cars on the road. Above the usual commuter traffic, and people heading to the shops for a panicked bout of gift-hunting, there are also many Brits driving home to make the most of their time off with family and friends. Christmas Eve comes in as the second busiest after ‘Frantic Friday’.

According to data from Cuvva, the average number of temporary car insurance policies purchased on the 23 and 24 December shot up by nearly a third last year versus the average day in December.

Darryl Bowman from Cuvva said: “We always see a big spike in people opting for temporary car insurance in the days leading up to Christmas as drivers top up with temporary cover to share the drive home or hop in the family car for last minute Christmas shopping.”

Traditionally, the last full weekend before Christmas is also very busy in terms of the number of cars on the road, as reported by Cuvva’s data, which shows an increase in drivers hitting the roads the weekend prior to Christmas.

It’s recommended to try and avoid travelling on the 17, 18, 23 and 24 December.

If you’re planning to travel by rail this year, you could potentially be facing some major disruptions. Planned railway work and ongoing rail strikes are expected to continue into the new year, causing mayhem over the festive season with delays and cancellations. Choosing a more reliable option is sensible if you want to avoid being left stranded.
Cheapest ways to travel home for Christmas
Juggling unreliable public transport with the high cost of living and the fact that many households will be seeking ways to spend less this Christmas, Cuvva compares the main modes of transport home during the festive season and how much each will set you back. Based on a one way trip from London to Bristol on 21 December.

Coach
The National Express coach came in lowest at £15.90 from London to Bristol. While it might take longer to get to your destination, it’s a great way to get home on a budget.

Temporary car insurance
Getting insured on a friend or family member’s car with temporary car insurance was nearly three times cheaper than using a car sharing platform like Turo. Three hours of temporary insurance cost £10.47, plus approximately £17.77 in petrol. It’s useful if you want to share the drive with a friend, getting insured on their car for an hour or two.

Train
Disruptions aside this festive season, a single train ticket from London Paddington to Bristol is around £81.60 at Christmas time. You can invest in a railcard to help bring the cost down.

Flight
Looking at all the ways to get home this Christmas, a one-way flight from London Gatwick Airport to Bristol costs £95 with easyJet.

Turo
You can rent a car from hosts in your neighbourhood through Turo, a car sharing platform. To give you an idea of the cost – renting a car for three hours will cost approximately £96.15 which includes car hire, insurance and petrol. As you have to return the car to the place you picked it up, this option might be more suitable for those needing a car for the duration of their trip.

Uber
Travelling from London to Bristol in an Uber will set you back around £233, one way. As the most expensive way to travel home for Christmas, Uber might be an option in a festive emergency.

Prices are based on a one-way trip from London to Bristol on 21st December, using an alias of a 26-year-old Londoner driving a Vauxhall Astra 2012. Includes estimated fuel costs.

Bowman said: “With millions of people travelling over the Christmas break and railway strikes set to cause massive disruptions, planning ahead and finding alternative ways to get home will help you avoid the peak rush, saving you money and time this festive season.

“Hopping in a car is one of the cheapest ways to get home for Christmas. You can insure yourself on someone else’s car or carpool and share the long drive with temporary car insurance. It might be a safer bet than public transport and all the train cancellations facing commuters this festive season.”