Driving Home for Christmas: One Third of Brits Planning to Hit the Road for Family Visits

  • 37% intend to travel within the UK to visit family and friends this Christmas
  • One in seven (14%) plan to make do on floors, airbeds and sofas when staying
    with loved ones
  • Regional Christmas markets dominate the nation’s favourite festive fairs, with Bath voted the top choice

With just 41 days until 25th December, a new study of over 45,000 people by Travelodge has revealed that a significant 37% of people are planning to travel within the UK to visit loved ones this Christmas.  

One in five (21%) said they’re intending to stay with family and friends during their stay and 14% expect to “make do” by sleeping on a combination of sofas, floors and airbeds. 

For those prioritising comfort, a hotel is the most popular choice for staying away from home for around one in ten (11%) people.

57% said they preferred to stay put in their own home over the Christmas holiday. A further 4% plan to go overseas.

When asked about Christmas-themed days out, nearly half of Brits (49%) said they would prefer to visit regional Christmas markets over London.  

Bath Christmas Market topped the list as the nation’s favourite (12%), with Edinburgh (11%), York (9%), Birmingham (9%), and Manchester (8%) making up the rest of the top five. Respondents said that festive atmosphere (67%), food and drink (37%) and the setting (37%) were what people enjoyed the most at the markets. 

The top 10 Christmas Markets as voted for by Brits:

  1. Bath
  2. Edinburgh
  3. York
  4. Birmingham
  5. Manchester
  6. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
  7. Winchester
  8. Chester
  9. Southbank, London
  10. Cardiff

For the quintessential festive family day out, respondents said that The Polar Express Train Ride (18%) was their favourite, followed closely by Winter Wonderland (15%), Edinburgh Christmas Market (13%) and Santa Express – North Yorkshire Moors Railway (12%).

The survey also looked at the nation’s plans for Christmas Day itself, revealing that classic traditions like Christmas Dinner still stand, with turkey remaining the top choice for around two thirds of people (65%), followed by runners up gammon (28%) and beef (24%).

The nation is set to indulge in comfort this year, with casual clothes (45%) the top choice for Christmas Day outfits, followed by a Christmas jumper for a quarter of people (26%). A relaxed 5% said they won’t even bother getting dressed, opting to stay in pyjamas all day.

A Travelodge spokesperson said: “The nation clearly loves its seasonal traditions, whether it’s visiting a Christmas market, sporting a festive jumper or tucking into a turkey feast.

“With so many people planning to visit and stay with loved ones this Christmas, we believe no one should have to deal with wobbly airbeds and saggy sofas. It’s time to retire these makeshift mattresses for good. 

“This year, give yourself or your loved ones the Christmas gift of a great night’s sleep. In our next generation rooms, now available in over 65% of our hotels, you’ll find sumptuous pillows, duvets and king-sized comfort in our Dreamer beds to help you relax so you can enjoy the festivities to the max.”

If you’re looking for a cracking Christmas deal, check out the Travelodge Best Price Finder. Simply search by city, town or postcode to find great deals and our most affordable stays across the country in seconds.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

The Travelodge Press Office

T: 01844 358 703

E: pressoffice@travelodge.co.uk 

Notes to Editors

*Survey conducted October 2025 with over 45,000 respondents (Travelodge email subscribers)

About Travelodge  

Founded in 1985, Travelodge is Britain’s very first budget hotel chain and today is one of the largest budget hotel chains in the UK, with a portfolio of over 630 hotels and over 47,000 bedrooms across the UK, Ireland and Spain.  

In Spain, Travelodge has an established profitable presence and has ambitious growth plans within this market and has identified the top key locations where it would like to open additional hotels in Spain. 

Welcoming over 22 million guests annually across the UK, Ireland and Spain, the majority of Travelodge hotels are located in major cities, towns and holiday hotspots as well as by airports and key business hubs. With over 96% of its hotels rated 4 dots or above on TripAdvisor, Travelodge is proud to offer guests across its diverse customer base a good value experience – whether they are travelling for business or leisure. 

Whether out celebrating a birthday, going to a concert or sporting event, visiting friends and family, taking a business trip, working away from home, or taking a short break, we help people to go and do their thing by Being the Brilliant Base.

Travelodge continues to invest in its ongoing hotel refit programme and has already upgraded approximately 65% of the Travelodge room estate to its new design. The brand is also continually evolving its quality offering to deliver a better experience for its diverse mix of business and leisure guests such as its new look Bar Cafe design, 85 Bar Café, which has been rolled out to selected UK hotels as part of the refit programme.  

Travelodge is focusing on its environmental and social impact, with sustainability integral to its business strategy. Its Better Future sustainability plan aims to build a more sustainable future for its customers, colleagues and the planet, underpinned by three core pillars: Inclusive – ensuring we are accessible, inclusive and well-priced to our customers and colleagues; Caring – creating a caring and healthy environment for our colleagues and customers and ensuring their wellbeing; and  Conscious – Travelodge is conscious of its impact on the planet, taking into account the waste it produces, the energy and other resources it consumes and the carbon emissions it generates.  

For further information visit travelodge.co.uk or the Travelodge Hotels Limited LinkedIn page.