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KAYAK Road Trip Index ranks Germany as the no.1 country in Europe to take a roadtrip in 2022
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55% of European travellers plan to travel by car this season & car hire searches in UK are up around 100% despite fuel price rises
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Wallet-friendly car hire – first two weeks of September offer some of the lowest prices –
KAYAK’s new Trip Calculator helps travellers calculate the cost of a road trip -
Travelling more sustainably top of mind for Brits as UK searches for electric and hybrid cars are up about 146% compared to 2019 – Netherlands ranks no.1 in Road Trip Index sustainability category
Despite a dramatic increase in fuel prices, cars look set to be the preferred mode of transport for European travellers’ long-awaited summer break. International research by KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, reveals that 55% of travellers plan to hit the road this season, while 35% plan to fly.
KAYAK insights mirror this development, with searches by travellers from the UK looking for car hire this summer increased by about 100% in recent weeks compared to the same period in 2019. Fuelled by these summer travel insights, KAYAK’s 2022 Road Trip Index, helps travellers narrow down their next road trip destination by ranking 33 countries according to 24 unique factors and five trip types.
“With car rental searches significantly surpassing pre-pandemic levels in the UK and across Europe, it seemed a great opportunity for us to help consumers find out what the best destinations are for roadtrippers in 2022. To do this, we analysed and ranked European countries based on factors including weather, infrastructure & safety, camping options, pricing, traffic, sustainability, car rentals, nature, and landmarks,” said Evan Day, UK Country Manager at KAYAK.
Best Road Trip Destination 2022… Germany
Germany seized the top spot, scoring high in Comfort & Infrastructure, Nature & Landmarks, a high number of EV charging stations, and fewer car accidents per 100,000 people than most other countries. Spain came a close second also for its Nature & Landmarks, followed by Lithuania, which has one of the lowest car hire prices.
Most Sustainable… The Netherlands
68% of travellers state their summer plans were influenced by sustainability this year, while UK holidaymaker searches for electric and hybrid vehicles on KAYAK have increased by about 146% since 2019. According to KAYAK’s 2022 Road Trip Index, the Netherlands are the best destination for a sustainable road trip, with more EV charging stations per 100 square kilometres, and fewer cars per inhabitant than most analysed countries. Iceland and Estonia are 2nd and 3rd best, due to high rankings in low air pollution and road congestion.
“Sustainable road trips are not only easier on the environment, but can also be wallet-friendly. Travelling in an electric car costs a fraction of travelling on fuel, and can be a great way to keep exploring new destinations. I highly recommend the Netherlands, which has the highest number of EV charging stations per 100 km.2” explains Evan Day. “For those who don’t own an electric or hybrid car, our website can help you find and compare the prices of eco-friendly cars from hundreds of car rental providers.”
Top 10 European road trip countries in 2022:
- Germany
- Spain
- Lithuania
- Cyprus
- France
- Sweden
- Portugal
- Estonia
- Italy
- Switzerland
Top countries for a sustainable road trip in 2022:
- Netherlands
- Iceland
- Estonia
- Norway
- Lithuania
- Finland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Portugal
- Austria
Calculate the cost before hitting the road
To help people find out how much a road trip will cost before hitting the road, KAYAK has created a Road Trip Calculator alongside the new index. With just a few clicks, travellers can determine the approximate cost of travelling, whether hiring a car or travelling in their own vehicle. Travellers simply select their start and end locations along with fuel and car type, and the calculator will estimate the approximate distance, time on the road and local fuel and hire prices to give an estimated amount for the trip.
Evan Day adds, “While fuel prices have risen in recent months, car travel remains a flexible, convenient and a relatively price conscious way to travel. Our new Trip Calculator tool will help travellers budget for their trip before hitting the road. Another tip I’d suggest for money-savvy roadtrippers is to be flexible with travel dates if you can. For instance, we found w/c 5th September to offer some of the lowest car hire prices in the season at around £57 per day – nearly £20 cheaper per day compared to the peak summer period.”
Survey Methodology
Survey results are based on an e-survey carried out by CINT on behalf of KAYAK. The data collection took place from 10th to16th May 2022, among 10,000 people from the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, the US, Canada and Australia aged between 18 and 65. All percentages have been rounded by a maximum of 0,5, in accordance with standard rounding rules.
KAYAK data
Data on overall car rental searches is based on all searches for car rentals made across Kayak.co.uk and associated sites between 04.07.2022 – 17.07.2022 for travel dates between 15.07.2022 – 15.09.2022 and compared to the same search and travel period in 2019. Percentages are on average.
Data on hybrid and electric car rental searches is based on all searches for car rentals made across Kayak.co.uk and associated sites between 01.01.22 – 11.07.22 for travel in the next 180 days and compared to the same search and travel period in 2019. Percentages are on average.
About KAYAK
KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world’s leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay and rental car. We also support business travellers with KAYAK for Business, our free corporate travel solution, and are transforming the in-travel experience with our app and new hotel and accommodation software. For more information, visit https://www.kayak.co.uk/
