Cheapest way to get home for Christmas
Cheapest way to get home for Christmas
Travelling home over the Christmas period is a stressful - and expensive - time for many.
To help you get home with your festive cheer intact, we’ve crunched the numbers and figured out the cheapest options.
(PS - don’t forget, we’ve already written a guide about the best and worst days to travel home before Christmas!)
Comparing the costs
With many juggling unreliable public transport and the high cost of living, Cuvva has compared the main modes of transport home during the festive season.
FYI, we’ve based these figures 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.
Costs breakdown
| Mode of transport | Price |
|---|---|
| National Express | £15.90 |
| Driving someone's car with Cuvva | £28.24 |
| Train | £81.60 |
| Flight | £95 |
| Turo | £96.15 |
| Uber | £233.18 |
(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.)
Pssst! Quick festive plug. Cuvva offers flexible car insurance policies from 1 hour to 28 days, with no deposits, interest or nasty hidden fees. And it only takes a few minutes to get a quote.