The roads may be crowded this year

Caravan and motorhome owners may have company on the roads – the AA has found that 12 million other people are planning to take UK based holidays this year.

Almost half (46 per cent) of people plan at least one UK break in 2008 and 75 per cent of those families say that they plan to drive around the UK or Europe to save on aeroplane fuel surcharges and emissions.

Mark Huggins, head of AA Personal Loans, says: "Our survey shows people are being smart with their money when booking holidays this summer.

"People are also thinking carefully about buying smaller cars to save money but it is important to make sure the car you choose is suitable for going on long holiday journeys, with enough room for all your passengers and luggage. If taking your car on holiday, give the car a check over, make sure your tyre pressure is correct for the load you are carrying, stick to speed limits and use your air-conditioning sparingly - this will make a big difference to how much you spend on fuel."

Many people are cutting back on car use for day to day non-essential journeys and are shopping wisely for fuel when necessary. They now regard a driving holiday as a way to escape the budget constraints of the past few months.

07/07/2008 09:04:15