Brits 'escaping for Easter'

Easter getaways are proving a popular option among British people seeking to escape this winter's bad weather and the economic downturn, according to comparison site Carrentals.co.uk.

Geneva in Switzerland has been the most popular car hire destination for Easter this year, the company revealed, followed by Orlando in Florida, Faro and Lisbon airports in Portugal and Pisa in Italy.

Carrentals.co.uk has seen a 15 per cent increase in advance bookings for these and other destinations this year.

Another emerging trend indicates that people will be travelling for longer this Easter, with car hire periods of between one and two weeks being preferred over long weekend deals.

Gareth Robinson, managing director of the firm, said: "We've definitely seen a change in booking this Easter - customers seem to want to escape the UK and the constant reminders of recession.

"As a result, they are booking longer escapes to favourites such as Switzerland, the Algarve and Florida, and also newer locations - for example the Atlantic coast in Portugal."

The Association of British Travel Agents said recently that many people are revising their traditional holiday choices during the credit crunch, with some looking at more adventurous destinations to make their budget go further.

Posted by Merv, 11 March 2009 13:18

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• Orlando
• Geneva
• Lisbon