The research of 2,000 adults found the average person doesn’t fully unwind into ‘holiday mode’ until two days into a trip – due to the lasting stress of the build-up
Brits can’t seem to shake off the pre-holiday jitters until day three of their getaway, a study has found.
The survey of 2,000 adults pinpointed travel delays, crack-of-dawn starts for airport journeys, and restless sleep the night before as enthusiasm killers in the early stages of a holiday.
A whopping 67 per cent of holidaymakers don’t feel fully at ease until they’ve settled into their destination.
Despite this, a resilient 68 per cent refuse to let the chaos of last-minute packing or airport pandemonium ruin their spirits, with nearly half including a ‘holiday eve’ in their itinerary, choosing to unwind at a hotel the night before their departure.
Premier Inn spearheaded the research and has teamed up with travel guru Victoria Philpott to create a guide on mastering the ‘holiday eve’.
Tamara Strauss of Premier Inn commented: “Starting a holiday off on the wrong foot isn’t ideal for anyone and a lack of quality sleep can usually contribute to it.”
“It’s often the case you’re setting off early in the morning, whether it’s to catch a flight, train or ferry and it’s somewhat unpredictable when it comes to getting to where you need to be.”
“The research has shown the negative impact this can have on many people and the strain can end up lingering for a few days into valuable holiday time.”
The findings also revealed that 29 per cent of travellers are plagued by stress and exhaustion well into their holidays.
A grand total of seven out of 10 people believe that incorporating a ‘holiday eve’ into their plans is a brilliant idea; those who practice this argue it provides a more relaxed start to a trip, decreases the chance of missing their selected mode of transport, and results in less stress.
Interestingly, our research found that 38 per cent admitted to sleeping better being somewhere close to where they need to be.
The majority – 56 per cent – of respondents agreed that a good night’s sleep was the main selling point of a ‘holiday eve’, followed by a relaxing dinner (49 per cent) and a few drinks (32 per cent).
Despite all this, only 41 per cent regarded the sleep obtained before going on holiday as high quality, according to data from OnePoll.com with more than half asserting it affects their mood the following day.
In an interesting twist, even with excitement buzzing around at 32 per cent the night before a holiday, a small percentage confessed to feeling on edge or nervous.
According to our poll, a third of respondents will be leaving for a holiday within the next couple of months, yet surprisingly, only 21 per cent of those who’d never scheduled a ‘holiday eve’ previously would consider adding it to their future plans, despite its clear benefits.
Sharing her thoughts on the matter, Victoria Philpott, widely recognised as the travel expert VickyFlipFlop, mentioned: “Annual leave is so precious and we want to make the most of it – but it can be hard to switch off.”
She concluded by saying, “It’s been fun helping create a guide to help those heading away on holiday to make life that little bit easier so there’s less of the stress.”
“There’s lots of tips on how to help, including getting a kid’s hangable shoe organiser and packing it full of outfits so you can simply hang it up when you get to your destination and it’s ready to go.”
Tamara, from Premier Inn, added: “We created our guide to encourage those who haven’t tried a ‘holiday eve’ before to give it a go.”
“If it’s not something that’s usually considered, it really can make all the difference to fully relaxing into holiday mode that little bit sooner.”
“And it’s a great way to start your holiday early.”