Drivers

The UK’s best staycation destinations for EV owners have been revealed – spanning Cornwall to the Highlands.

The UK’s best staycation destinations are Cornwall, the Cotswolds and the Scottish Highlands, according to EV owners, because of their easy-access charging points. EV charging point company Fastned polled motorists to get their say on which destination appealed to most.

Top of the list is the UK’s southernmost county, Cornwall, which is home to the scenic likes of St Ives, Falmouth, Penzance, Land’s End, and a stunning shoreline. The Cotswolds, another heavily rural area, came second, while the vast Scottish Highlands secured third spot. Norfolk, the Kent Coast and County Durham also feature in the top 10, along with the Suffolk Coast and the North East Coast.

The research of 2000 drivers, including 1,000 purely EV drivers, found nearly nine in 10 (87%) have or would travel to a staycation destination using an electric vehicle.

Eight in 10 EV motorists in particular are confident the UK’s public charging infrastructure would now enable them to complete a long-distance journey in the eco-friendly form of transport.

It also emerged 51% have a greater inclination to holiday within the UK now than they did five years ago, with last weekend (August 7) the weekend those polled were most likely to begin their main summer getaway this year.

Tom Hurst, UK country director for the EV charging network powered by 100% green energy, said: “We wanted to explore how travel habits are shifting gears for UK motorists, including EV drivers, from where people are heading to what makes a great staycation destination, and what’s powering the next generation of road trips.

“Across mainland Europe, ‘Black Weekend’ or ‘Black Saturday’ describes the moment millions of people hit the roads for their summer getaway. Think ‘Black Friday’, but for summer travel.

“We wanted to find out whether Britain is developing its own version and how EV drivers are helping shape a new era of electric travel. As more people switch to electric, understanding journeys will be key to the UK’s transition.”

The study also found 56% have consciously moved towards a lifestyle more traditionally associated with countries like Spain, France, Monaco and Italy.

Exactly four in 10 eat outdoors more frequently than they used to, while more than a quarter (26%) have adopted a slower pace of life.

Around three in 10 (28%) now take more time to enjoy and savour meals and 37% like spending more time outdoors and enjoying their surroundings.

Carried out through OnePoll, the research found 90% of EV drivers are solidly behind ultra-rapid charging, which enables motorists to charge their vehicle up to 300 miles in 20 minutes – as they can get to the countryside or coastal areas faster.

Tom Hurst, spokesperson for Fastned, which has 39 hubs and over 420 ultra-rapid chargers across the UK, added: “We’re seeing more people embrace staycations, longer road trips and electric vehicles as a more sustainable and indeed accessible way to travel.

“We also wanted to understand whether those trends are beginning to converge, and how they’re changing the way people in the UK think about summer journeys.

“With fast charging available near all of the staycation destinations featured in our research, drivers can spend less time worrying about where and how long it’ll take to charge and more time enjoying the journey.

“After all, the best road trips aren’t about standing still; they’re about where the road takes you next.”

Top 10 best staycation destinations for EV owners

1. Cornwall – e.g. St Ives, Falmouth, Penzance, Land’s End
2. Cotswolds – e.g. Burford, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury
3. Scotland / Gateway to the Highlands – e.g. Loch Lomond, The Trossachs, Glencoe, Scottish Highlands
4. Norfolk – e.g. North Norfolk Coast, Hunstanton, Wells-next-the-Sea, Sandringham
5. North East England – e.g. Northumberland, Bamburgh, Alnwick, Holy Island
6. Kent Coast – e.g. White Cliffs of Dover, Deal, Folkestone, Sandwich
7. North East Coast – e.g. Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, Newcastle
8. Suffolk Coast – e.g. Aldeburgh, Southwold, Woodbridge
9. County Durham – e.g. Durham City, Beamish Museum, North Pennines
10. West London – e.g. Windsor, Richmond, Kew Gardens

THE UK’s best staycation destinations are Cornwall, the Cotswolds and the Scottish Highlands, according to EV owners, thanks to their easy-access charging points.

EV charging point company Fastned polled motorists to get their say on which destination appealed to most.

Top of the list is the UK’s southernmost county, Cornwall, which is home to the likes of St Ives, Falmouth, Penzance, Land’s End, and a stunning shoreline.

The Cotswolds, another heavily rural area, came second, while the vast Scottish Highlands secured third spot.

Norfolk, the Kent Coast and County Durham also feature in the top 10, along with the Suffolk Coast and the North East Coast.

The research of 2000 drivers, including 1,000 purely EV drivers, found 87 per cent have or would travel to a staycation destination using an electric vehicle.

While 81 per cent of EV motorists in particular are confident the UK’s public charging infrastructure would now enable them to complete a long-distance journey in the eco-friendly form of transport.

It also emerged 51 per cent have a greater inclination to holiday within the UK now than they did five years ago, with last weekend (August 7) the weekend those polled were most likely to begin their main summer getaway this year.

Tom Hurst, UK country director for the EV charging network powered by 100 per cent green energy, said: “We wanted to explore how travel habits are shifting gears for UK motorists, including EV drivers, from where people are heading to what makes a great staycation destination, and what’s powering the next generation of road trips.

“Across mainland Europe, ‘Black Weekend’ or ‘Black Saturday’ describes the moment millions of people hit the roads for their summer getaway. Think ‘Black Friday’, but for summer travel.

“We wanted to find out whether Britain is developing its own version and how EV drivers are helping shape a new era of electric travel. As more people switch to electric, understanding journeys will be key to the UK’s transition.”

The study also found 56 per cent have consciously moved towards a lifestyle more traditionally associated with countries like Spain, France, Monaco and Italy.

With 40 per cent eating outdoors more frequently than they used to, while 26 per cent have adopted a slower pace of life.

Around three in 10 (28 per cent) now take more time to enjoy and savour meals and 37 per cent like spending more time outdoors and enjoying their surroundings.

Carried out through OnePoll, the research found 90 per cent of EV drivers are solidly behind ultra-rapid charging, which enables motorists to charge their vehicle up to 300 miles in 20 minutes – as they can get to the countryside or coastal areas quicker.

Tom Hurst, spokesperson for Fastned, which has 39 hubs and over 420 ultra-rapid chargers across the UK, added: “We’re seeing more people embrace staycations, longer road trips and electric vehicles as a more sustainable and indeed accessible way to travel.

“We also wanted to understand whether those trends are beginning to converge, and how they’re changing the way people in the UK think about summer journeys.

“With fast charging available near all of the staycation destinations featured in our research, drivers can spend less time worrying about where and how long it’ll take to charge and more time enjoying the journey.

“After all, the best road trips aren’t about standing still; they’re about where the road takes you next.”

UK motorists would rather take a scenic UK drive than the fastest option for a staycation road trip – with 52% saying beautiful scenery was important when planning a long drive.

Three quarters of motorists would prefer to take the scenic route rather than the quickest option for a staycation. A poll of 2,000 drivers revealed that beautiful scenery (52%) was a key consideration when planning a long drive – with the average motorist willing to add 41 minutes to their journey for a more impressive view.

Four in ten find a road trip ‘boring’ as it typically involves motorways and staring at the back of a lorry – with the M25 voted the most tedious road to drive on. However, 21% admitted they wouldn’t know how to find a more scenic route, while 57% rarely or only sometimes have enough time to plan one before heading off.

A further 49% confess they rely too heavily on their sat nav, meaning they seldom discover new or picturesque routes by chance.

The study, commissioned by temporary car insurance provider Tempcover, revealed that when taking a scenic route, 37% found it took a similar amount of time to a motorway journey, while 25% said it actually took less – thanks to avoiding traffic and congestion.

Adam Craddock, temporary car insurance expert for the brand, said: “With the UK staycation market seeing strong demand this summer, we wanted to give motorists the best of both worlds.

“Motorways are essential for efficient travel, but we also want to give holidaymakers an easier way to discover stunning scenic detours alongside their usual routes.

“The UK possesses world-class landscapes that genuinely rival top global destinations – from the spectacular vistas of the Scottish Highlands to the serene beauty of the Lake District – and our new interactive tool is designed to unlock them all.”

Discover an alternative scenic route by entering your start and end UK postcodes with this new online tool.

The research revealed scenic views are the source of many arguments in the car, with 13% accusing passengers of ‘hogging the best views’ – leaving 70% of drivers feeling that passengers are the only ones who get to enjoy it.

Despite 41% citing stop-offs as essential during a long car journey, 31% rarely or never do this – with the Angel of the North (33%) and Yorkshire Dales (22%) among places travellers have never stopped to visit.

However, the country’s beauty doesn’t go unnoticed as 34% believed the Scottish Highlands rivals the Norwegian Fjords, while 24% compared Cornwall to the Amalfi Coast.

Kaiser Chiefs frontman and musician, Ricky Wilson who regularly travels across the country for festivals and gigs, contributed his own top spots to the tool.

He said: “As a band we’ve driven thousands of miles this year alone, and after recently hitting the milestone of 1,500 live shows, you realise how much of the country you miss by sticking rigidly to the sat nav.

“Some of our best moments on tour – like all of us jumping out of the bus to check out Stonehenge – only happened because we took a scenic detour.

“Now with four-year-old twins, pit stops are non-negotiable, and swapping grey motorway service stations for incredible scenic spots is a game-changer.

“We’ve had some legendary detours over the years, and taking the scenic route turns a boring drive into pa rt of the holiday. “

The countryside (68%) and beach and coastal routes (63%) were amongst the most enjoyable scenery to take in while driving, according to those surveyed via OnePoll.com.

The typical driver is comfortable going 113 minutes before requiring a break – however, 41% would never split driving responsibilities as 47% prefer being behind the wheel. But 27% would refuse to hand over the keys because of insurance reasons, while 15% claimed adding an extra driver to their annual policy is too much hassle.

Adam Craddock at Tempcover added: “A great trip should start the moment you get into the car, not just when you reach the destination.

“It’s all about making the most of the journey together and sharing the adventure every mile of the way. The right cover gives drivers the flexibility to share the wheel and we are all about removing the hassle with temporary comprehensive cover in minutes – making it easy to share the drive and swap over so one person doesn’t hog all the views.”

YOU could soon have a staycation at a racetrack that has hosted Formula 1 stars.

Clay Pigeon Raceway near Dorchester is soon being demolished to make way for 226 chalets for a holiday park.

The karting track was once used by F1 drivers Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button at the start of their careers.

The racetrack is also home to a disused clay pigeon shooting ground, hence the name and a caravan park.

Little details have been revealed about what the holiday park would be like and if the racetrack would be kept, though in addition to the 226 chalets, the George Albert hotel will also be expanded.

The racetrack has been open since the 1950s and was built on the grounds of a disused World War II military hospital.

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It stretches 815 metres in total and, according to its website, has hosted nearly every major championship to tour the UK.

There is also an onsite cafe.

Visitors could head to the track and try out karting, with different options for adults and juniors.

The track is also home to Motorsport Hub, with a pit area, professional timing systems for races and even a spares shop.

Events planned for this year will go ahead as planned including the Daniel Ricciardo Series which is a UK-based karting championship that the former F1 driver launched back in 2019.

Dan Parker, head of Karting Motorsport UK, told councillors: “The venue has played an important part in British karting for decades and has supported the development of competitors, officials and volunteers, clubs and all their families throughout the south west and far beyond.”

On The Chequered Flag podcast, former McClaren mechanic Marc Priestley and F1 journalist Rebecca Clancey discuss the rivalry between Mercedes team-mates Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in their bid to top the Drivers’ Championship.

WATCH MORE: The Chequered Flag Podcast on BBC iPlayer

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