Majorca tops winter holiday poll

The Spanish island of Majorca was the preferred destination for Britons travelling abroad for some sunshine during the winter season, statistics compiled by a car rental website have shown.

Majorca tops winter holiday poll

Carhiremarket revealed that Palma de Majorca was the most popular destination for vehicle rental in December 2010 and January 2011, while Malaga and Alicante were second and third most popular respectively.

According to the price comparison website, a quarter of all Britons heading abroad for a fly-drive holiday during the winter months chose to visit Spain, flying from airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. 

Winter breaks in America were also a popular option with holidaymakers, with Orlando listed among the top 10 destinations for car hire. Paphos in Cyprus and Porto in Portugal also featured on the Carhiremarket list, along with the Caribbean island of Martinique, which made the top 10 list for the first time.

Those Britons who did escape the extreme winter weather that hit the UK at the end of 2010 and the start of 2011 might have opted to leave their cars at home and instead use bus transfer services to reach the airport.

Anel Brun, product manager for carhiremarket, said: “As the Met Office warned late last year that December was almost certainly the coldest since records began, many Brits took to the skies and flew off to sunnier climes.”

Copyright Press Association 2011