The Lake District Named The UK’s Favourite Easter Road Trip 2024

A new survey of 2,000 drivers reveals where Brits would like to be this bank holiday weekend

The Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Jurassic Coast have been voted the top three road trip destinations Brits would most like to visit this Easter weekend – revealed in a new poll conducted by leading fuel brand JET.

Nearly a third of the 2,000 drivers surveyed ranked the UNESCO Heritage site that Wordsworth once deemed “the loveliest spot that man hath found” as number one. Glacial ribbon lakes and soaring mountain views give you a clue as to why the driving public (and literary greats) love The Lake District (28%). And there’s much more to the second-ranking location than Tetley and Northern Charm. The Yorkshire Dales (19%) encompasses thousands of miles of moors, valleys and hills – so vast you could hold the world’s most challenging Easter egg hunt there. The Jurassic Coast (18%), taking third place, is a champion among the coastal routes.

Conducted online in March 2024, alongside being asked to rank their top Easter road trip locations, drivers were also quizzed about their best childhood memories, who should sit in the front seat and their top car games, with some intriguing results.

From Snake Pass to the Atlantic Highway, and beyond

Home to Blenheim Palace, rolling hills and honey-hued cottages, it’s no wonder The Cotswolds is a firm favourite. Nearly one in five (17.5%) named it their top road trip location, taking 4^th place. Picturesque Somerset beauty spot, Cheddar Gorge, bagged 5^th place with 17%.

Moving further up the map to the Midlands, the iconic (and appropriately named) winding road trip route, Snake Pass (16%), is 6^th on the list. The Atlantic Highway – rugged and remote – sits in 7^th place (14%), with Pembrokeshire Coast 200 in Wales (8^th), the New Forest Red Route (9^th) and the Road to the Isles in Scotland (10^th), completing the top ten.

Memories, games and who sits up front?

Road trips are where memories are made. And for nearly a third of Brits (31%) that means ‘being altogether as a family’, which was voted as the UK’s number one fondest childhood moment. ‘Falling asleep and waking up somewhere new’ (22%), ‘stopping for snacks at the service station’ (13%) and ‘car fun and games’ (12%), were among the other popular moments voted in by drivers.

As any parent will know, keeping the kids entertained is crucial to a harmonious Easter getaway. When asked to rank their family-favourite car games, ‘i-Spy’ came out top trumps with two-fifths of the votes (39%). Other winners included: ‘Red Car-Yellow Car’ (19%), ‘Spot The Licence Plate’ (12%) and ‘The Quiet Game’ (10%).

And while fun and games are all well and good, sometimes car rules (and anti-squabble measures) need to be established before you even set off! Drivers were then asked, ‘Who should sit up front?’

Almost half of UK drivers think ‘parents/the eldest’ should sit in the front seat (49%). ‘The navigator’ (22%), the ‘always travel-sick’ passenger (11%) and the no-nonsense ‘whoever claims it first’ (10%) approach took second, third and fourth rankings.

“Road trips are just as much about the journey as they are the destination.” says Áine Corkery, Manager, UK Brand, Phillips 66 Limited “It’s wonderful to see the UK’s sense of adventure through the lens of these results. As JET is a driver-first brand, committed to getting drivers back on the road safely, facilitating road trips that are full of memories and experiences is important to us – and we can tell from the results that it is to the voting public too!”

The UK’s Top Easter Road Trips:

1.      The Lake District (28%)

2.      The Yorkshire Dales (19%)

3.      Jurassic Coast (18%)

4.      The Cotswolds (17.5%)

5.      Cheddar Gorge (17%)

6.      Snake Pass (16%)

7.      Atlantic Highway (14%)

8.      Pembrokeshire Coast 200 (13%)

9.      New Forest Red Route (13%)

10.    Road to the Isles (11%)

Best Childhood Memories On A Road Trip:

1.      Being altogether as a family (31%)

2.      Falling asleep and waking up somewhere new (22%)

3.      Stopping for snacks at the service station (13%)

4.      Car fun and games (12%)

5.      Planning fun activities for when you arrive (9%)

6.      Car karaoke (6%)

7.      Quality time and deep & meaningfuls (5%)

8.      Listening to audiobooks on the radio (4%)

The UK’s Favourite Car Games:

1.      I Spy (39%)

2.      Red car, yellow car (19%)

3.      Spot the licence plate (12%)

4.      The quiet game (10%)

5.      Road sign games (7%)

6.      Would you rather? (7%)

7.      I’m going on a picnic (6%)

Who Should Sit Up Front?

1.      The parents / eldest in age order (49%)

2.      The navigator (22%)

3.      The passenger who’s always travel-sick (11%)

4.      Whoever claims it first (10%)

5.      The tallest person (6%)

6.      Girls upfront / boys upfront (2%)