Getting Home for Christmas (The Easy Way!)
11 December 2024 | 
Graeme Stoker
As the festive season approaches and you and your family get ready for presents around the tree and roast dinners so large you’ll feel like you’re the pigs in blankets, the logistics of getting home for Christmas can often become nightmarish. It’s a special kind of Christmas stress reserved for the days in the run up to the 25th, and it’s not jolly at all.
Whether you’re stranded thanks to inevitable train cancellations, or braving typically unpredictable English weather and storms, the journey back to your loved ones can feel like a never ending quest. But fear not this winter – we’ve got your back with a variety of short-term car insurance options to ensure you get home for Christmas without breaking the bank, or losing your mind.
So, buckle up and enjoy a smooth, stress-free journey home this December. With our insurance options, you’ll have comprehensive cover, protect the car owner’s no-claims bonus if you’re borrowing a vehicle, and avoid any worries about askMID checks. Ho, ho, ho, indeed.
Difficulties of Getting Home for Christmas
Everyone knows that heading home for Christmas can easily become a real ordeal – especially if you’re navigating challenges like returning from university, or leaving the bustling city for your parents’ place in the countryside. Fancy avoiding cramped, delayed trains over Christmas this year? Of course you do. All anybody really wants is to recline on a heated car seat and cruise down the motorway, being serenaded by Mariah and Wham!
Of course, this blissful journey becomes significantly harder to imagine if you aren’t in possession of your own vehicle. Perhaps you’re lucky enough to be a car owner, but faced with the grim reality of skyrocketing fuel costs, are having to abandon your motor over the holidays in favour of more pocket-friendly public transport. Those relying on trains for a smooth journey face the recurring nightmare of last-minute cancellations disrupting schedules, leaving travellers stranded, their Christmas plans hanging by a thread.
So, too, does the cost of public transport elicit tears, with shockingly high ticket prices now the norm. Ultimately, spending Christmas with your loved ones should not be tarnished by financial worries, which disproportionately affect students and young drivers hit the hardest by the cost of living. Luckily for you, we insure both.
At GoShorty, we’re proud to offer affordable and convenient temporary car insurance, so you can spend a little less on travelling, and a little more on gifting! You can get an idea of how much a temp car insurance policy will cost you using our car insurance calculator.
The Benefits of Temporary Car Insurance
Share the journey to break up any long driving stints in tough conditions and split the cost of fuel to make your journey home not only more enjoyable, but cost-efficient, too. Swapping a difficult journey home on public transport with temporary car insurance will have you feeling festive in no time.
For those who don’t own their own vehicle, temporary insurance provides the flexibility to share a car – meaning that you can secure your Christmas car share, safe in the knowledge that the owner’s no-claims discount won’t be affected in the event of an accident. Pooling resources and sharing fuel costs can transform the Christmas Eve commute.
When is the Best Time to Travel Home?
If you can plan ahead, it always pays off to pick the quieter travel days. Tradition would dictate that the two days leading up to Christmas are the busiest, but it’s not always this cut and dry.
In 2024, Christmas Day falls on a Wednesday, meaning many people will finish work on Christmas Eve. However, for those who’ve saved their annual leave, Friday 20th could mark the start of their festive break. This could result in several days of crowded commuting hubs and busy roads. There’s always the added jeopardy of pre-Christmas football matches causing even more travel chaos, as fans travel around the country watching their teams. So check football fixtures before setting off on your journey too.
With more workers having the ability to work from home, it’s easier to travel earlier in the week when roads should, hopefully, be quieter. Now you just need to ensure your hosts are happy with your plans for an extended stay!
Also, roads are likely to be quieter outside of the usual commuting times, so plan your trip wisely, especially if you’re heading into or out of city centres. With freezing conditions probable, you should check out our winter driving tips before loading up the car, too.
Christmas commuting can be stressful, but it’s important not to risk fines or invalidating your insurance. Take a moment to remind yourself of common causes of fines, and ensure you drive safely and sensibly if you’re hitting the road to get home this December.
In the spirit of hassle-free festivities, our helpful team is on hand to provide the easiest ways of getting home for Christmas. Whether you’re dodging train headaches, sharing a festive car ride, or avoiding the chaos of high fuel costs, our temporary car insurance options have you covered.
Quality Streets at the ready!
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