Ferry travel is the least stressful method of travelling

Stena Line 5 March 2009

Almost Three quarters of holidaymakers find travel stressful - Ferry travel is the least stressful method of travelling

With The Samaritans designating Friday 6 February 2009 national "Stress Down Day", recent research by Stena Line (www.stenaline.co.uk), Europe's leading ferry operator, has revealed that almost three-quarters of holidaymakers find travelling to their holiday destination stressful and anxiety provoking.

The report into British travel habits has confirmed that the journey to a holiday destination actually causes anxiety in over 70 per cent of Britons.

The report by You Gov and Stena Line surveyed more than 2,000 people and found that more than a third (34 per cent) of those who go on holiday found flying the stressful form of transport and almost a fifth (18 per cent) felt coach travel was most stressful. By comparison, train travel troubled only 6 per cent of the respondents and ferry travel scored as the most relaxing with just 3 per cent of travellers encountering tension when travelling by sea.

The report found that just 23 per cent of British travellers don't get stressed on their journey and men are calmer with a quarter saying they are untroubled by the experience compared to 22 per cent of women.

Older holidaymakers are most likely to take any problems in their stride; nearly a third say they're not stressed by travelling. And the coolest travellers by region come from East Midlands (34 per cent are unstressed), Yorkshire and Humberside (28 per cent), Scotland, Midlands and Wales (all 26 per cent).

As top ways to calm them down travellers turn to music (37 per cent), reading a good book (35 per cent), getting some fresh air (26 per cent) or having a drink (14 per cent).

Lars Olsson, Stena Line's general manager of travel for the UK, said, "Our survey of British travel habits has thrown up some fascinating insights and it's good to see a great organisation like The Samaritans highlighting the dangers and downfalls of stress - so we can start to tackle this 21st century illness. In this age of speed and competition, as well as time famine and credit crunch, it is hardly surprising that certain modes of travel are stressing individuals out - undoubtedly devaluing the holiday experience - so we are encouraged to learn how well ferry travel has been received.

"Stena Line always strives to provide an optimum service providing comfortable and efficient crossings with excellent onboard services and facilities. It certainly seems clear that alternative forms of transport are going to be a key priority for everyone in 2009 - and for a variety of reasons rather than just cost alone," Olsson continued.

Other key findings of the 2009 Stena Line British Travel Habits report include

· Just under a third (28 per cent) say the credit crunch will have no impact on their travel plans. The most resilient travellers are under 24 years old and over 55 year olds - in both age groups a third said the down-turn would have no impact on their travel plans. By comparison the most affected are likely to be aged 45 to 54 - only a quarter of whom said the credit crunch hadn't affected their holiday plans.

· Travellers from the North West and Scotland are least likely to cut back on travel plans because of the credit crunch. But travellers in Yorkshire and the Humber, North East and Northern Ireland were more likely to cut back than the national average.

· Recommendations by friends or family is still the most trusted source of advice when travellers are considering their holiday plans. A third rank friends and family as their most trusted resource, a fifth head to websites, one in ten turn to travel agents and five per cent rely on guidebooks.

· Top reasons for considering travel by sea included the fact that holidaymakers can pack as much as they like (27 per cent), it's a less stressful form of transport (25 per cent) and its better for the environment than flying (24 per cent).

To make a booking visit stenaline.co.uk, call Stena Line on 08705 70 70 70, or visit your local travel agent

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