Britain may be an island, but that doesn’t mean a self-drive holiday is out of the question - it just means you have to get creative.
From an environmental standpoint, the benefits are obvious. Environmental news website Grist.org calculates that over a 300-mile journey, an average-sized car would produce around 104 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2), compared to 184 kilograms of CO2 for every passenger flying on a commercial jet.
There are more immediate advantages, too. Driving to your destination offers the independence and flexibility often absent from train or bus travel - which can be especially important when travelling with children, or in a large group.
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Whether its a fast ferry, overnight crossing or the Channel Tunnel, there are plenty of car-friendly routes out of the country.
Here are some ideas for self-drive holidays, departing from a port close to you:
South-east
Harwich - Amsterdam: eight hours
Daily sailings on the car ferry from Harwich take around seven hours and land you just over one hour’s drive from the Dutch capital. Leave at breakfast-time and you could be scoffing poffertjes along the canal by lunchtime.
Folkestone - Bruges: two hours
Yes, you read that correctly. Just over half an hour on the EuroTunnel takes you to Calais, one hour’s drive away from the medieval city of Bruges, where you can enjoy traditional Belgian indulgences - beer, chocolate and frites - in a picture postcard setting.
Crossing the Channel via speedy train also makes Folkestone a great departure point for other continental destinations - and if you’ve got more than one driver on board, even Milan (around 11 hours) and Prague (around 13) aren’t beyond your reach.
South-west
Plymouth - La Rochelle: 12 hours (including overnight ferry)
A sea crossing from Plymouth to Roscoff in Brittany takes about six hours by day - but it’s worth adding on an extra two hours to take the overnight ferry and rest up for a drive.
The port village of Roscoff doesn’t look overly different to ones you might find on the British side of the Channel. But a few hours’ drive down the coast (five, to be precise) you’ll find yourself in the far more Gallic surroundings of La Rochelle, famous for its picturesque skyline and balmy climate.
North-west
Liverpool to Galway: 11 hours (including overnight ferry)
P&O makes the eight-hour journey from Bootle to Dublin twice a day, but the evening crossing lands you in the Irish capital at 5.15am. From there, Galway is a mere three-hours’ drive, meaning you can be on Ireland’s iconic West Coast in time for breakfast.
North-east
Hull to Cologne: 14 hours (including overnight ferry)
P&O’s night crossing from Hull to Rotterdam crossing leaves the Humberside at 8.30pm every evening. Curl up in your cabin and wake up 12 hours later in Holland, and you’ll be ready for an adventure. In three hours, you can be anywhere in north-east Germany, including Cologne, a jewel of Gothic architecture on the banks of the Rhine.
Wales
Pembroke to Cork
Departing from Pembroke or Fishguard, daily sailings from south-west Wales whisk you and your car across to Rosslare in as little as four hours. From there, you can be in bustling Cork - Ireland’s second city - or historic Limerick in less than three hours.
Scotland
Cairnryan to Giant’s Causeway - and beyond
Scotland’s last mainland passenger ferry service to continental Europe - from Rosyth to Zeebrugge - ceased operation in 2010. However, several routes connect south-west Scotland to Northern Ireland. The Cairnryan to Larne service takes around two hours, and lands you an hour’s drive from the iconic Giant’s Causeway.
Of course, Northern Ireland is still in the UK, so if you want to venture out of the country, in two and a half hours you can be taking in the rugged splendour of Ireland’s north-west coast in Donegal or walking the streets beloved of W.B. Yeats another hour south in Sligo.
