If you’ve filled up a car lately, you already know the sting. Diesel hit 192p a litre back in April, and while petrol didn’t spike as sharply, it still climbed above 158p in May and has been rising again through the summer. For families trying to plan a summer break or even a weekend away, that price at the pump is doing more than eating into the budget. It’s changing where people actually go.
A recent Halfords poll of 2,000 UK adults found that 62% say fuel costs have been a deciding factor in keeping their 2026 staycation closer to home, and the average trip distance has dropped to just 85 miles. One in four families has ditched a trip abroad altogether in favour of a UK break. So what does this actually look like for those of us in Yorkshire, and what can families do to keep costs down without giving up the fun?
Shorter Trips, Closer to Home
A few years ago, a family road trip to Cornwall or the Lake District might have been a given. Now, plenty of Yorkshire families are looking at what’s on their doorstep and finding it’s more than enough. Places like Whitby, Scarborough, Harrogate and the Yorkshire Dales have always been popular, but visitor numbers at local attractions are noticeably up this year.
It makes sense. Why spend £80 or more on fuel for a long round trip when you can be at the coast or out in the countryside within an hour? Families are swapping the week-long road trip for a string of shorter day trips, and they’re often getting more out of it. You can hit a different spot each weekend through the summer without blowing the budget on a single tank of diesel.
What the Fuel Spike Means for Petrol and Diesel Drivers
The April diesel spike to 192p was a headline number, but the reality is that fuel hasn’t been cheap for a while. Even when prices dip slightly, they tend to settle at a higher baseline than they did a couple of years ago. For anyone running a petrol or diesel car, especially something bigger like an SUV or a people carrier, that adds up fast.
A typical family car doing 35 miles per gallon will burn through about £55 of diesel on a 200-mile round trip at current prices. Double that for a week’s holiday with a few detours and day trips and you’re looking at over £100 just on fuel. That’s money that could go towards admission tickets, meals out or an extra night somewhere nice.
How to Cut Family Transport Costs Long-Term
Driving shorter distances is one fix, but it doesn’t solve the underlying problem. Fuel prices will keep moving, and the family car still needs filling up for school runs, commutes and the weekly shop. Some families are thinking longer-term about how to reduce what they spend on transport overall.
One option that’s picked up traction is switching to an electric vehicle. The running costs are dramatically lower, often around 2p to 5p per mile on a home charger compared with 15p to 20p per mile for petrol or diesel. The upfront cost has been the main barrier, but popular schemes like the EV salary sacrifice from EZOO let employees lease a new EV through their employer using pre-tax salary, which can bring the monthly cost below what many families currently spend on fuel.
It won’t help with this weekend’s trip to the coast, but over a year or two, the savings on fuel and tax can free up a surprising amount of cash.
Make the Most of What’s Close
Yorkshire has more going for it than most counties when it comes to family days out. You’ve got coastline, national parks, market towns and a solid mix of free and paid attractions. The trick this summer is to plan around what’s nearby and resist the urge to drive further than you need to.
Pack a picnic instead of eating out. Check whether attractions offer off-peak or online-only discounts. And if you’re heading somewhere popular like York or Whitby on a bank holiday, leave early to dodge traffic and keep fuel waste down. A bit of planning will stretch your holiday budget further than you might expect.
What Yorkshire Families Can Do with the Budget They’ve Got
Fuel prices have forced a rethink for a lot of families this year, but the upside is that Yorkshire doesn’t ask you to drive far to have a good time. The Dales, the coast and dozens of market towns are all within easy reach, and most of the best days out cost far less than a long-distance road trip ever did.
The families getting the most out of this summer are the ones treating it as a series of shorter trips rather than one big event. A morning at Fountains Abbey, an afternoon on the beach at Filey, a wander round Skipton market on a Saturday. None of those need more than half a tank, and strung together across the school holidays they add up to a proper summer without the proper bill.
