The average British traveler has to walk the equivalent of almost fourteen Marathons to get in and out of airports during their lifetime.
That’s according to a new research by car rental firm Goldcar, which found that the average adult travels 355 miles as they catch flights to destinations across the world – the equivalent of walking from the center of London to the Scottish border.
The research found that travelers walk an average of 1.1km every time they either board or disembark from a flight. The average holidaymaker takes just under two return journeys a year.
Over the average adult lifespan, Goldcar estimates that holidaymakers travel 571.5km or 355 miles with the most frequent travelers among those surveyed walking 88km or 54 miles in one year alone – a figure that if replicated throughout their adult lives would mean they had trudged more than 3400 miles.
Interestingly, the figures show that Brits walk further than their counterparts in Spain, where Goldcar has more than 40 outlets. The average Spanish holidaymaker walks 429km or 267 miles in their lifetime.
We are approaching the time of year when Brits are jetting off more and more, so it is highly likely travellers will find themselves walking a reasonable distance over the next few months.
The longest journeys in UK airports include the walk from Gatwick’s entrance to its North Terminal, which is estimated to be 1.8km or 1.12 miles. Others include a 1.22km or 0.76 miles walk to the end of Heathrow Terminal 5.
Across the world, the furthest journeys include a 3.2 km or 2 mile walk in Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3 and a 2.1 km or 1.3 mile walk at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
