DRIVING to Europe for your holidays could be cheaper than flying, according to new research.

Examining most of Europe's most popular destinations, website Leasing.com says a car with two people is cheaper by an average of £130.50 in total, whilst travelling with a family of four could save up to £413.50.

The average cost for flying per ticket and per person was £142.

A flight from Heathrow to Nice, for example, would cost in the region of£165per plane ticket and take two hours.

However, considering travelling time and the need to be at an airport two hours prior to your departure time, you may have already been ‘travelling' five hours before you've even stepped foot on a plane.

And this is before you're affected by any of the delays, cancellations, and baggage losses UK airports are currently battling.

To drive to Nice from London, on the other hand, would need around £145 in fuel based on a fuel price of £1.88 per litre for petrol and would take just over 15 hours.

For a family of four, it would come in at just £36 per head offering a much cheaper alternative as well as ensuring you don't have to go through any airport stress.

Similarly, if you chose Paris as your summer get away, you could drive there for just under £50.

While the journey times in both cases would be greater, the risk of a cancelled trip is reduced significantly.

If you were looking for a closer trip, then Amsterdam is just a seven-hour drive away from London costing only £55, where a flight could set you back up to £100.

When broken down even further, it costs just 16p per mile to drive to Amsterdam, as well radically reducing your carbon footprint. Similarly driving to Rome would also cost just under 17p per mile.

Some of the best miles per gallon vehicles on the market include the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid at 62.7MPG, with the Toyota Corolla coming in close behind.

For petrol vehicles the Citroen C1 comes in at 57.3mpg- which is still above the national average for petrol cars at 52.6mpg.

Dave Timmis founder and CEO of Leasing.com says the recent airport delays have had catastrophic impact on British holiday makers.

He said: "Flying may seem quicker and cheaper, but it's clear that driving to your destination can provide a more affordable solution, and may even be faster when delays and cancellations are taken into consideration."