New research from Admiral Travel Insurance reveals just how well travelled British children are today as it finds the average child takes their first holiday abroad at the age of eight – that’s nine years earlier than the average adult.
Nearly a fifth (17%) of parents said their child first travelled abroad by the time they were one, while a further 19% said they first went abroad aged 2 or 3.
With cheap flights and package holidays just a click away, more and more people are travelling every year and often further afield and 70% of parents say their child has been to more destinations abroad than they had at their age.
Admiral Travel Insurance has created an interactive tool where users can find out just how travelled they are, and perhaps more importantly whether they’re more travelled than the average child today!
Frequent flyers
The study revealed that since the 1920s each generation has had their first abroad holiday younger than the generation before them.
And while the age of their first holiday abroad has gone down, the frequency of visits has gone up with Millennials making more trips overseas by their 10th birthday than ever before.
Millennials who went abroad before they were 10, would have had an average of six foreign holidays before celebrating the double digit age, triple the number of holidays abroad Baby Boomers would have been on by the same age.
| Generation | Age of first holiday abroad | Number of holidays abroad before 10thbirthday3 | Number of countries visited (average) | Percentage of people who’ve never been abroad |
| Millennial | 13 | 6 | 14 | 6% |
| Gen X | 15 | 4 | 13 | 7% |
| Baby boomer | 21 | 2 | 13 | 8% |
| Silent generation | 24 | 1 | 16 | 5% |
| UK average | 17 | 4 | 14 | 7% |
Home away from home
Topping the list for the most visited country for both UK adults and children is Spain, and with a flight time under three hours it’s easy to understand why it also tops the list for the first foreign holiday for both adults (21%) and children (18%).
Top 10 holiday destinations for UK adults and children
| Destination | Percentage of UK adults who have visited | Destination | Percentage of UK children who have visited |
| Spain | 64% | Spain | 46% |
| France | 63% | France | 40% |
| USA | 44% | USA | 32% |
| Italy | 43% | Italy | 23% |
| Germany | 41% | Greece | 21% |
| Greece | 39% | Germany | 19% |
| Netherlands | 34% | Portugal | 18% |
| Portugal | 33% | Turkey | 14% |
| Republic of Ireland | 30% | Netherlands | 14% |
| Turkey | 25% | Cyprus | 12% |
Travelling Brits
The North East is home to the most travelled adults who’ve visited an average 16 different countries abroad, compared to the national average of 14 countries.
Meanwhile next door neighbours, the North West takes the bottom spot alongside Scotland and the West Midlands, with the average resident of those regions visiting just 12 countries.
The North West is also home to the highest percentage of adults who’ve never taken a trip abroad, with more than one in 10 not venturing outside of Britain.
Most travelled regions
| Region | Number of countries visited (adult average) | Percentage of adults who’ve never been abroad |
| North East | 16 | 5% |
| East/East Anglia | 16 | 7% |
| Northern Ireland | 16 | 9% |
| London | 15 | 3% |
| South East | 15 | 9% |
| UK average | 14 | 7% |
| East Midlands | 13 | 6% |
| Wales | 13 | 9% |
| South West | 13 | 9% |
| West Midlands | 12 | 6% |
| North West | 12 | 13% |
| Scotland | 12 | 10% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 11 | 7% |
While the North East is crowned the most travelled region, Southampton claims the title of most travelled city with the average resident visiting 16 countries around the world, while at the bottom of the list is Manchester, with Mancunians visiting just 11 countries.
One in six Liverpudlians have never travelled to a foreign country, more than double the national average.
| City | Number of countries visited (adults average) | Percentage of adults who’ve never been abroad |
| Southampton | 16 | 4% |
| Norwich | 16 | 10% |
| Oxford | 15 | 12% |
| London | 15 | 5% |
| Coventry | 15 | 7% |
| Aberdeen | 14 | 6% |
| Belfast | 14 | 11% |
| UK average | 14 | 7% |
| Newcastle | 14 | 5% |
| Edinburgh | 14 | 15% |
| Leeds | 14 | 8% |
| Sheffield | 14 | 2% |
| Cardiff | 13 | 9% |
| Birmingham | 13 | 4% |
| Liverpool | 13 | 16% |
| York | 13 | 11% |
| Bristol | 13 | 11% |
| Glasgow | 12 | 8% |
| Nottingham | 12 | 8% |
| Manchester | 11 | 11% |
Commenting on the research, Cosmin Sarbu, Head of Travel Insurance at Admiral, says: “People are holidaying abroad more than ever before; from the occasional city break to far-flung adventures across the globe, seeing the world has never been easier.”
“Despite travelling abroad more regularly than ever before, something that Brits regularly forget or choose not to arrange is travel insurance. In fact, one in five holidaymakers put themselves at risk by travelling abroad last year without travel insurance4.
“Regardless of the type of holiday you have planned and whatever your age it’s important to arrange travel insurance as soon as you book so you’re covered for every stage of your holiday.”
To find out how travelled you are, visit Admiral’s interactive tool.
