It’s almost Christmas which means many people will be gearing up to travel for the festivities. Whether it be a drive home to see family, a flight to visit loved ones living abroad, or, if you’re Buddy the Elf, an adventure through the ‘seven levels of the candy cane forest’ and the ‘sea of swirly-twirly gum drops’ and a walk through the Lincoln Tunnel…
In the spirit of Christmas, Hippo Leasing has delved into the travels of some of the most popular Christmas film characters to reveal which have traveled the longest distance at Christmas and what is the most visited destination.
In a bid to help drivers embarking on their own Christmas journey in the coming week, Hippo Leasing is urging drivers to ensure they leave enough time for their journey or they could face £5,600 in fines.
| Christmas Film | Character(s) | Start Destination | End Destination | Miles | |
| 1 | The Holiday | Iris Simpkins | LA | Surrey | 5,438 |
| – | The Holiday | Amanda Woods | Surrey | LA | 5,438 |
| 2 | Home Alone | Kate McCallister | Paris | Chicago | 4,135 |
| 3 | Love Actually | Colin Frissell | London | Wisconsin | 3,915 |
| 4 | Christmas with the Kranks | Blair Krank | Peru | Chicago | 3,668 |
| 5 | Elf | Buddy the Elf | North Pole | New York | 3,405 |
| – | The Santa Clause | Charlie Calvin | New York | North Pole | 3,405 |
| 6 | Fred Claus | Fred Claus | Chicago | North Pole | 3,326 |
| 7 | The Snowman | James | Brighton | North Pole | 2,707 |
| 8 | Die Hard | John McClane | New York | LA | 2,445 |
| 9 | I’ll be Home for Christmas | Jake Wilkinson | California | New York | 2,434 |
| 10 | Home Alone 2 | McCallister family | Miami | New York | 1,091 |
The characters from The Holiday have embarked on the most extensive journey – covering an impressive distance of 5,438 miles!
Out of the Christmas film character journeys analysed, the Holiday characters Iris Simpkins and Amanda Woods had travelled the furthest distance. Clocking in at 5,438 miles, their adventure unfolds as they exchange homes for the festive season, seeking a break from their respective relationship issues.
In second place is Kate McCallister’s trip in Home Alone from Paris to Chicago after realising her son Kevin had been left behind on a family vacation to Paris. This trip in total is 4,135 miles, although 1,303 miles shorter than the transatlantic journeys in The Holiday, it remains a considerable distance to travel.
Securing the third spot is Colin Frissell from Love Actually, who embarks on a journey from London to Wisconsin, covering a total of 3,915 miles. Additionally, Hippo Leasing examined another iconic character’s journey from the same film – Jamie’s trip to France for Aurélia. However, this journey, totaling 392 miles, did not make it to the top 10, falling significantly short by 3,523 miles compared to Colin’s American adventure.
New York is the most travelled to and from destination in Christmas films
Hippo Leasing’s research uncovered that New York is the most popular destination in Christmas films. The US city featured in five of the top 10 journeys which includes the films Elf, The Santa Clause, Die Hard, I’ll be Home for Christmas, and Home Alone 2.
Surprisingly, the North Pole, the grounds of Santa’s Workshop, secures the second spot as the most visited destination in Christmas films and not the first. It narrowly misses the top position, appearing in four of the top journeys – just one less than New York. Notable films such as Elf, The Santa Clause, Fred Claus, and The Snowman showcase North Pole.
The Grinch travels the fewest miles – from Mt. Crumpit to Whoville
In contrast, The Grinch, the main star of the highest-grossing Christmas film and a globally recognised Christmas character, undertakes the shortest journey among the eighteen Christmas films analysed. Whilst Whoville is a fictional town inside of a snowflake we do know that The Grinch’s home on Mt. Crumpit is just 3,000 feet from Whoville, equaling to 0.5 miles.
Drivers warned to set off early for their Christmas journey or face £5,600 in fines
Like the Christmas film characters mentioned in Hippo Leasing’s research, many people will be preparing to set off on their own Christmas journeys.
Those travelling by car have been warned to leave ample amount of time for their journey or risk £5,600 in driving fines.
Tom Preston, CEO and Founder at Hippo Leasing explains “Beating the Christmas rush will be at the top of the agenda for those driving to visit friends and family in the coming days and weeks. However, at what cost are drivers willing to do this?
“Drivers who resort to breaking the highway code to get to their destination quicker could be fined up to £5,600 for committing offences such as speeding and driving through red lights.
“We urge drivers to ensure they have more than enough time to make their journey as the roads are extremely congested in the lead-up to Christmas. In the days leading up to Christmas travelling before 9 or after 7 will ensure a shorter journey time as it lessens the risk of being stuck in rush hour traffic.”
- Drivers speeding on the motorway to get to their Christmas dinner quicker could face a £2,500 fine
We’re all aware Christmas dinner only happens once a year and no one wants to miss out on that. However, if you’re running late on Christmas day, driving above the speed limit on a motorway could result in a £2,500 fine, not to mention three to six points on your licence too! Just because it’s Christmas Day does not mean speed cameras won’t be in action.
- Drivers warned to be careful when packing their Christmas presents and belongings in their car or risk a £1,000 fine
Those who are planning on staying at family or friends’ houses this Christmas for several nights are being warned to leave enough space in their vehicle so that they have a full view of the road. If your view of the road is obstructed by presents and belongings, you risk a £1,000 fine and three points on your licence for failure to have full view of the road.
- Don’t skip deicing and demisting your cars’ windows or you could be fined £1,000
Despite time constraints, skipping this essential step in the winter driving routine could prove costly. In winter, it is common for car windscreens to require deicing and demisting for a clear view of the road. Failing to do this may cost you a £1,000 fine for failure to have full view of the road.
- Driving through a red light could land you with a £1,000 fine
Drivers in a rush are more likely to put their foot down to make it through the traffic lights before they turn red. However, it is not worth the risk as the punishment could be a £1,000 fine and three points for traffic light offences – an unwelcome Christmas surprise.
- Undertaking other drivers is met with a £100 fine
Rule 268 of The Highway Code “Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake.” undertaking is not illegal but can pose significant dangers. Drivers engaging in such maneuvers risk a £100 fine for careless driving or driving without due care and attention.
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Methodology: Hippo Leasing analyzed the journeys taken by eighteen popular Christmas film characters to reveal who have travelled the most miles. To calculate the distance of the trips Hippo Leasing used an online Distance calculator.
