The excitement has been building for weeks or even months, you’ve packed days in advance, you’re on your way to the airport to set off on a hard earned holiday and suddenly, you remember you’ve left the cat out or the iron on and your getaway gives way to inescapable stress.

It’s a scenario we can all relate to and is why, for over half a million Brits*, their last trip to the airport was ‘one of the most stressful experiences of their lives’, according to a new survey** from Europcar, the UK’s number one car hire company.

One in four Brits (24%) admit to suffering PHT (Pre-Holiday Tension) as their best-laid travel plans start to unravel. Nearly a million*** holidaymakers (2%) have actually missed their flight all together due to one of the causes of PHT, which include delayed or cancelled buses or trains (suffered by 16% of Brits); booked taxis that are late or don’t turn up (14%); anxiety about leaving something behind (12%) and having to turn back mid-journey because they’ve forgotten something (5%).

With plenty of Brits yet to jet off on their summer break, one in nine (11%) expect their next trip to the airport, by train, bus or taxi, to be the worst part of their trip and 2.4m**** holidaymakers (6%) admit they are ‘dreading it’; but the journey to the airport doesn’t always have to be a stressful start to a holiday.

According to Catriona Kempston of Europcar, “A significant number of people suffer a trying journey to the airport which is hardly the best start to a long awaited holiday. Europcar offers an alternative to risking delayed or cancelled trains and taxis with the Airport Connect service, which brings customers’ rental cars to their doorstep with a minimum of hassle, at a time that suits them.

“We want to make the driving experience as easy as possible for our customers and Airport Connect may also be a cheaper alternative to leaving your car at the airport car park or taking a train or taxi.”

Europcar customers can also help ease their holiday stress by opting for Airport Connect Plus, which includes insurance with zero excess.

Catriona Kempston added, “with Airport Connect Plus there is no need to worry about prangs en route to the airport. Being involved in or worrying about an accident on the way to the airport would definitely ruin your holiday.”

The survey also reveals that Londoners are the worst sufferers of Pre-Holiday Tension, with one in three (31%) finding their last airport trip stressful.