Watch England from your sunbed
Tuesday, 06 Jun 2006 10:04
Many Brits are planning to watch the World Cup while on holiday
Most Brits heading off on their summer holiday during the World Cup are planning to follow the football feast from their sunbed.
Four in five Brits will watch the World Cup while on holiday, research by Halifax Travel Insurance shows.
And 42 per cent of those heading abroad have deliberately chosen a country, resort, accommodation and flight times to enable them to follow all the action.
Aside from Germany, the Balearic Islands are proving to be a popular destination for footy mad Brits, with 97 per cent of those heading there planning to follow the World Cup.
Next up are the Canary Islands, where 94 per cent of Brits are intent on watching the football, followed by Spain, 91 per cent, Turkey, 89 per cent, and Greece, 85 per cent.
British bars in these countries should be prepared for a roaring trade, with 40 per cent hoping to cheer on England alongside their fellow countrymen.
"It’s very interesting to see how the World cup is shaping how Britons holiday this year," said Halifax Travel Insurance's Vicky Emmott.
"Many die-hard fans are carefully researching the resort, accommodation and even flight times to make sure that they can watch the big games.
"Holding the tournament in Europe is definitely playing a key factor in this. The time zones are much more agreeable than they were four years ago in Japan and South Korea – making it much more affordable and practical to combine watching the football with a summer holiday."
If, on the other hand, the idea of watching football among well-oiled fellow countrymen is your idea of holiday hell, then Italy and the USA should be your destinations – only 26 per cent and 19 per cent of British travellers to these countries are bothered about the World Cup.
World Cup time-zone planner
Avoid getting caught out by the time difference by using the planner below to work out when you should be heading to the local bar for the game.
| Country | Time difference to Germany |
| Balearic Islands | 0 hours |
| Canary Islands | -1 hours |
| Mainland Spain | 0 hours |
| Turkey | +2 hours |
| Greece | +2 hours |
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