Christmas Doesn’t Begin Until You’re Driving Home, Research Finds

• Christmas really begins in the car - as over half (56%) of Brits say their festive excitement peaks on the journey home.
• 59% say journeys offer best opportunity for quality family time - with 75% complaining that once they arrive the family often disperse around the home watching TV, playing games and going online.
• The great festive getaway this year will start in earnest on 23 December with 19% of Brits who are driving home to visit relatives planning to make their journey on this day
• In-car entertainment gives us comfort and joy - leading audio entertainment provider Audible has selected a series of stories, including a free, exclusive version of Mrs Zant and the Ghost read by Gillian Anderson. The selection is available to download now at http://www.audible.co.uk/driving
• Audible's "Christmas Car Selection" of recommended audiobooks also includes JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and David Walliams' Grandpa's Great Escape

COPY

Forget carols and cards and clementines - it's the car journey home which most get us in the mood for Christmas, according to a new study released today which suggests that our seasonal joy peaks in the car on the journey home.

59% of Brits say the festive season really begins when they get into the car to travel home for Christmas, as this journey affords them the best opportunity for quality family time during the festive period.

Interestingly, over half of Brits (56%) reckon the excitement and anticipation for the festive season really get going when they head off on their journey to share their holidays with loved ones, knowing that it's time to relax and get on with the fun part once the chaos, shopping and stress of December are over.

The study, commissioned by leading audio entertainment provider Audible, proves the old adage about it being better to travel than to arrive holds some truth, with close proximity to extended family, over-eating and Christmas telly fatigue having the potential to blight the big day itself. Over 50% of Audible customers listened to an audiobook in the car over the past year, making it the perfect environment to escape with a story.

The great Christmas getaway will begin in earnest on 23 December this year with 19% of respondents who are driving home for Christmas making their festive journey on this date. Far from a feeling of "bah humbug", many see the drive as much a part of Christmas as tinsel. 44% of drivers will be spotting other people's Christmas lights and decorations, whilst 36% of drivers say they will be singing carols.

With 1 in 10 drivers (10%) revealing that they will be listening to an audiobook on their festive journey home this year, Audible have released their selection of the top family audiobooks to complement the all important Christmas getaway.

To make the journey even more of a thrill - and to add a traditional chill - Audible has teamed up with award-winning actress Gillian Anderson to narrate a free short audio story, perfect for whiling away those automotive hours.

Audible.co.uk's Christmas Car Selection

1. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling - narrated by Stephen Fry
2. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling - narrated by Bill Bailey, Richard E. Grant, Celia Imrie and more
3. Northern Lights series by Philip Pullman - narrated by Phillip Pullman and cast
4. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
5. Grandpa's Great Escape by David Walliams - narrated by David Walliams and Michael Gambon
6. Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien - narrated by Derek Jacobi
7. Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
8. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle: Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
9. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Rudolph Shines Again by Robert L. May
10. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A Hoffman - narrated by Tony Robinson
11. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen - narrated by Rosamund Pike
12. A Christmas Present by Jodi Taylor
13. Mrs. Zant and the Ghost by Wilkie Collins - narrated by Gillian Anderson

Anderson, who narrates a free, exclusive download of Mrs Zant and the Ghost by Wilkie Collins, says, "I'm a huge fan of Audiobooks - I find them entertaining and immersive so having a great story to share as a family on a long drive is genius. Sometimes when listening to music, you're very aware of time passing, with each song lasting three minutes - whereas if you're caught up in the narrative of a story, you don't notice how long you've been listening, or driving, for that matter.

It was a Victorian tradition to share ghost stories on Christmas Eve and so I have chosen to read the chilling Mrs Zant and the Ghost by Wilkie Collins. Once I got my head around the Victorian phrasing it became such a joy to read. The story really transports you to a fireside over a century ago."

Laurence Howell, Director of Audible UK says, " Christmas is a bumper time for families to be together in the car. We know people love to listen to audiobooks in the car, so made sure people across the country had something great to listen to during those long Christmas drives. Working with Gillian was an absolute pleasure. Her voice has the perfect haunting tone and we couldn't have hoped for a better narrator for Mrs Zant and the Ghost."

Mrs Zant and the Ghost is available to download for free from 23 December 2015 at http://www.audible.co.uk/driving with the twelve other stories available now.

- ENDS -