Romance, cruise holidays, winter sun beach breaks and walking holidays are all on the wish-list for adventure-seeking Londoners, although city breaks fail to impress - few Londoners seem interested in the idea of escaping the city only to visit another one.

The new research from AllClear Travel Insurance, conducted among 2,000 adults gives an early indication on London travel trends for the year ahead.

Londoners are the people most likely in the UK to be planning an overseas escape of some shape for 2026 and they are the people most likely in the UK to consider a range of holidays:

  • Winter sun beach holidays - 51% for Londoners, compared to a national average of 45%.
  • A romantic break for Valentine's Day - 33%, compared to a national average of 24%.
  • A relaxing cruise holiday - 35%, compared to a national average of 25%.
  • A walking holiday in the country - 25%, compared to a national average of 20%.
  • A music festival holiday - 25%, compared to a national average of 15%.
  • Winter sports holiday - 11%, compared to a national average of 6%.

Whilst many in the UK like the idea of city break holidays (36%), these didn't do it so much for Londoners (24%), many of whom wanted an escape from city life in 2026.

In terms of the top destination choices  for 2026, the UK's love for The Med (33%) wasn't matched by Londoners (20%), who were looking much further afield - with top destinations including Japan, East Asia and the Pacific (31%), Australia and New Zealand (31%) and also the Caribbean (30%).

Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at AllClear Travel Insurance comments: "Our new data gives an early indication of consumer travel plans for 2026 and despite the economic challenges of 2025 - or maybe because of them - people are already thinking about the breaks from everyday life they will be looking for this year. It's quite possible that the cold, wet weather and dark evenings at home are also at play in making people think of winter sun, ski or cruise holidays to start the year."

"The broad-based desire of Londoners to travel abroad this year is good news for the travel industry. That said, our research underscores the importance of safety abroad and people thinking early about getting comprehensive travel cover when shopping around for holidays over the New Year period. Not only are a lot of Londoners considering long-haul travel in 2026, but many people with pre-existing medical conditions (78%) say they are looking to travel abroad at some point in 2026. In general, medical conditions should not be a barrier to travel but our data does stress the importance of getting the right cover before you go."

Discover more about AllClear's travel insurance at: www.allcleartravel.co.uk