Seeing the Northern Lights, visiting the Eiffel Tower and taking a trip to Loch Ness. These are just some of the top things people around the UK have on their bucket lists. A poll of 2,000 Britons has just revealed the places people would love to go at least once in their lifetime.
While Scotland makes it into the top 50 twice, with both the home of Nessie and Edinburgh's Arthur Seat making the hotlist, it seems Italy is everyone's preferred destination with three of the top five bucket list destinations on the list being found there, including Pompeii, Lake Como and the Colosseum.
Destinations such as Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, Germany’s Black Forest and the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland were also high on the list, reports Herts Live. Three in 10 adults (29 per cent) currently have a bucket list of sites and places they want to visit, which they predict will typically take 11 years to complete.
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Commissioned by ALL – Accor Live Limitless - Accor’s lifestyle loyalty program, the research showed that people around the UK would love to see the Northern Lights the most (meaning Scotland technically make it to the top as we are one of the best places around to see them).
Castles are the number one landmark people are most interested in seeing when they travel (another Scottish speciality), followed by wild nature, and bodies of water – again Scotland has it all.
Travellers want to do more than just see a place, they want to be part of the destination and dream of experiences including travelling on the Orient Express, sledging with huskies in Lapland and sailing around Greek islands.
Accor’s spokesperson, Luc Gesvret, stated that Brits predict their bucket list – which on average contains 22 things – would set them back £13,368, he said: “It’s great to see how much of a Brits’ bucket list is inspired by Europe and the desire to discover incredible destinations and experiences just a few hours away.
"Now travel is back people want to travel more than ever and have been dreaming of bucket list experiences which they can now, finally, make happen.
“People agree that having a travel wish list inspires them and gives them something to look forward to and one in five polled Brits already have bucket list trips planned and booked in the next year.
"Whether your travel is food focused, you’re motivated by adventures, or you prefer to see historical sites, there is something for everyone to explore and enjoy in Europe. ”.
Similarly, 22 per cent would like to go on holiday where they learn something or feel they’ve ‘bettered’ themselves. A fifth (21 per cent) believe having a bucket list or travel wish list is good for their mental health as it makes them feel inspired and gives them something to look forward to.
Luc Gesvret, from Accor, which is offering a giveaway where members can win a million points – worth €20,000, added: "Seeing as the average bucket list will cost over £13,000, that’s a lot of bucket list travel to enjoy in Europe.”
Brit's European Bucket List:
- Northern Lights - Iceland/Norway/Scotland
- Pompeii - Italy
- Lake Como - Italy
- Colosseum - Italy
- Giant's Causeway - Northern Ireland
- Acropolis of Athens - Greece
- Eiffel Tower - France
- The Blue Lagoon - Iceland
- Leaning Tower of Pisa - Italy
- Auschwitz - Poland
- Vatican City - Italy
- Loch Ness - Scotland
- Lake Geneva - Switzerland
- Trevi Fountain - Italy
- The Black Forest - Germany
- Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle) - Romania
- Grand Canal - Italy
- Stonehenge - England
- The Azores - Portugal
- Geysir - Iceland The Matterhorn - Switzerland
- The Roman Baths - Bath, England
- Anne Frank Museum - Amsterdam
- Arthur's seat Edinburgh - Scotland
- The Duomo, Florance - Italy
- Tivoli Gardens - Denmark
- Brandenburg Gate - Germany
- Mermaid Statue - Copenhagen
- Durdle Door - England
- Buckingham Palace, England
- Normany Beaches - France
- Neuschwanstein Castle - Germany
- Caucasus Mountains - Georgia
- Shakespeare's Stratford - England
- Landwasser Viaduct Bridge - Switzerland
- Arc de Triomphe - France
- Sagrada Familia - Spain
- Checkpoint Charlie - Berlin
- Lake Constance - Austria
- The Hague - Netherlands
- Montmartre - Paris
- Lokrum Island - Croatia
- The Vienna Hofburg - Austria
- Ancient city of Caceres - Spain
- Cliffs of Moher - Ireland
- Duomo di Milano Milan - Italy
- Park Guell - Barcelona
- Vipava Valley - Slovenia
- Maritime Greenwich - England
- Szechenyi Bath - Budapest
- Comporta - Portugal
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