Loading up the car with picnic food and heading out with the family to stop, eat and enjoy the views is a summer tradition for many of us. But where are the best places to stop - and how should you prep for your "car picnic"?
To find the top places to drive to for an enjoyable picnic, researchers at car company Vanarama analysed Tripadvisor reviews for locations with the most mentions of ‘picnic’ per 100,000 of the population. To focus on locations you can actually enjoy from your car, they excluded indoor or inaccessible areas such as museums, restaurants, theme parks, tours, art galleries and theatres.
When it comes to the exact spots to choose in and around the UK's top locations, Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster is a firm favourite with reviewers. Other highly-favoured places include Hyde Park and St James's Park in London, in the shadow of Buckingham Palace.
Elsewhere, reviewers also rate Monkey World in Dorset, Whipsnade Zoo and Leeds Castle in Kent. Trentham Monkey Forest in Staffordshire, Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire, Hever Castle & Gardens in Kent and Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh make up the rest of the top ten.
Top 20 locations for car picnics in the UK, according to Tripadvisor
- Doncaster
- Canterbury
- York
- Wakefield
- Perth
- Milton Keynes
- Edinburgh
- Stoke-on-Trent
- St Albans
- Lancaster
- Chelmsford
- Cardiff
- Oxford
- Leeds
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Colchester
- Dundee
- Coventry
- Portsmouth
- Peterborough
Expert's tips on what to pack for a car picnic
And when it comes to catering for a car picnic, there’s more to consider than the quantity of food you take along – the type of supplies is even more important, according to Louise Roberts, food hygiene expert at Alimenti. She said it's important to consider how long it will take to get to your chosen destination.
She said: "Firstly, it depends how long it will be until the food’s eaten. If less than four hours, there is little risk, but any longer and there’s a risk of potentially harmful bacteria growing. If the ambient temperature is warmer, which is more likely as we move towards the summer, this can also quicken the process of food spoiling."
She said high-risk foods are those which are usually refrigerated and contain protein – such as dairy, fish and meat, as well as vegan alternatives. Snacks like peanuts and crisps, on the other hand, are low risk.
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
Her advice is to use a cool bag and ice packs for transporting high-risk items, and also pack foods that would usually not need refrigeration or those with a longer shelf life when chilled. Hard cheese, like cheddar and Red Leicester, and sausage rolls are good options. Avoid uncanned tuna and other similar fish such as mackerel, as well as undercooked or rare meats.
And don't forget bin bags, blankets and throws along with sunscreen and insect repellent. Taking reusable utensils and dishes reduce waste and save money in the long run - or just take what you already have at home.
