Majorca 'top winter holiday destination'

The Spanish island of Majorca was the top choice for UK travellers heading abroad for some sun during the 2010-11 winter season, car rental statistics suggest.

Carhiremarket.com revealed that Palma de Majorca was the most popular destination for vehicle rental in December 2010 and January 2011, followed by Malaga and Alicante.

A quarter (25 per cent) of all Britons heading abroad for a fly-drive holiday during the winter months chose to visit Spain, according to the comparison site.

Winter holidays in America also proved a popular option, with Orlando listed among the top ten destinations for car hire.

Paphos in Cyprus and Porto in Portugal also featured in the list, along with the Caribbean island of Martinique, which made it into the top ten for the first time.

Anel Brun, product manager for carhiremarket.com, said: "As the Met Office warned late last year that December was almost certainly the coldest since records began, many Brits took to the skies and flew off to sunnier climes."

Britons will be arranging summer holidays in Spain this year and heading to sun-soaked hotspots such as Lanzarote, Valencia and the Costa del Sol.