As long-haul travel has become easier and cheaper in recent decades the dream holiday has become not so much a 'once in a lifetime' trip as a common ambition.

The land 'down-under' in Australia and New Zealand is now seen as the ultimate dream holiday destination for Britons according to the findings of a recent survey.

Over half of us (53%) would choose an antipodean location as our dream holiday destination, according to the research by Halifax Unsecured Personal Loans. An around-the-world trip (50%) was the second favourite for a once-in-a-lifetime trip whilst the USA and Canada (48%) were also a popular choice.

One in five of us are also now likely to take a dream trip during normal holiday time, for no special occasion. However, a quarter still said that when they retired would be the most likely time they would take a dream holiday, whilst 12% would be most likely to splash out on a 'once in a lifetime' trip when the children leave home.

However…

Surprisingly, one in five (20%) said that their dream holiday destination was right here in good old Blightly. The UK was the most popular with the older generation – 29% of the over 65s said their 'once in a lifetime' holiday destination would be close to home.

At the other end of the spectrum, the 18 to 24-year-olds are most likely to be dreaming of a round-the-world trip (67%). However, Australia and New Zealand was the most favoured location for all age groups except the over 65s.

Who do we dream of going with?

The most popular choice of companion for a dream holiday is a partner or spouse, but women are more likely to want to include the kids or opt to go with friends. Over half, of men would take just their partner with them compared to 38% of women - but 30% of women would opt to take the kids as well compared to only 21% of men. Over ten per cent of women said they'd take their friends with them as their first choice.

Travelling alone was also surprisingly popular - 8% of people would most like to go on their dream holiday alone – whilst a sociable 7% would love to take their entire extended family including parents and in-laws.

Adventure tourism is predicted by the industry to be a growth area in coming years and 25% of respondents to the survey said their dream holiday would involve an element of adventure such as climbing or trekking. Around one in three (31%) said their dream holiday would incorporate the great outdoors and activities such as walking, cycling or camping.

Adventure holidays were more popular with men than women – 31% of men said this type of holiday would be their ideal but only 20% of women.

Culture

However the most popular type of holiday overall for a 'once in a lifetime' trip was one that includes culture and sightseeing. This is the type of trip that all the age groups over 45 would choose for their dream trip. Beach-based holidays were the most popular for the under 45s.

Whereas the amount we are usually willing to fork out for our annual holiday is under £500 per person, when it comes to dream holidays the majority of us (54%) would consider spending somewhere between £1000 and £5000 per person.

Although most people pay for their annual holidays from their current account, when it comes to financing a special trip more options are considered:

• Saving up to finance the trip is the most popular way to pay - 46% would pay with money from their savings account.
• 15% would use a credit card as the main way to finance a dream holiday.
• Taking out a personal loan is another option considered – 7% would view this as the primary method to allow them to fund the trip of a lifetime.
• We'd also be prepared to put other spending on hold in order to pay for a holiday of a lifetime – 33% of us would put off buying a new car, kitchen, bathroom or conservatory in order to pay for a dream trip.

Ian Larkin, head of Halifax Unsecured Personal Loans, commented: "Cheaper airfares, competitive package prices and booking via the internet have all contributed to the opening up of long-haul travel and many people now consider taking a 'dream holiday' in an average year rather than waiting for a special occasion."