Escaping the wind and rain of Britain comes at a high price, it has been revealed.

Analysis by price comparison site Moneysupermarket has found that Brits spend an average of £1,400 on travel, accommodation, food and alcohol when they venture to warmer climes during the British winter. However, expenditure doesn't stop there, as it was also discovered that around £700 is spent by the average Brit on "holiday extras".

The chief outlay proved to be holiday preparation, accounting for £150 of this £700 total, followed costs accrued as a result of activities undertaken abroad such as entry to museums and sporting adventures, which average out at around £110. A further £100 is spent on buying souvenirs and presents, while £67 is spent on travel insurance.

Given this high cost, it comes as no surprise that the Motley Fool reports a number of Brits are turning to personal loans as a way of financing their dream vacations. However, a report by uSwitch has suggested that consumers should be wary of this practice as the cost of taking out a personal loan is increasing in the run up to Christmas.

In particular, they have been advised to check the small print - although Mike Naylor, the company's personal finance expert, has stressed that uSwitch is not warning consumers against taking out offline and online personal loans, but instead pushing to ensure that due care and attention is taken before a product is selected. Indeed, he emphasised that there are a number of attractive deals still available.

"The availability of the sub six per cent loan is now just a distant memory - however, the market is vast and there are still competitive rates for those who take the time to compare the offers available," Mr Naylor confirmed.

Figures released by the Bank of England recently show that lending through overdrafts and loans increased by £1.04 billion in September - the biggest monthly jump since May - suggesting that borrowers remain unperturbed by increasing interest rates and predictions of an economic downturn.

Traditionally, consumers move to borrow money in the winter months in order to finance Christmas spending and breaks in the sun - and recent research by Halifax suggests that three times as many people apply for an unsecured personal loan on a Monday than they do on either a Saturday or a Sunday.

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