You've just had a month off and Christmas is on the horizon. The last thing you want to be doing is travelling up and down the country enjoying vast stretches of mundane British motorway for hours on end.
Unfortunately, teams have absolutely no say in their fixture scheduling. It's pot luck. You get what you're given. While some teams, including Tottenham, will barely have to move over the festive period, others have drawn the shortest of straws in regards to travel.
Here are the five Premier League outfits that'll be racking up the most milage during their first three league games back after Christmas. Please note, the distances recorded are only approximations between the two stadiums (not how the crow flies) and we've only noted the distance going one way.
We've also included the milage teams notched on their travels during the Carabao Cup fourth round.
5. Liverpool - 349 miles
The Reds had to make the short trip to the Etihad for their fourth-round cup tie with Manchester City, but their first Premier League fixture since mid-November saw them visit Villa Park on Boxing Day.
That's a 98-mile trip, but the majority of their festive mileage arrives in their 2023 opener as they take on Brentford in west London. That's a 216-mile coach trip on a Monday afternoon.
4. Nottingham Forest - 377 miles
Forest were also in Carabao Cup action last week as they beat second-tier Blackburn Rovers 4-1 at Ewood Park. That trip was a hefty 121 miles.
Steve Cooper's side will also be playing away twice in the Premier League over the festive period. Their first league game back is at Old Trafford (90 miles) before they begin the new year at home to Chelsea.
Forest then return to the road three days later on Wednesday night as they travel down to the South Coast to take on Southampton. They'll accumulate close to 400 miles by the time they're done.
3. Brighton & Hove Albion - 403 miles
Brighton were beaten by Charlton away from home in the cup and Roberto De Zerbi's men were on the road once again on Boxing Day as they travelled west to St. Mary's.
These two trips notched just 132 miles, however. The overwhelming majority of their festive mileage arrives on 3 January when they visit Everton. The distance between Goodison Park and the Amex is a huge 271 miles.
2. Newcastle United - 466 miles
The absence of North Eastern outfits in the Premier League means Newcastle have done and will be doing plenty of travelling this season, but Eddie Howe's side have coped superbly thus far as they sit second in the table.
They usurped Manchester City in the standings for the time being after they thumped Leicester City 3-0 on Boxing Day. The trip down to the King Power was approximately 192 miles.
The Magpies are at home to close out 2022, but they'll be on the road once more to begin the new year. A top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal beckons with Newcastle making the 274-mile drive/flight down south.
1. AFC Bournemouth - 695 miles
The Cherries deserve an incredible amount of sympathy, honestly. Being drawn away at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup fourth round was nothing short of cruel, and they were beaten 1-0 for their troubles as well.
The distance between the Vitality Stadium and St. James' Park is the greatest in the Premier League (347 miles) and, as a result, Bournemouth will comfortably be racking up the most miles over the festive period.
They, too, have two road games in their next three. First, they take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (99 miles) before visiting Old Trafford on 3 January (249 miles).
The Cherries will notch close to 700 miles when it's all said and done. Poor Gary O'Neil, eh?
Source : 90min