Holidaymakers replacing sugary drinks
Plain water suits someone who wants an unflavoured drink for journeys and meals. If taste matters, a sugar-free flavoured option calls for a closer look at its nutrition panel and ingredients.
Who is choosing bottled water for a holiday?
Families stocking self-catering accommodation
Larger bottles and multipacks can supply shared accommodation, provided there is room to store them and the opened bottles can be finished within their label instructions.
Travellers who prefer flavour or fizz
Flavoured and sparkling bottles offer alternatives to plain still water. A zero-sugar claim does not tell you whether a flavoured drink contains sweeteners or acids, and NHS guidance links carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of their acid content.
What should you check before buying?
Choose the type of water you would drink, then check the exact bottle’s label and whether its format fits the trip.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar and energy | Read the sugars and energy figures per 100ml on the exact product. Joybuy’s Buxton still-water 6 × 1.5L listing, for example, states 0g sugars and 0 kcal per 100ml; do not apply those figures to another bottle. | I want a drink for warm days without choosing a sugary soft drink. |
| Flavouring and ingredients | Compare the product name, sugars figure and ingredients list. Tesco lists citric acid and sucralose in Highland Spring Sugar Free Strawberry water; Volvic describes its standard Touch of Fruit range as containing a little sugar and stevia leaf extract. | A fruity drink appeals to me, but I want to know what is in it rather than treating every flavoured water as plain water. |
| Bottle format | Check bottle volume, pack size and instructions after opening. Tesco’s 5L mineral water says to refrigerate and finish it within 3 days of opening; Joybuy’s Highland Spring still-water 6 × 1.5L listing says to refrigerate opened bottles and use them within 7 days. | For a day out, I would rather carry an individual bottle; for shared accommodation, I need enough storage space and a pack we can finish as directed. |
| Fizz and acidity | Check whether the drink is carbonated and whether a flavoured option lists acids. The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of their acid content, regardless of their sugar or sweetener status. | I enjoy fizz, but a sugar-free label alone is not enough to answer my question about acidity. |
Which label and storage mistakes matter?
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Assuming flavoured water has only water and flavour
Tesco’s ingredient list for Highland Spring Sugar Free Strawberry water includes citric acid, potassium sorbate and sucralose, although its sugars figure is 0g per 100ml.
Read the ingredients and nutrition panel of the exact flavour you intend to buy. Choose an unflavoured product if you do not want those added ingredients.
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Reading ‘low sugar’ as ‘sugar free’
Volvic describes its standard Touch of Fruit range as containing a little sugar and stevia leaf extract; it also names a separate Touch of Fruit Sugar Free range.
Check the full range name and sugars figure rather than relying on a general impression from the front label.
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Opening a large bottle without a storage plan
A large bottle can serve several people, but its instructions after opening may limit how long it suits the trip. Tesco’s 5L mineral water says to refrigerate it and consume it within 3 days of opening.
Check fridge space and the label’s use-by-after-opening instruction before choosing a large format.
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Assuming a sugar-free fizzy drink is tooth-neutral
The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of their acid content; removing sugar does not remove that consideration.
If you choose sparkling water, consider carbonation separately from its sugars figure when comparing it with still water.
Which brand ranges are worth comparing?
These range examples help distinguish plain, flavoured and larger-format bottles; check the label of the particular product you choose.
Highland Spring
The range includes plain spring water and sugar-free flavoured still water.
- Joybuy lists a plain 6 × 1.5L pack containing natural spring water.
- Tesco’s Sugar Free Strawberry listing contains sweetener, citric acid and preservative, so it is not ingredient-equivalent to the plain product.
Evian
Evian offers natural mineral water in formats including 330ml and 1L bottles.
- Evian presents its 330ml bottle as a format that fits in a bag.
- Mineral-composition information for its 1L bottle does not, by itself, establish an advantage over another plain water.
Volvic
Volvic lists plain natural mineral water alongside Touch of Fruit and Touch of Fruit Sugar Free.
- The separately named ranges let shoppers look for a plain or a flavoured option.
- According to Volvic, standard Touch of Fruit contains a little sugar and stevia leaf extract. Check the exact range when you want a sugar-free drink.
Buxton
Buxton’s still natural mineral water is listed in a 6 × 1.5L multipack.
- Joybuy’s listing for that pack states natural mineral water, 0g sugars and 0 kcal per 100ml.
- The same listing says to consume an opened bottle within 3 days; apply that instruction to this product rather than every Buxton bottle.
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label still and sparkling mineral water, including a 5L still bottle.
- The 5L bottle offers a larger format for accommodation where it can be stored.
- Tesco says to refrigerate that bottle and consume it within 3 days once opened; its size is less convenient to carry than an individual bottle.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists own-label still spring water in 2L, 5L and multipack formats, alongside flavoured options.
- Its 2L still-water listing identifies spring water packed in the United Kingdom.
- Check the nutrition and ingredients label of the exact bottle rather than applying a claim from another product in the range.
Joybuy bottled water for holiday routines
These Joybuy options cover flavoured, sparkling and plain bottled water in multipacks. Compare the individual bottle size with what you can carry or store, and check each product’s own label for nutrition and instructions after opening.
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Volvic Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free 6 × 500ml
Individual 500ml bottles provide a flavoured option to take on a day out. The product name identifies it as sugar free; check the bottle’s nutrition panel and ingredients for the exact recipe.
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Highland Spring Sugar Free Strawberry 6 × 1.25L
The 1.25L bottles suit accommodation better than carrying an individual small bottle. This is a sugar-free flavoured still-water pack, not plain spring water; check its ingredients and instructions after opening.
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Buxton Sparkling 8 × 500ml
An eight-bottle pack for someone who prefers sparkling water in individual 500ml bottles. Check the pack for its nutrition figures; NHS guidance also associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of their acid content.
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Highland Spring Still Water 6 × 1.5L
For shared accommodation, this six-bottle pack contains 9L of still spring water. Joybuy lists natural spring water as its ingredient and says to refrigerate after opening and use within 7 days; check the pack label if you need numerical nutrition figures.
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evian Mineral Water 6 × 500ml
Individual 500ml mineral-water bottles offer a smaller format to take from a shared pack for travel days. Check the exact bottle’s label if you need numerical sugar or energy figures.
Common questions
When does plain bottled water make sense for a summer holiday?
Choose plain water when you want an unflavoured drink without added sugar or sweeteners. For hot days, the NHS advises that people may need more fluids in a hot environment or when physically active for long periods; choose a bottle format you can carry or store.
Is sugar-free flavoured water the same as plain water?
No. Tesco lists 0g sugars per 100ml for Highland Spring Sugar Free Strawberry water, but its ingredients also include citric acid, flavourings, potassium sorbate and sucralose. Read both the nutrition panel and ingredients list of the exact product.
Is Volvic Touch of Fruit Sugar Free the same as standard Touch of Fruit?
No. Volvic describes standard Touch of Fruit as containing a little sugar and stevia leaf extract, and lists Touch of Fruit Sugar Free as a separate range. Check the full product name and sugars figure on the bottle you choose.
Does a sugar-free label settle the acidity question for sparkling water?
No. The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of their acid content, regardless of sugar or sweetener status. Consider carbonation separately from the drink’s sugars figure.
How should opened bottles be stored during a holiday?
Follow the instruction on each product. Tesco says to refrigerate its 5L mineral water and consume it within 3 days of opening; Joybuy’s Highland Spring still-water 6 × 1.5L listing says to refrigerate opened bottles and use them within 7 days. Check that your accommodation has suitable storage before choosing a large format.