The cheapest family holiday destination revealed – with £1 beer and bargain breaks
FAMILIES seeking a bargain beach break this summer should head for Marmaris in Turkey, the Post Office Family Holiday Report suggests.
Prices for meals, drinks and beach items are by far the lowest in the Turkish Riviera, the survey reveals.
The Algarve in Portugal and Sunny Beach in Bulgaria are the second and third cheapest destinations.
But on the whole, things are getting more expensive — prices have risen since last summer in 15 of the 16 destinations surveyed due to inflation and an unstable economy.
The annual report analysed the cost of 12 popular holiday items, including a three-course family meal, drinks, suncream and insect repellent.
It also studied the prices of ice creams, pedalo rides and beach essentials, from buckets and spades to inflatable lilos.
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All items came to £114.70 in Marmaris, meaning a getaway here is a no-brainer and will cost you £100 less than Ibiza, the most expensive destination surveyed (£215.71).
Wallet-watchers will also stretch their pounds in the Algarve, where the same basket of items will set you back £120.01.
Last year’s best-value destination, Sunny Beach, has hit third place, with hols goodies costing £120.73.
Prices here have rocketed by an average of 41 per cent since last year — the survey’s biggest increase.
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A meal out in the Black Sea resort cost around £35 for a family of four last year — but this year the price has jumped by 60 per cent.
However, the £56 price tag is still the cheapest of the other 15 resorts.
You would need to fork out £109.38 in Ibiza, £98 in Puglia, Italy, and £91.01 in the Croatian resort of Porec.
Only Puglia has seen prices drop, with costs down by 10.3 per cent (£166.62 for the 12 items, 12th place).
Prices have risen in other resorts, but these increases vary.
Prices in the Eurozone have gone up less than in Turkey and Bulgaria — the smallest price rise was a 2.2 per cent hike in Sliema, Malta (£159.73, 9th place).
Laura Plunkett, Head of Travel Money at Post Office, says: “Although sterling is at a 2023 high against European currencies, inflation has also hit local prices abroad. just as it has in the UK.”
But it’s not all doom and gloom — beer is still under £3 a bottle in half (eight) of the destinations, including Sunny Beach at just £1.62, the Algarve (£1.66) and the Costa del Sol (£2.58).
You can also buy a glass of wine for under a fiver in all resorts apart from Crete (£5.25), with the cheapest in the Algarve at just £1.97.
Even with last year’s cheaper prices, three-quarters of parents admitted to overspending on trips by an average of £243.
Plunkett recommends setting a fixed budget and comparing prices before choosing where to eat.
She said: “Beachfront cafés and restaurants are likely to be more expensive than those a street back.
“Check if service is included before paying as tips aren’t expected in many European countries.”
Other ways to save include taking out your holiday currency at home, to avoid charges at ATMs abroad.
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Laura added: “Always pay in the local currency when using a payment card, and consider loading currency on to a pre-paid card, like the Post Office Travel Money Card, which can be topped up with more cash abroad.”
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