With half term fast approaching, parents across the country will be looking for cheap and cheerful ways to keep their little ones occupied during the week-long break. (Featured image by el_eduardo)
While families may feel that they will have to spend the half-term holiday on UK shores in an effort to stay within budget, Post Office Travel Money has revealed that there are a number of bargain February getaways to be had if UK travellers plan a holiday to destinations with low resort costs.
Their research revealed that Spain’s Costa del Sol was the cheapest of six popular half-term destinations, with the combined cost of a half-term family holiday package (two adults and two children) and meals and drinks for one week coming in at £2,075.04 for four.
Cheap Flights To Costa Del SolCyprus followed in second place in the ranking, with a total cost of (£2,148.45), followed by Lanzarote (£2,915.32).
“Our resort research consistently shows wide variations between destinations. For example, the most recent Holiday Money Report barometer revealed that Spain was cheapest of 42 destinations surveyed,” said Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money.
“However, while it still looks unbeatable value overall, Spain faces stiff competition from Portugal, where meal costs are low, and from Cyprus, where the availability of low-priced half-term holiday packages combined with reasonable resort costs puts the Island within spitting distance of Spain.”
In terms of longer-haul destinations, families could make savings of £120 by planning a holiday to Orlando (£3,241.35 for four) rather than Dubai (£3,364.63 for four) for a week’s half-term break, as the cost of meals and drinks in Orlando are less than half that of the UAE city-state.
Recent research from Post Office Travel Money revealed that Spain and Sri Lanka emerged as the top locations where Brits will be quids-in this year, with the cost of eight items including an evening meal with drinks coming in at just £36.14.
This is less than half the bill that would be footed by Brits in 21 other destinations and a quarter of the cost of the two most expensive holiday spots around the globe – Australia and South Korea.
The eurozone crisis has seen prices plummet in both Spain and Greece, with the cost of eating out in Spain 50 per cent cheaper than five years ago. In Greece, room rates have been slashed by up to 40 per cent.
