The strength of sterling is making for a bumper crop of holiday bargains – half-term hols, city breaks and Christmas shopping trips – as we edge into the final months of 2014.
Newly released figures by Post Office Travel Money reveal that the pound is stronger year-on-year against all of the Post Office’s 20 best-selling currencies.
So, to get your pound working as hard as possible, go here:
The Czech Republic, South Africa or Japan. Sterling has made the biggest gains against the Czech Koruna, the Rand and Japanese Yen.
Closer to home, the Euro has been at a six-year-low since late September.
For long-haul bargains…
In the recent Post Office Long Haul Report, Bali and Cape Town were revealed as the cheapest winter-sun destinations.
The Post Office creates a basket of holiday staples and prices them.
What’s in the Post Office Holiday Costs basket?
- A cup of filter coffee
- A bottle of local lager
- A bottle / can of Coke
- A glass of wine
- A cocktail
- A small chocolate bar (Mars or Snickers)
- A bottle of mineral water (1.5l)
- Suncream
- Insect repellent
- A three-course evening meal for two including a bottle of wine
The places where your pound will work harder (year on year, the cheapest and the dearest):
- Bali – £40.10 (9% cheaper than last year)
- Cape Town – £46.67 (6% cheaper than 2013)
- Sri Lanka – £49.68 (9% cheaper than last year)
- Kololi (Gambia) – £51.33 (26% cheaper than 2013)
- Phuket (Thailand) – £54.90 (1% more expensive than 2013)
- Tamarindo (Costa Rica) – £56.19 (47% cheaper than last year)
- Mombasa (Kenya) – £65.23 (steady, no increase on last year’s prices)
- Tokyo – £65.98 (36% cheaper)
- Mauritius – £71.66 (24% cheaper)
- Tobago – £71.68 (9% cheaper)
- Cancun – £71.70 (25% more expensive than 2013)
- Austin, Texas – (£72.93 – Austin’s first year in the study*)
- Hoi An, Vietnam – £73.58 (39% more expensive)
- Seoul (South Korea) – £74.67 (1% dearer)
- Orlando, USA – £75.79 (up by 14%)
- New York, USA – £75.88 (4% cheaper than last year)
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – £79.86 (7% more expensive than 2013)
- San Francisco, USA – £85.14 (3% dearer than last year)
- Montego Bay, Jamaica – £85.31 (35% more expensive than 2013)
- Washington D.C, USA – £87.71 (6% dearer)
- Rodney Bay, St Lucia – £88.53 (8% cheaper than last year)
- Vancouver, Canada – £96.56 (5% cheaper)
- Beijing, China – £97.24 (16% cheaper)
- St James, Barbados – £101.76 (25% more expensive)
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – £104.68 (17% more expensive)
- Darwin, Australia – £109.47 (12% cheaper)
- Miami, USA – £114.33 (18% dearer)
- Penang, Malaysia – £115.85 (35% more expensive)
- Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt – £117.32 (Sharm did not appear in last year’s index)
- English Harbour, Antigua – £117.53 (48% dearer than 2013)
- Muscat, Oman – £126.00 (48% up)
- Auckland, New Zealand – £133.01 (10% up)
- China Town, Singapore – £155.34 (29% dearer)
- Jumeirah, Dubai – £160.61 (64% more expensive than 2013)
* Six US destinations were surveyed and Austin registered the lowest prices to take 12th position in the table. The Texan city was included for the first time because of its increased profile after the introduction of direct flights from the UK during the year. At £73, its barometer basket was 36% cheaper than the same items in Miami (£114), again the most expensive US destination. Meanwhile, price falls in New York have taken the Big Apple to within spitting distance of Orlando, Florida at £75.88 and £75.79 respectively.
(Feature image: Robert S. Donovan)
