The Post Office Travel Money’s Self-Catering on a Shoestring Report is out and reveals which parts of Europe are cheapest for holidays where you look after yourself (and your family).
The Algarve is cheapest
That gloriously sunny stretch of southern Portugal overtook the Costa Blanca, last year’s cheapest, for self-caterers. But, you’ll have to shop at a supermercado to take advantage of this as prices are much cheaper than in resort mini-marts.
Buying basic provisions for a one-week holiday in an Algarve supermarket cost less than £56, but self-caterers can expect to pay 48 per cent more in the region’s resort shops (£83). The same applies to most of the other resorts surveyed for the Post Office report by Cosmos.
In Majorca, groceries bought in a resort shop cost 53 per cent more (£133) than at a supermarket (£86). The holiday operator’s resort reps compared the cost of 20 typical food and drink staples including bread, milk, cereal, cheese, eggs, soft drinks and pizza, in nine popular European destinations as well as in Florida’s family favourite, Orlando.
While basics like milk and bread cost only marginally more in local mini-marts, it will pay families buying fast-food items to use a supermarket. For example, researchers found that pizzas could cost up to twice as much at a mini–mart in the Algarve or Majorca.
If you don’t like supermarkets, visit Costa Blanca and Corfu
Although supermarkets in the Costa Blanca (£59) cost £3 more than in the Algarve, families could shave £2 off the total by doing their weekly shop at a resort mini-mart (£57).
This made the Costa Blanca by far the cheapest destination for self-caterers without easy access to a supermarket. Similarly, in Corfu the mini-mart basket was 53p cheaper than the cost of a supermarket shop (£67).
Where are supermarket prices cheaper this year?
Corfu was one of four resorts where supermarket prices are down on 2013 levels. A drop of more than 10 per cent helped Corfu to overtake Majorca and Menorca, and move up to fourth place.
In Crete (£72) prices fell by 16 per cent, while another eurozone destination, Cyprus, saw a three per cent fall in the cost of a supermarket shop in Limassol (£94). Shopping will also cost nine per cent less in Marmaris because of sterling’s surge against the Turkish lira.
Spanish resorts are at least 20% more expensive
By contrast, UK visitors can expect to pay at least 20 per cent more for their weekly shop in four Spanish resorts – Costa Blanca, Menorca, Majorca and Lanzarote. Despite this, Lanzarote retained third place in the barometer with a shopping basket total of under £64.
The biggest jumper is …
Majorca has emerged as one of the most expensive of the 10 destinations surveyed. Rising prices – also noted in the recent Holiday Costs Barometer survey of meal, drinks and resort prices – may explain why Post Office consumer research has revealed that one-in-eight families would not return to Majorca because they found it too expensive.
Budget busting
According to the Post Office research, on previous trips abroad only three-in-ten families stuck to the average budget they had set of around £634. More than half (56 per cent) spent an average of £253 more than they intended while abroad.
Furthermore, more than a quarter of families (28 per cent) notched up shop bills exceeding £100 while four-in-five over-estimated how much food they would need on a self-catering holidays.
As a result they left provisions worth almost £15 on average behind when they returned home. One-in-ten of these families admitted wasting food worth more than £50.
Check your shopping list
The list of resorts and prices of essentials are here.
7 ways to save money at the supermarket
1. Make a list of what you need before you go to the supermarket and stick to it.
2. Bring a calculator and tot up your costs as you go along.
3. Look for bargains. Pick up the supermarket brochures and see what’s on offer.
4. Local papers in the resort area might be a good place to look for coupons / deals too.
5. Buy own brands rather than the big-name goods from back home.
6. Buy local produce.
7. This is extreme, but if baggage costs aren’t an issue, you could always bring your favourites from home. Baked beans? Teabags? Coffee? Marmite? Cream crackers? Chocolate?
(Featured image: Polycart)
