Europe ‘best for budget hols for UK tourists’

UK HOLIDAYMAKERS should head to Europe for the cheapest destinations in 2017, a study has found.

Increases in the cost of food and drink overseas due to the weakened pound can be minimised by booking short haul trips, according to Post Office Travel Money.

The foreign currency seller compared the cost of tourist staples such as a threecourse meal, a cup of coffee, suncream and insect repellent in 44 resorts or cities across the globe.

The seven cheapest destinations were all found to be in Europe, while far flung places are more expensive - even without taking into account the cost of flights.

Portugal’s Algarve was named as the best value location for UK visitors, followed by Bulgaria’s Sunny Beach, Spain’s Costa del Sol, Turkey’s Marmaris and the Czech Republic’s Prague.

The only long haul destination which featured in the top 10 of the annual holiday money report was Japanese capital Tokyo, at number eight.

Cape Town in South Africa was at 11 on the list, ahead of Cancun, Mexico at 12 and Bali, Indonesia at 13.

Dubai was found to be the most costly location for a trip, with prices more than six times higher than in the Algarve.

The Caribbean island of Antigua was the second most expensive destination, followed by Washington D.C. in the US.

Sterling plummeted after the UK voted to leave the European Union, with its value against the euro down by more than 11%.