Household income: £75,000 and under

With the median UK salary hovering just above £38,000, most of us will need to do some penny-pinching if we want a break. But if there’s one positive thing about those endlessly shifting Covid restrictions, it’s that they taught holidaymakers to be more flexible – and that can reap unexpected rewards.

One of Expedia’s key travel trends for 2024 is “destination dupes”: swapping one popular destination for another similar one – with fewer tourists and, generally, cheaper prices. As an example, the company cites trading the Greek island of Santorini for Paros, where hotels cost around 15 per cent less on average.

“Travellers are probably more comfortable going to new places these days,” says Lindsay. That might be why off-theradar cities top Skyscanner’s table of year-on-year search increases, with Vigo in Spain, Leipzig in Germany and Rimini in Italy coming first, second and third respectively.

Vigo is in Galicia, where tourism is on the increase. With its blustery Atlantic beaches and well-watered national parks, it’s traditionally been seen as a bit rainy for summer holidays – but demand has intensified as weather patterns have shifted. Despite this, rooms at Vigo’s glitzy five-star Gran Hotel Nagari cost less than £98 per night.

WHAT TO BOOK

For couples: Expedia has a week on Paros at the four-star Paros Palace, from £894pp in May with flights from London (expedia.co.uk).

For families: Marmaris in Turkey was named best value family resort in the Post Office’s 2023 Family Holiday Report. Go in May half-term and you’ll avoid uncomfortable temperatures and higher prices too. Easyjet Holidays has a week in a one-bedroom unit at Hibiscus Apartments in Marmaris, from £980 room only for a family of four, including flights from Luton and transfers (easyjet.com).

For solos: Leipzig is like a mini Berlin, with cool cafés, revamped warehouses, and plenty of museums and monuments. It’s a good choice for a solo city break and Kirker has three nights at the Radisson Blu Leipzig from £678 B&B including flights from London (kirkerholidays.com).

i Savvy swaps: hotels on the Greek island of Paros cost considerably less than Santorini’s