Sunny Cyprus offers cheapest bargain break for a winter getaway

SCOTS holidaymakers hunting for a bargain break should pack their bags and head for Cyprus – with the beach resort of Paphos named as the leading destination for cheap holidays.

More than one million people each day will book their next holiday between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.

A survey has named the area of the Mediteranean island which is also the joint 2017 European City of Culture as the place where package holidays are best value.

Poor euro exchange rates, with £1 only buying about €1.12 since Britain’s Brexit vote in June, and an increased influx of Russian tourists to the Canary Islands have pushed up holiday costs in destinations for people trying to escape Scotland’s gloomy winter.

In a study of 12 resorts where sterling has rallied in recent weeks, the Post Office found a one-week package holiday in Paphos with evening meals and drinks costs just £339 per person, according to Post Office Travel Money.

This is almost 19 per cent cheaper than holidays in Lanzarote (£416) and Tenerife (£417).

Scots have had more buying power in recent weeks. The pound increased by more than six per cent against the euro between November 2 – the week before Donald Trump’s victory in the US elections – and last week when it had originally been €1.11. At one point it had been €1.18.

The US city of Orlando was the cheapest long-haul destination featured in the report, with holidays there setting UK travellers back £752.

Cancun in Mexico was the cheapest long-haul beach resort at £815. The Mexican peso is weaker against the pound than a year ago, giving UK tourists almost one per cent more cash to spend.

The most expensive location included in the study was Montego Bay, Jamaica, at £1,288 followed by Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at £1,212.

Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money, said: “Sterling’s recent rally means that holidaymakers will not have to dig quite so far into their pockets as they would have had to do a few weeks ago. However, there are big differences in prices among winter sun resorts and these can really have an impact on the overall holiday budget.

“Bargain-hunters will be well advised to add the cost of meals and drinks in resorts to the price of a holiday package to find the destination that will give them the best overall value.”