Costa del Sol named best value destination for British families

THE Costa del Sol was named the cheapest holiday destination for British families this October. The new half-term survey by the Post Office compared the total cost of 10 common holiday purchases including drinks, toiletries and restaurant meals in 12 popular destinations.

The ten items cost less than £60 (€68) in total on the Costa del Sol. Prices for these goods have risen by 15 per cent in Spain, but it remains the cheapest destination in Europe, the survey found.

At £111 (€127) Tenerife was the most expensive of the Eurozone destinations with prices 86 per cent higher than the Costa del Sol.

Meanwhile, popular Thai island resort Phuket came second, while Miami was the most expensive destination where the cost was £140 (€160).

Egypt’s Sharm el Sheikh showed a 10 per cent drop in prices compared to last year and the Turkish resort of Marmaris a 12 per cent fall.

The decrease in prices in Turkey for British travellers can be attributed to the relative strength of the pound, since the same survey was carried out in October 2010, the value of sterling has risen by 27 per cent against the Turkish lira.

Falling visitor numbers to Egypt are thought to be the cause of falling prices, with foreign arrivals falling by almost a third this summer following civil unrest at the beginning of 2011.

Value for money can also be found in Kenya with the average cost of items falling seven per cent and the value of the pound rising 21 per cent against the Kenyan shilling compared to last year.