Where is the cheapest half-term holiday resort?

paphos

Booked a half-term family holiday? Then here’s a helping hand on what it is going to cost you when you reach your sunshine destination with a guide to the cheapest half-term holiday resort.

Post Office Travel Money has compared prices in 10 destinations and Paphos in Cyprus comes out as the best value, followed by the Canaries. And Cancun in Mexico is the lowest-priced long haul resort and the only destination where sterling stretches further than a year ago.

By combining the cost of a a week’s holiday package (based on four sharing) with a daily family meal, range of drinks, suncream and insect repellent, the overall price in Paphos – the 2017 joint European Capital of Culture – is just £1,130 for a family of four. That’s almost a third cheaper than in Lanzarote and virtually half the price in Tenerife (£2,148).

The survey compares the same holiday costs in six long haul holiday resorts and found that Cancun is best value for a winter sun beach holiday at £2,106 for a family of four.

Mexico’s peso is the only currency weaker against the pound than a year ago, giving UK tourists around 2.5 per cent more cash to spend than in early 2016, compared with over 12 per cent less in the USA and Caribbean.

That has helped to keep prices lower in Cancun than in Caribbean competitors such as the Dominican Republic, where a week in Punta Cana costs £2,791 for two adults and two children – a third more than in Cancun.

Travelling to the Far East, Post Office Travel Money found that a holiday would cost families less in Phuket (£2,229) than in Penang, Malaysia (£2,382).

Although the US dollar remains strong against sterling, local meal and drinks prices in Orlando have stayed on par with a year ago and the competitively-priced half term holiday package (£1,573) means the world’s theme park capital is an affordable option at £2,205 for a family.

The high cost of meals and drinks in Jumeirah Beach – £1,493 for one week – made Dubai by far the most expensive destination in the survey at £3,277.

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. In places like Dubai where meal and drinks prices are high, booking all-inclusive packages will keep their costs down.”

For travel money exchange rates, see the Post Office

Cyprus Spain Mexico Malta Spain
  Paphos Lanzarote Cancun Sliema Tenerife
14 cups of coffee   (café/bar) £32.59 £21.52 £24.59 £14.76 £17.22
7 bottles of beer (café/bar) £15.99 £15.37 £13.41 £13.53 £11.68
7 glasses of wine (café/bar) £18.45 £15.37 £33.53 £15.37 £21.52
14 cans Coca-Cola (café /bar) £25.21 £24.59 £21.23 £20.29 £18.45
7 bottles of still mineral water 1.5 litre (supermarket) £1.84 £5.78 £5.59 £3.07 £4.30
Suncream SPF15 (supermarket) £6.24 £9.93 £7.94 £9.62 £9.93
Insect repellent (supermarket) £2.50 £3.35 £3.27 £4.35 £3.35
7 x 3 course family meal for 4 with bottle of wine/soft drinks £319.72 £391.84 £423.72 £384.89 £484.50
Total cost of living £422.54 £487.75 £533.29 £465.88 £570.94
One-week family package holiday (2 x adults and 2 x children) £708.00 £1,176.00 £1,573.00 £1,647.88 £1,577.00
TOTAL £1,130.54 £1,663.75 £2,106.29 £2,113.76 £2,147.94
USA Thailand Malaysia Dominican Rep Dubai
  Orlando Phuket Penang Punta Cana Jumeirah
14 cups of coffee   (café/bar) £22.79 £32.11 £36.97 £19.50 £57.28
7 bottles of beer (café/bar) £28.49 £18.59 £40.33 £16.90 £71.61
7 glasses of wine (café/bar) £39.89 £27.89 £45.37 £45.51 £71.61
14 cans Coca-Cola (café /bar) £34.19 £15.21 £9.87 £16.90 £70.01
7 bottles of still mineral water 1.5 litre (supermarket) £11.40 £3.55 £78.98 £2.60 £2.39
Suncream SPF15 (supermarket) £6.51 £3.86 £4.32 £6.50 £15.91
Insect repellent (supermarket) £4.07 £2.54 £3.26 £5.57 £11.37
7 x 3 course family meal for 4 with bottle of wine/soft drinks £484.37 £574.51 £481.25 £632.68 £1,182.29
Total cost of living £631.72 £678.27 £700.34 £746.16 £1,482.47
One-week family package holiday (2 x adults and 2 x children) £1,573.00 £1,551.00 £1,682.00 £2,045.00 £1,784.00
TOTAL £2,204.72 £2,229.27 £2,382.34 £2,791.16 £3,266.47