Holiday costs tumble amid euro turmoil
The euro's plunge against the pound has led to a big dip in resort costs for Britons holidaying on the continent.
A basket of typical holiday items in the Portuguese Algarve, for example, is now 50% cheaper than it was in January 2009, according to a survey by Post Office Travel Money.
The company has also seen big sales in euros as the currency slips to a 10-year low against sterling.
But those Britons heading further afield will find in-resort prices in destinations such as Thailand and Dubai much higher now than six years ago.
How costs have changed
Post Office Travel Money compared costs in 20 popular destinations, with the list of items including a three-course evening meal for two plus wine, suncream, and cigarettes.
The items were just £32.67 in the Algarve compared with more than £65 in January 2009. The next lowest-priced resort was Sunny Beach in Bulgaria where the items were £32.69 - a 39% fall on the January 2009 price of more than £53.
Other good-value resort areas now include Spain's Costa del Sol (£33.64), Bali (£35.30) and Crete (£37).
Cost per destination
The priciest destination at the moment is Dubai, where the items are as much as £135.35, with the cost of eating out being the main expense. The current cost in Dubai is 80% more than in January 2009.
The next most-expensive spot now is the St James area of Barbados, at £99.76, although this represents a 34% dip in costs since January 2009.
Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said: "There is no doubt that UK tourists can look forward to getting more travel cash for their pounds this year in Europe but people planning trips further afield could get caught out by falling rates for sterling in some countries.
"The best way to avoid this is to consider a holiday swap to a resort where the pound still stretches further and check to see how prices for meals and drinks compare in a range of destinations."
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