The great Diamond Jubilee getaway: Holiday bookings soar

Stock photo, Hurghada, Egypt: PA

The miserable May weather is pushing holiday bookings abroad over the Queen's Diamond Jubilee weekend.

Brits fed up of the washout weather are looking to cheer themselves up on the first weekend of June with a trip to sunnier climes, according to Thomas Cook, who has seen a 27% increase in foreign holiday searches with popular alternative destinations including Tunisia and Egypt.

According to the Daily Mail, Gillian Edwards, from travel association ABTA, said: "We do seem to have seen this rise in demand.

"People have just been reminded over the last two weeks that you really can't rely on the British weather."

The rise in strength of the pound against the euro is also attracting British holidaymakers.

The pound is currently at its strongest against the euro for 22 months, meaning a trip to the Continent would be less expensive than last year.

In fact, the currency exchange rate is now 10 per cent higher than a year ago, which means a family changing £500 will have an extra £50 to spend.

A spokesman for foreign exchange company Travelex told Aol Travel: "It's good news for Britons buying currency ahead of a trip to the euro zone.

"Weeks of speculation over the future of the euro, Spain's economic crisis, and the political uncertainty in France and the Netherlands, have seen the value of the euro fall to a level not seen for years."

The pound is actually stronger than a number of foreign currencies, and the Post Office Travel Money recently revealed the cheapest holiday destinations for Brits in its annual report.

Bulgaria is the cheapest holiday destination for Brits, while holidaymakers can now get 14% more Turkish lira than last summer.

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