The summer holiday season is on our doorstep, so we’ve uncovered the top ten summer holiday destinations for us Brits and created an infographic to unpack the essential travel costs. The result: our summer holiday formula*, which includes return flights, a week’s stay in a hotel, a week’s car hire, six meals, one city or museum tour, three cocktails on the beach or at the bar; even the price of that novelty souvenir you’ll regret buying in years to come.
A formula for affordable adventure
Eight of the ten most popular destinations are either in Spain or the United States, yet the cheapest destination is where the pound goes the furthest: Bangkok, Thailand. The average cost for a week’s holiday in a 4-star hotel in the Thai capital is a very reasonable £991, per person. If you’re looking a bit closer to home, Spanish destinations prove popular and affordable too. A week in sun-soaked Alicante, for example, will set you back round £880; so nothing to complain about there.
Unsurprisingly, Spain comes up trumps on flight costs. Palma de Mallorca is the cheapest destination, with return flights averaging £273; closely followed by Alicante at £289. North American destinations are the most expensive for flights, with Toronto, Los Angeles and Orlando averaging £653, £692 and £732, respectively. If the United States sound a wee bit pricey, you might prefer an Asian getaway, especially as return flights to Bangkok come in at a very modest £380.
Bangkok also offers the most affordable upmarket accommodation, where a 4-star hotel stay costs on average £387 – almost half of the price of the next cheapest destination, Alicante (£656). The cheapest 4-star accommodation of the United States destinations can be found in Orlando, where a one-week stay costs an average of £993. On the other end of the spectrum, travellers heading to Los Angeles, CA, will find a week long stay at a 4-star hotel costing about £1,342.
The deal’s in the details: the cost of road trips, restaurants and souvenirs
Wanna make your own road movie? Grab your camera and head to Spain. Alicante, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Malaga offer the lowest prices on hire cars of all the top ten destinations. A week’s car hire in Alicante costs on average of £89, whereas the most expensive Spanish city, Barcelona, is still only £109. So whether your inspiration is ‘Easy Rider’ or ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ this summer might be your time to hit the road.
Dining out will be easier on the wallet for us when visiting Bangkok, where six meals (lunch and dinner) costs £39 on average; an absolute steal, especially considering how tasty the food is! Spanish destinations also lead the way in affordable dining. In Malaga, you can splash out on six meals only paying an average cost of £51. It’s no surprise that New York is the most expensive destination for dining, where eating out six times will cost an average of £135. If you’re travelling on a budget but fancy relaxing with a cocktail, Alicante, Spain and Faro, Portugal, are the destinations for you. Three cocktails is going to set you back about £15 in these sunny spots, not bad at all.
For holidaymakers looking for a bit more culture, Spanish destinations are again great choice, with Alicante and Palma de Mallorca offering city tours for less than £10 per person; a bargain if if ever there was one. If you’re heading to the United States, Orlando, FL also offers cheap tickets for a museum or city tour at £8 – 73% less expensive than in New York.
And the cheapest place to buy a tacky holiday knick-knack this summer? Bangkok of course, where the average cost of a souvenir is just £2.
Need even more inspiration of what to do at your summer holiday destination? Our tip: check out KAYAK Activities. This new feature lets you search for the best activities that a city has to offer and filter the results to show the attractions, museums and tours, that you want to experience?
*Analysis is based on searches for the most popular summer destinations on KAYAK.co.uk. Prices are based on the average prices (airfares, hotel rates, car rental prices) for any travel dates between June and August 2016. Prices for car rentals exclude fuel charges. Average prices for local goods and activities are based on desktop research and are indicated in GBP. Currency conversion were done based on currency rates found on April 13, 2016. Prices are subject to change or may not be available anymore.
