Unfortunately, the summer has to end at some point, but there is that one saving grace that this time of year brings; the August bank holiday. For many of us, the August bank holiday is the last chance for a 3-day summer getaway, to follow the sun, and stock up on some well-deserved vitamin D reserves in preparation for the coming winter months. But where’s the best place to do this? Our data shows that many of you are choosing to jet off to the likes of Barcelona, Amsterdam and Berlin this bank holiday instead of enjoying a staycation somewhere like Newquay and Edinburgh.
Once we crunched the data*, the reasons for this became pretty clear – air fares have dropped. Dramatically. The average price for flying from the UK to the top 15 European destinations for this bank holiday weekend has fallen by a whopping 18% compared to last year – from an average flight price of £175 to £142. No wonder searches for flights to the European mainland have risen by 10% and searches within the UK have fallen by 18%.
Think about it this way: The average price for a return flight to Berlin for the bank holiday weekend has fallen from £147 last year to just £99 this year. That’s £50 of spending money freed up just like that. So, if you’re going for the party scene, the food, the art, or the city itself, you just got more bang for your buck without even trying. No wonder Berlin has seen a 55% increase in popularity. The same goes for Amsterdam; prices have fallen from £132 last year to £111 this year, leading to an increase in popularity of 29%.
With flight prices falling so much, and the cost of food, drink and with activities often being cheaper on the Continent, it can mean that a short break on foreign soil can offer better value for money – not to mention an increased likelihood of sunshine. Either way, the data indicates that Brexit has had little impact on Brit’s appetite for visiting Europe.
Table of the top 15 European destinations for August 2016 bank holiday breaks
| The most popular European destinations for Brits this bank holiday | Average price for flights – August bank holiday 2015 | Average price for flights – August bank holiday 2016 | Change in popularity: 2015 vs. 2016 | |
| 1 | Barcelona | £182 | £169 | 22% |
| 2 | Amsterdam | £132 | £111 | 29% |
| 3 | Palma de Mallorca | £197 | £166 | 9% |
| 4 | Malaga | £167 | £170 | -10% |
| 5 | Berlin | £147 | £99 | 55% |
| 6 | Lisbon | £179 | £149 | 35% |
| 7 | Ibiza | £219 | £190 | -5% |
| 8 | Faro | £195 | £189 | 9% |
| 9 | Rome | £177 | £170 | 12% |
| 10 | Alicante | £169 | £170 | -3% |
| 11 | Dublin | £85 | £58 | -10% |
| 12 | Copenhagen | £128 | £87 | 11% |
| 13 | Paris | £119 | £95 | -21% |
| 14 | Milan | £204 | £130 | 16% |
| 15 | Nice | £176 | £170 | -13% |
| Overall change 2015 vs. 2016 | -19% | +9% | ||
*All data is based on searches on KAYAK.co.uk between 01.01.2015-13.08.2015 for travels between 28.08.2015-31.08.2015 (August bank holiday 2015) and 01.01.2016-13.08.2016 for travels between 26.08.2016-29.08.2016 (August bank holiday 2016). All price indicators are based on roundtrip economy flights, are subject to conversion rate from USD to GBP (considering an average from the respective search period but not considering the conversion rates after 20th June 2016). Prices are subject to change, may vary or are no longer available anymore. Savings are not guaranteed.
