Cheapest destinations for family holidays this summer, including Turkey and Portugal

British families looking for a budget-friendly holiday abroad this summer are likely to find the cheapest prices in Turkey, Portugal and Bulgaria, new research shows.

The annual Post Office Family Holiday report said two thirds (66%) of families will be heading abroad this year for their dose of summer sun.

The report, produced in partnership with travel company TUI, compared the cost of 12 items across 16 popular beach destinations to see where offers the best value for mone.

The prices of drinks, meals and a range of beach extras, including sun loungers, lilos, insect repellent, suncream, ice cream and bucket and spades, were found to have increased in 15 of the 16 destinations surveyed, with some rising by up to 88%. The cost of a bottle of beer, a glass of wine, water ride and three course meals for a family were also taken into account.

Marmaris in Turkey was found to be the cheapest destination by far, with Portugal’s Algarve coming in second, closely followed by Sunny Beach in Bulgaria. The latter was named the best value resort in last year’s report, but has now dropped to third place.

Despite prices in Turkey and Bulgaria rising by up to 33.3% and 40% respectively, the resorts still came out in the top three cheapest overall for 2023. In Marmaris, prices are more than £100 lower than in Ibiza, which came out as the most expensive destination in the report.

Spain’s fourth-placed Costa del Sol was found to be notably cheaper than three other Spanish destinations surveyed, which include Majorca, Lanzarote and Ibiza.

The only destination to show a drop in prices is the Puglia region in Italy, where costs were down 10.3% from last year.

Laura Plunkett, head of Travel Money at the Post Office, said: “Although sterling is at a 2023 high against European currencies, inflation has hit local prices abroad just as it has in the UK.

“This means families should expect to pay more for meals, drinks and other tourist items in most resorts. Ironically, two of the cheapest destinations we surveyed – Turkey and Bulgaria – have seen the biggest rises. However, they are still places where bargain hunters will get the most for their money.”

Which are the cheapest holiday resorts to visit this year?

Listed are the cheapest holiday resorts for families to visit abroad this summer based on the cost of 12 holiday essentials, including meals, drinks and beach items, according to the Post Office:

Marmaris, Turkey - £114.70

Algarve, Portugal - £120.01

Sunny Beach, Bulgaria - £120.73

Costa del Sol, Spain - £136.29

Kos, Greece - £144.41

Paphos, Cyprus - £151.73

Rhodes, Greece - £152.31

Funchal, Madeira - £155.35

Sliema, Malta - £159.73

Corfu, Greece - £164.09

Majorca, Balearic Islands - £164.95

Puglia, Italy - £166.62

Crete, Greece - £170.72

Lanzarote, Canary Islands - £170.91

Porec, Croatia - £174.98

Ibiza, Balearic Islands - £215.71