Brits hoping to save money on a ‘staycation’ this summer could be disappointed – as the UK is the most expensive holiday destination in Europe, according to a study.
Tourists who stay at home will need up to twice as much spending money for everyday holiday expenditure such as drinks, day trips and taxi journeys.
The UK and Ireland emerged as the two most expensive destinations among the top ten holidays spots in Europe – costing more than twice as much as a trip to Spain.
A typical Brit can expect to spend over £116 per day in the UK but as little as £63 venturing abroad, according to the research by www.voucherbox.co.uk.
A night in a hotel will set staycationers back £65.22 on average, whereas a night in a hotel in the Med can cost as little as £42.50.
The typical cost of dinner in an inexpensive British restaurant will set you back £10.
It can be almost half that in Turkey, Portugal and Croatia, where a meal can cost as little as £3.12.
The Netherlands and Italy are marginally dearer at £10.65 a meal, but less expensive for coffee, alcohol and bottled water, and cheaper overall.
Beer, cigarettes and wine are all twice as dear for those of us wanting to stick to familiar shores.
And for tourists wanting to keep their kids entertained by going on daily excursions, a 1km taxi journey in the UK costs on average #1.24, compared with 72p in Spain, and 71p in Greece.
The cost of an individual attraction in London is £12 compared with £4-5 on the continent.
The list of top ten holiday destinations includes the UK, France, Ireland, Croatia, Italy, Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, Spain and Portugal.
Voucherbox also carried out a poll of 1,000 adults on their holiday habits and found that over half 54 per cent, consider cost to be the most important aspect of any vacation.
Nearly a fifth thought the UK would be cheaper than anywhere else in Europe.
Interestingly, 70 per cent of holidaymakers venturing abroad said they were less likely to visit Greece given the current economic situation.
Shane Forster, UK Country Manager for Voucherbox said: “We have been surprised to see just how expensive it can be for those holidaying in the UK rather than venturing abroad.
“With the amount of travel deals and cheap flights that are available online, you are very likely to be able to grab a getaway somewhere sunny and end up saving money overall.
“Given the good value Brits can get with their pounds when buying Euros, you can start to see why staycationing is now something of a false economy.”
