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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Europe's cheapest holiday hotspot revealed - where families can grab three-course meal for just £67
Narrowly beating Bulgaria's Sunny Beach, Marmaris, a popular resort town on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, has been crowned the best value holiday hotspot in this year's annual Post Office Family Holiday Report. Already a popular choice for British holidaymakers looking to score a bargain break, Marmaris is known for its sandy beaches, charming old town and lively nightlife. Conducted in collaboration with holiday operator TUI, the report looks at the costs of 16 European resort destinations, comparing the price for a total of 10 tourist items, including an evening meal, suncream and a range of drinks. For gold-medalling Marmaris, the sum of these items came to £128.99. Visitors to the resort are able to secure a three-course family meal (including wine) for as little as £67.67. Also well-priced are cups of coffee (£2.01), and insect repellent (£2.61). In Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, the second most affordable destination listed by the report, the total cost was £129.47 – helped by the reasonable prices of bottled beer (£2.35) and a cup of coffee (£1.88). Portugal's Algarve came third place for a second year running, making it the cheapest Eurozone destination. Fourth-place Paphos continues to close the gap though: the Grecian destination was only £1 cheaper, at £144.44. Once again, Ibiza was rated the most expensive resort of all 16 surveyed, with a total cost of £242.79 – almost double that of Marmaris. Despite a price increase of 10.3 per cent since July 2024, Turkey's weak lira – which reached a record low against the pound in March 2025 - has undoubtedly contributed to Marmaris's popularity. In fact, the report found that for the top two destinations – both non-Eurozone – prices were 10 per cent lower than their Eurozone competitors. Head of Travel Money at Post Office, Laura Plunkett, said: 'The collapse of the lira makes Turkish resorts like Marmaris a natural choice for families. 'However, visitors should be aware that while sterling is worth a third more than last July, local prices have increased dramatically because of the currency's collapse.' Indeed, Post Office Travel Money found that prices had risen in 13 of the 16 destinations, once the prices were converted into sterling. The biggest price hike was found in Majorca, where the total cost had increased 21.4 per cent, to £201.68. By contrast, two Greek destinations, Lanzarote and Crete, recorded 2.1 per cent and 7.8 per cent falls respectively. Research conducted for the Family Holiday Report found that over three-quarters (78 per cent) families are planning trips abroad this year. However, 74 per cent admitted to busting their budgets by 42 per cent on their last holiday – spending an average of £323 extra than their £766 budgets. Food and drink were a prevailing cause of this overspending, with over 90 per cent spending an average of £378 on eating out, buying drinks in bars and restaurants, and shop-bought food. Parents surveyed also admitted that pressure to provide 'holiday treats' for their children had encroached on budgets. Nine in ten parents spent an average of £39 on ice creams, with other holiday extras, such as theme park visits (£60) and beach gear (£49) also causing financial strain.
The Sun
15-07-2025
- The Sun
New Spain rules that can cost Brits £5,992 at the border – it's an easy mistake that thousands could make
BRITS travelling to Spain face new rules that could leave them out of pocket at the border. Spain's Health Minister announced new rules meaning travellers heading to Spain are legally required to show proof of health cover as part of their travel insurance. 4 4 Spain is one of the most popular holiday destinations for British holidaymakers, with over 17 million tourists going there every year. New rules mean that British citizens will have to get some more paperwork in order to prove they have appropriate travel insurance, which could be checked at the border. Official Foreign Travel Advice on the government website for Brits has added that at the Spanish border you may need to show proof of travel insurance. It's been reported that checks are being made at Spanish borders and by transport providers. Anyone without the correct cover could be fined up to €6,900 (£5,992). During a recent update, Spain's Health Minister Carolina Darias said that this measure is to avoid additional strain on the Spanish public health system. In a statement, Carolina Darias said: "The health of our visitors is a priority. "We are committed to ensuring that all travellers, including British citizens, have the necessary coverage to protect themselves and the local health system." ABTA reported in May 2025 that a quarter of people who went on a holiday abroad in the past 12 months did so without travel insurance. It stated that "those most likely to forgo insurance are travellers aged 25-34, with two in five (41 per cent) admitting that they went on at least one trip uninsured in the past year". The Spanish region undiscovered by Brits despite seaside views and ancient Roman cities 4 Visitors must have fully comprehensive coverage in place with reasonable excess to cover costs. This is especially important if for anyone with pre-existing medical conditions. While it's not illegal to travel without insurance, it can be risky as travel insurance helps you to claim if you run into trouble while on holiday. Cover ranges from emergency medical treatment, assistance if belongings are stolen while you're away, or you have to cancel a trip due to death, illness or bereavement. Before you leave, you can look around for the best travel insurance policy, for example whether that's individual or for families. The cost will vary depending on what kind of holiday you go on too, whether that's high or low risk. That's not the only new rule in Spain, lots more have been put in place that could lead to fines - including drinking alcohol in a public place. Anyone seen drinking on the street, in parks, or on beaches could be fined up to €3,000 (£2,568). A new law was passed in Spain last year that gives local municipalities the power to fine anyone caught smoking on the beach. If a municipality does take up the law, anyone caught smoking on the beach can be charged up to €2,000 (£1,700) - so check before you go. And you can only wear swimwear on the beach or sunbathing as certain places in Spain have cracked down on wearing bikinis and trunks into towns and cities. Two popular Spanish destinations have strict rules on where you can wear swimwear - with fines for any rule breakers. Here are even more . And the eight golden rules for travelling abroad this summer. What should you look for in a good travel insurance policy? TRAVEL insurance policies can vary a great deal, but here are some "must have Medical expenses - A good policy will give cover of £1million or more for travel in Europe and £2million or more for the USA Repatriation service - The costs of getting you back to the UK for medical reasons should be covered automatically by your policy Cancellation and curtailment - A good policy will cover you for £2,000 or more if you have to cancel or shorten your holiday Missed departure - Covers additional accommodation costs and travel expenses up to £500 or more if you miss your flight due to circumstances out of your control Delay - You'll usually be covered for £250 or more if your travel plans are delayed due to circumstances out of your control Baggage cover - Covers you if your baggage is lost, damaged or stolen. Look for policies that have cover of £1,500 or more. 4
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Tourists go home': Inside the angry protests on Spain's holiday islands
In scenes echoed across southern Europe, Spain's Canary Islands are suffering from a crisis of too many tourists – 18 million are projected to visit in 2025. On Tenerife, where tourism accounts for 35% of the economy and which draws the largest number of mostly British holidaymakers, it is tourists, not immigrants, who are seen as a threat to local identity. As protests across the Mediterranean continue, local people vent their anger at an exploitative, extractive and unsustainable tourism model. But is it still possible to change course, and are political leaders listening?
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment British tourists leap out of the way as violent brawl breaks out around them between cops and street sellers at Marbella restaurant
This is the moment British holidaymakers were forced to dive out the way of a street brawl between Marbella cops and beach vendors at a busy restaurant. Footage shared this week showed a police officer scrapping with at least two street vendors at what appears to be a busy beach resort, forcing paying customers to flee the scene. The vendors, known locally as 'looky looky men', were seen pummelling one cop after taking him down. In a separate video, one vendor appeared to have broken part of the officer's helmet while punching him in the face. As one man repeatedly punched and kicked the police officer, the other took a moment to pick up his fallen wares. The two vendors then quickly escape, and the beaten officer was joined by a backup cop, all while tourists vacated the area. In the background, one British man was heard muttering: 'What the f***? [That was] mental.' Another was heard exclaiming: 'That was the most insane thing I've ever seen.' The manager of the establishment shouts: 'Get out of here! NOT in the [bar], NOT in the [bar]!' The scenes of chaos came amid one of many raids on illegal street vending in the Costa del Sol. Spanish authorities are cracking down on beach vendors to clean up the image of the region, as tourism season gets underway. Beach vendors rarely have licences to sell their products, which are often counterfeit, and are therefore often considered illegal. But cops are also cracking down on tourists. Last month, MailOnline reported that holidaymakers staying at a four-star hotel in Spain were prevented from leaving via the front door - after local police said it was not conforming with tourism regulations and locked it up. Photos showed steel cables and a large notice on the entrance to the Vivemar Hotel on the Costa del Sol saying 'precintado' or 'sealed off' in English. Around 200 guests staying at the hotel in the popular resort of Benalmadena Costa were made to exit the establishment via a ground-floor garage. A spokesperson for the local town hall said it had instructed police to seal off the front entrance to the hotel after it failed to see it listed in the official tourist accommodation register. Raul Campos told local paper Sur: 'We have asked in the Junta de Andalucia's Tourism Department and they say the company that operates the hotel is not in the official register. 'That means it can't be officially opened as it does not have the proper documentation.' He went on to insist council officials had warned the hotel management about today's police action at the end of March. Manager Alberto Tusquellas, who a hotel receptionist said was in meetings and unavailable, has blamed things on a 'red tape' hiccup. He told local press a Spanish firm called Vive Resort Management SL began operating the hotel around a year ago with a sublease agreement using a previous operator's registration number. However, Mr Tusquellas said this had now been revoked because of a bureaucratic problem they were trying to fix. The hotel operator's version of events has been contradicted by the building's owners who said the sublease was the subject of ongoing civil and criminal court action after they discovered the company they had signed a contract with to run the hotel had agreed to sublet it to another firm without their knowledge.
