Travel with Katie Butler: ​Do your sums before going abroad

Sunny Beach, Bulgaria's biggest Black Sea resort. (Photo by NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP via Getty Images)Sunny Beach, Bulgaria's biggest Black Sea resort. (Photo by NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Sunny Beach, Bulgaria's biggest Black Sea resort. (Photo by NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP via Getty Images)
​​A much smoother week last week with little disruption experienced for our customers across our three branches in Heckmondwike, Ossett and Brighouse.

This was despite the fact that last week was expected to be busier than the week before with more than two million Brits heading overseas over the three days of the weekend.

So, which holiday destinations are offering our customers the best value for money. We caught up the latest report and research by Post Office Travel Money in partnership with TUI. It revealed that taking a holiday on the Balearic Island of Ibiza will cost your family almost double against taking a holidays to the Black Sea resort of Sunny Beach in Bulgaria.

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in fact taking a holiday in Bulgaria has taken over Marmaris, Turkey, as the most affordable destinations for a family holiday, according to the most recent research.

The Family Holiday Report looks at different commodities and compared the cost of 10 different items, including meals, drinks, sunscreen and insect repellent etc.

The findings showed an incredible difference with the items costing just over £110 in Sunny Beach, £117 in Marmaris, Turkey and a staggering jump to £229 in Ibiza. Marmaris was the cheapest resort last year and has been relegated to second place this year following the collapse of the economy.

Laura Plunkett, The head of Post Office Travel Money said: “Even though sterling is stronger now than last July, price inflation across Europe means that families need to allow for increases in meals, drinks and other tourist costs in their spending budget.

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"Doing some holiday homework before leaving home could help to reduce the chances of busting the budget while abroad.”

Prices went up in three-quarters of resorts. Costs in Ibiza rose by 14.7 per cent, in Madeira by 11.5 per cent and in Corfu by 11.3 per cent. Elsewhere, Paphos in Cyprus remains good value with a modest rise of just four per cent. Four destinations saw prices fall. Lanzarote (7th place) saw the biggest drop of 7.2 per cent compared to last year, with Majorca (1.2 per cent, 9th), Costa del Sol (0.7 per cent 4th) and Crete (0.2 per cent,15th) following behind.

It goes without saying that weighing up where you go could have an impact on your overall holiday budget including what you intend to take to spend.

This year we have started to see a slight shift from all-inclusive to self-catering and it is definitely worth getting out a calculator and working out a rough estimate of what you would spend and food and drink if you were to choose self-catering over all inclusive.

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Once again last week August retained top position for the month to travel based on our total new bookings, proving that even though we are seeing the sunshine our customers still wish to jet off on an overseas holiday - overall our late bookings accounted for 43 per cent of our total sales. Cruise sales were also strong and took 19 per cent of recorded new bookings. Turkey, Gran Canaria and cruises from the UK were our top-selling destinations last week.

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