Bills are rising and the weather is rubbish but that doesn’t stop us dreaming of a getaway break to sunnier climates. But with many European destinations more expensive than ever you might want to look a little further afield.
The sub-continent of India, with a population of 1.4 billion people, has been named the the cheapest country to go on holiday to according to online travel insurance comparison website gocompare.com.
They found India works out at costing the average traveller £62.73 per night or £878.18 for a fortnight’s stay, enough time to take in the famous sights like the Taj Mahal, the Amber Palace and the Red Fort maybe. You may have to stump up a little more for your flight though.
The comparison site looked at UK holidaymakers’ average expenditure from over 30 countries to discover the destinations where we spend the most. We’ve also looked at who spends the most when enjoying their time away, and put together a list of top tips to keep holiday costs low.
After India, Poland and Turkey came in second and third places for least expensive destinations.
Poland is the cheapest destination in Europe, with UK holidaymakers spending only £72 per night on average – just above £1,000 over a fortnight.
This makes it more than £1,800 cheaper than Iceland for a two week holiday – enough of a saving to pay for another fortnight away in Denmark! In Spain, the average nightly expenditure is around £20 more than in Poland at £91, coming to £1,278 for a fortnight.
More surprisingly, Australia and New Zealand also fall in the 10 cheapest destinations, costing £85 and £89 per night respectively.
Other holiday destinations that are popular with Brits, like Italy, Greece and France, are around the middle of the pack when it comes to spending.
UK holidaymakers pay an average of £114 per night in Italy, £110 in Greece and £102 in France, while travellers in Croatia spend an average of £109 per night. Germany is just outside the top 10 cheapest destinations, where expenditure is just £101 per night.
Some travellers tend to splash the cash more than others while enjoying their time away, but who is loosest with the purse strings?
According to the research, men usually spend more than women. Women spend an average of £1,406 over a two week break, whereas men spend £1,515 – over £100 more. This is equivalent to just £8 per day though, so the difference is actually less than it seems.
The oldest and youngest age groups tend to spend less on holiday. Those aged 65 and over spend the least overall at £88 per night, equivalent to £1,242 over a fortnight. This suggests, understandably, that retirees have the least to spend while on their break.
eenagers spend a very similar amount while on their break, with under 16s spending just 28p more per night than those 65 and over. This is equal to an extra £4 over a fortnight, coming to £1,246. Those aged 16-24 pay slightly more at £95 per night, equivalent to £1,336 over two weeks.
Travellers aged 45-54 spend the most, paying £133 per night on average – £25 more than those 65 and over. This is equal to £1,594 over two weeks, suggesting that this is the age at which we have the most spending money available for our time away.
Meanwhile the average cost for single trip travel insurance is just £20, meaning a policy is equal to just 1% of our average spending while on holiday. Yet a study last year found that price is the main reason uninsured travellers don’t buy cover. Just over a quarter (26%) said the reason they didn’t get a policy was because they thought it was too expensive.