There are many reasons why travellers would look to keep their holiday spending to a budget, especially during a cost of living crisis. It’s important to remember, too, that the world is still financially recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and the halt that it brought to the tourism trade.
Indeed, according to the Office for National Statistics, “There were 71.0 million visits overseas by UK residents in 2022, compared with 19.1 million visits in 2021. When compared with pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, visits abroad were still down. The number of visits in 2022 was 24% less than the peak in 2019”. A year on and we expect the number of people travelling is likely to have risen again, although data is not yet readily available to suggest figures are back to pre-pandemic levels. That being said, there appears a clear desire amongst travellers to see the world, despite many feeling the need to tighten their purse strings.
In this article, we talk you through the best destinations for budget travellers and focus on what makes an affordable holiday, the best places to visit and the main things to look out for.
What Makes a Budget Holiday?
The price of holidays skyrocketed at the start of 2023, as hotels and airlines hiked their prices to match the rate of inflation. Although there hasn’t yet been an obvious dip in costs since, there are still plenty of places to visit that can be budget-friendly.
The term ‘budget’ doesn’t have to be associated with any negative connotations when it comes to travelling. It’s sensible to shop around, to search for deals and to compare prices with several different holiday providers before confirming any bookings. There are two main factors to consider when trying to book a budget trip - the cost of booking the holiday itself (flights, hotels, transfers) and the amount you’ll likely spend when you arrive.
Best Budget Destinations When Booking
When it comes to booking your next holiday, price will likely play a key factor. Some travellers prefer purchasing flights and accommodation separately, whilst some opt for the ease and simplicity of booking package holidays. There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to this; both methods may result in the same price or they might vary ever so slightly - unfortunately, there isn’t an exact science to it.
If you’re looking to break things down and book everything separately, then using search aggregator tools such as Skyscanner or KAYAK is a clever way to find yourself the best deals available. Not only can you book flights on these websites, but you can also arrange hotels and extras such as car hire, airport transfers and further onward travel.
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At the time of writing, the cheapest return flights we could find on these sites (From UK airports, for a trip during May 2024) were to Poland for £35.00 per person, Portugal for £36.00 per person and Spain for £38.00 per person. In contrast, the most expensive flights were to destinations such as Malaysia (£702.00), Sri Lanka (£772.00) and Chile (£799.00).
Our top picks for booking separate hotels and accommodation are Booking.com, Hotels.com and Expedia. By using these sites, you can browse through everything available for your chosen dates and you can even start to save money on your bookings by signing up for their respective loyalty programmes. We also recommend Airbnb and although this isn’t a search aggregator website as such, it will still bring up a wide range of possible stays and allow you to filter by price, location and other extras such as car parking and WIFI.
At the time of writing (for a trip during May 2024, over five nights), we found hotels in Tenerife for as little as £100.00, hotels in Paris for £382.00 and apartments in Malaga for £143.00. Of course, costs will fluctuate depending on the level of board and the rating of the hotel, but it’s clear that there are bargains to be found when searching for a budget getaway.
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Package holidays are a great way to book everything in one go; allowing you to rest easy knowing your trip has been sorted. Holiday agents such as On The Beach, lastminute.com and TUI are all great places to start looking, as they offer a wide range of deals that include flights, transfers and accommodation. Providers such as TUI have £0.00 deposit schemes, too, meaning you can book a holiday and not have to pay until later (providing your trip is over 26 weeks away). Payments can be made via direct debit, allowing you to spread the cost of your booking as opposed to having to pay for everything in one go.
A quick search on lastminute.com (for May 2024) displayed package holidays in Menorca for £206.00 per person, Amsterdam for £255.00 per person and Cyprus for £234.00 per person. At MyVoucherCodes, we have a variety of discount codes available for these travel agents, too, allowing you to save even more on your next trip.
Best Budget Destinations Whilst on Holiday
Flights and accommodation aside, it’s also important to consider how much you’ll be spending whilst you’re on holiday. According to The Times, the cheapest place to visit from the UK is Turkey and this is largely down to the pound's strong position against the Turkish lira. Evening meals can be enjoyed for as little as £6.50, whereas beers will only set you back £2.50. Tallinn in Estonia is listed, too, as is Albania, Brittany in France and Andorra.
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Other cheap destinations, although further afield, include Sri Lanka (where an evening meal can cost as little as £4.00), The Gambia, Bali and Belize. Whilst prices in these countries are incredibly cheap, this may not offset the staggering amount that it can cost to fly to them, especially from the UK.
What to Look Out For
At MyVoucherCodes, we always advise shopping around before committing to booking a holiday. Other travel booking hacks can include purchasing out of season (avoiding peak times such as the Christmas, Easter and summer holidays) and looking for accommodation slightly out of city centres.
Booking with reputable companies that are ATOL or ABTA-protected is also very important, as it ensures financial protection should the company go into liquidation before you travel or while you are away. Looking out for any extras to pay, such as city taxes or additional hotel charges, is also wise to avoid any nasty surprises once you reach your destination.
As a former sports journalist and content creator, I swapped the press box for a permanent desk several years ago. Since giving match reports the red card, I have enjoyed developing my writing and research skills in a few other areas, and now I spend my time doing something I really enjoy - sharing the best ways to save on travel with our wonderful readers.
I love nothing more than exploring different parts of the world and learning about new cultures (and taking in the occasional sporting fixture, if at all possible). I’m just as happy on a quick city break in Lisbon as I am navigating my way across the width of America, and firmly believe everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy travelling regardless of their budget.
