Travel News

Long-haul locations 'most affordable this year'

British travellers hoping to stretch their holiday money as far as possible will find it easiest to budget in long-haul destinations this year, according to research.

The Post Office's 2008 holiday costs barometer states that Thailand, South Africa and Egypt are this year's cheapest destinations, with many countries in Europe made expensive by the current weakness of the pound against the euro.

Sterling is faring better against the dollar, however, meaning that the USA was ranked the seventh cheapest of 16 destinations surveyed by the Post Office.

Helen Warburton, head of travel for the organisation, said that people willing to travel long-haul this year will get "excellent value for money".

She added: "The pound is still strong against the US dollar and the new Open Skies agreement introduced this month should mean cheaper flights in the future.

"Elsewhere, sterling is up over eight per cent against the rand, making South Africa a good choice for UK tourists, and booming sales of Egyptian and Thai currency indicate that holidaymakers are already opting for trips where their pounds will stretch further."

Spain is the most affordable destination in the eurozone, according to the Post Office research, while the cheapest locations throughout the whole of Europe are Bulgaria and Turkey.

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