BRITS will soon feel the squeeze after the announcement of the Budget.
Yesterday Rachel Reeves announced plans for multiple price hikes in the UK from a rise in tax on alcohol and cigarettes to the rising cost of Air Passenger Duty.
The Chancellor, on November 26, unveiled a raft of tax rises including that on booze.
It will see some fan-favourite tipples face a rise in price at the supermarket from a four pack of lager to gin and whiskey – and there are fears this will impact pubs too.
The cost of cigarettes has risen from the average price (for a 20 pack) around £16.78 up to £17.74.
And in 2027, the government will increase all rates of Air Passenger Duty (APD) in line with the rate of inflation – which will make going abroad more expensive.
So if you quite rightly are looking for an affordable break where alcohol and a box of cigarettes is dirt cheap – not to mention getting out of the country, then here are some options for you.
Bulgaria
Under four hours from the UK is Bulgaria known for its sunny beach resorts with cheap booze and all-inclusive hotels
One unbeatable place for that is Sunny Beach on the Black Sea coast which is well-known for being cheap and cheerful.
On the Beach has offers for a 7-night stay from June 2, 2026, at Sunny Day Club for just £265pp including flights from Manchester on a bed and breakfast basis.
Eating out won’t break the bank if you head away from the main streets – a mid-range meal for two can cost as little as £10 each.
And if you’re a smoker, then Bulgaria is a great place to buy cigarettes – and again, the cheapest.
The retail price for a pack of 20 cigarettes in Bulgaria according to Statista is €3.69 (£3.23).
If you’d prefer a break right now, then check out Bansko which is two hours from the capital of Sofia and is one of the cheapest places in Europe for a pint.
Experts at hoppa recently analysed dozens of European locations to find the most budget-friendly depending on factors like cost of a hotel and the cost of beer.
Here you can pick up a pint for as little as 90p – and a stay in a 3-star hotel which averages out at £57.
If you’re looking for a last-minute winter ski holiday, it’s also one of the most affordable options.
Bansko came third cheapest in the Post Office Travel Money Ski Report 2025.
Sun Travel found a five-night stay for two people from £209pp, which includes flights from London Stansted with LoveHolidays.
Starting on December 7, 2025, you can stay in the three-star Apart Hotel Dream at the foot of the Pirin Mountain, and it’s just 5 minutes from the cable lift.
There’s an indoor pool as well as a restaurant, coffee shop and a cosy lobby bar set by a log fire.
Poland
Second on the list for the cheapest place to buy cigarettes is Poland where a pack of 20 costs on average €4.88 (£4.28).
If you’re looking to get away just for the weekend, then head to Poznan in Poland.
The fifth largest city in Poland, is great for autumn and winter weekend breaks especially if you are on a budget
Beer is cheap, costing around £2.87 a pint for a local brew while coffee is less than £2.80.
Of course you can always make a week out of it – LoveHolidays has an offer for a seven-night stay at Campanile from December 5, 2025, from £199pp including flights from Bristol.
Over the week, that works out at just £28.43 per person per day.
Latvia
While it might not be a place that comes to your mind when scrolling through holidays, Latvia has some crackingly cheap deals.
If you fancy a break in the New Year, then you can go with LoveHolidays to Riga from London Stansted from £22.71pppn – including flights.
Stay in The Dodo in Riga for seven nights from December 6; it’s a budget-friendly hotel but still has free Wi-Fi, comfy beds, private bathrooms, TV, bars, and breakfast options.
Not to mention when you get there it won’t cost you much either – Riga was named Europe’s best value city for a short break by Post Office Travel Money City Costs Barometer.
On average, a cup of coffee in Riga costs £2.80 and beer costs £3.50, although you can buy beer for as little as €1 (88p) from supermarkets.
Return airport or bus transfers were relatively cheap, costing £3.50 on average.
Turkey
For the sun-seekers amongst you then of course, Turkey is an easy win.
From Antalya to Istanbul, there are plenty of options – Marmaris is ranked as the cheapest coastal resort, offering low prices for a basket of tourist goods
And if you want to plan a getaway this December, you can still enjoy highs of 17C.
With LastMinute.com, you can enjoy five-night stay at the Hotel Unver in Marmaris from £127pp including flights from London Stansted.
The hotel has a swimming pool, free Wi-Fi and is just a few streets away from the beach.
Mains at a restaurant in Marmaris cost around 400 Turkish Lira (TL) in
£7.12 – and a cup of Turkish coffee in Marmaris can cost anywhere from Turkish Lira (12p).
And even if you fancy a hot summer in Turkey – you can still get great deals now like at the Belpoint Beach Hotel in Antalya.
With LoveHolidays there’s a deal for a 7-night all-inclusive break from £239pp including flights from London Stansted on June 11, 2026.
The three-star hotel has an outdoor swimming pool with an aquapark, restaurants and bars.
Spain
You can always trust Spain to deliver and to make matters even better you can be there in two hours.
The average price of a pack of 20 cigarettes is €5.99 (£5.24), and as for alcohol a pint of domestic beer can be as little as €3 (£2.63).
Costa del Sol, region in the south of Spain, is regarded as one of the cheapest places for a holiday.
Another popular destination is the city of Malaga – with LoveHolidays you can book a stay at Easyhotel Malaga City Centre from £199pp.
If you want a break in January, it’s a great choice for sightseeing, and enjoying the cheap meals and drinks Spain has to offer.
You can fly there from London Luton on January 7, 2026 and stay for seven nights.
Or if you fancy somewhere coastal and some sun, you can stay at the cosy Marissal by Dorobe Hotels with LoveHolidays – a two-star boutique hotel with just 23 rooms – and it’s two minutes from the beach.
A seven-night stay from June 12, 2026 will set you back just £259pp including direct flights to Malaga from London Gatwick.
For more budget spots, check out these winter sun destinations from your nearest airport – with 7-night holidays to Turkey, Tunisia and Spain.
And hear from one man who travels to Spain every month – 12 stunning and cheap destinations Spaniards love that Brits have never heard of.
Here’s the destination where you don’t have to pay tax at duty free…
Gibraltar, the Mediterranean destination south of Spain, is the perfect place for Brits to stock up on alcohol, bag a cheap perfume and a designer handbag.
The duty free is especially low because of Gibraltar’s tax policies, specifically the absence of VAT and excise taxes.
Sun writer Adele Cooke is half Gibraltarian and reveals she often sees hordes of tourists descend on the airport to get their goods.
She told us: “Often you’ll see people on cruise ships all get off to stock up on the goods. My dad likes to stock up his alcohol trolley while we’re there too.”
When it comes to alcohol, Gibraltar has some great offers at duty-free – for example, you can pick up a litre of The Famous Grouse whisky for as little as £8.15.
A litre of Bacardi starts at £10.75 (£20 in the UK) and Captain Morgan rum at £11 (also £20 in the UK).
One litre of Jägermeister costs just £12.50 (£25 in the UK), the duty-free shop even sells one litre bottles of Glen’s Vodka for £3.40 (£17 in the UK).