Cheap holidays

In a blow to Brits planning to get away for summer 2026, experts have revealed that the situation in the Middle East could cause holiday prices to rise, even in destinations not affected by the conflict

Brits planning to get away overseas for Easter or summer this year are being warned they may need to expand their budget, as holiday prices could rise across all destinations.

Hannah Mayfield, a qualified financial advisor, has explained that the situation in the Middle East could have a “knock-on effect” on prices, following similar patterns seen during times of instability. Even those who opt for a UK-based staycation, or visit countries nowhere near the Middle East, could see higher prices for flights, accommodation, and even everyday spending.

Hannah explained: “Rising tensions in the Middle East can have a knock-on effect on holiday costs, even if you’re travelling somewhere completely different. But this isn’t a new phenomenon. We’ve seen similar patterns during previous periods of geopolitical instability, where travellers change their plans and demand shifts toward destinations perceived as safer.”

Hannah, who is working with travel insurers PayingTooMuch, gave the reasons why flight prices could rise: “Airlines can face higher operating costs during periods of geopolitical instability. If flights need to avoid certain airspaces, routes can become longer. At the same time, global oil prices usually rise during conflicts in major energy-producing regions, and that can eventually feed through into the price for fuel. For travellers, that might mean more expensive plane tickets.”

And it’s not just overseas jaunts that could become more expensive. Hannah said: “There’s also the potential impact on taking holidays, especially to destinations closer to home. If some holidaymakers decide not to travel as far afield, demand for popular destinations such as coastal towns, national parks and major cities can increase.

“When that happens, accommodation prices often rise during peak periods, particularly if availability is limited.” This could mean that, like during Covid, staycations could become pricier.

If you’re planning a trip, even to ‘safe’ destinations, you Hannah advises: “When travel feels more uncertain making sure you have the right level of cover for your trip becomes even more important, so you are less likely to face unexpected costs. Booking early, staying flexible with travel dates, comparing travel insurance policies and prices for flights can make a noticeable difference to the overall cost of a trip.”

She also had this warning: “Most standard travel insurance policies don’t cover acts of war, so conflicts itself may not typically have a direct impact on premiums. However, travellers should always check their policy details carefully, so they understand exactly what is and isn’t covered.

“Consider getting a policy that offers additional cover for travel disruptions which can offer another layer of protection in situations where official government travel advice changes and costs can’t be recovered elsewhere. It’s also worth noting that travel insurance does not cover events that are already known at the time the policy is purchased.”

Hannah, who also runs What is Wealth, which offers financial education for women, also gave some additional money saving tips for holidaymakers: “Keeping an eye on exchange rates and fuel prices can also help holidaymakers budget more accurately and avoid unexpected costs closer to their trip.”

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A travel expert claims he has saved money by looking for flights at a specific time, and early risers could bag a bargain, but there are also other ways to cut the cost of your flight

A travel expert has claimed that the time you book a flight can be just as important as the day you choose to travel, and that setting your alarm at a very specific time could help you land the best deals.

Jamie Fraser, owner of Wild Packs, claims that the cheapest time to book flights is exactly 2:48am in what could be good news for night owls and insomniacs. He also claims that evening searches between 8pm and 2pm can also be around 5% cheaper than searching during peak morning hours.

Airlines will often raise prices when they see heavy demand for a destination, so if lots of other people are up at the same time looking for the same route and dates, this could potentially put prices up. Jamie says: “Most people search for flights first thing in the morning while they’re having coffee, but that’s exactly when everyone else is doing the same thing.

“When airline systems see that spike in demand, prices can rise quickly. It’s one of the easiest ways travellers overpay. The cheapest time to book is usually in the early hours of the morning, around 2:48 am, when far fewer people are searching, and airline pricing systems have reset overnight.”

He added: “If you’re not willing to set a 2 am alarm, the next best option is late evening. Booking between 8 pm and 10 pm can still save around 5% compared to that busy morning window.”

So does this hack work? In the early years of internet travel booking, airlines and other sites would update their fares manually overnight. This meant that savvy travellers could sometimes pick up middle of the night bargains. However, nowadays, it’s more complex because systems have evolved, so you may still need a bit of luck on your side.

You could also potentially save money by using Jamie’s other suggested hack, which is to set up price alerts rather than checking fares repeatedly. Jamie also reiterated the often given advice that travellers should be flexible with travel plans, looking out for different airlines, dates, or nearby airports.

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If you use sites such as Skyscanner, you can often tick a ‘nearby airports’ box, as an airport a short drive away could end up being cheaper. If you’re flexible on destination, for example you simply want to go somewhere sunny with a beach, then choosing ‘everywhere’ as a destination will show you the cheapest options for your dates.

It’s also worth signing up for emails from specific airlines and looking out for deals such as flash sales or kids fly for free offers, which often have limited availability and need to be snapped up quickly.

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This beautiful city is considered one of Europe’s sunniest destinations, with direct flights from the UK starting from as little as £20

Britain’s dreary weather has us fantasising about a sunshine-filled break, and there’s one European destination that ranks amongst the warmest spots to visit in March, boasting pleasant 21C temperatures.

At this point in the calendar, it’s tempting to believe we must splash out on a lengthy long-haul journey to some far-flung tropical paradise to soak up scorching heat. However, several mild European locations deliver welcoming sunshine during Britain’s chillier months, including the stunning Spanish city of Seville.

Under three hours from Britain, Andalusia’s capital features delightful narrow lanes adorned with orange trees, magnificent Moorish-influenced architecture and celebrated landmarks that prove just as breathtaking in reality as in photographs. Seville holds the distinction of being amongst Europe’s sunniest cities, blessed with sunshine throughout the year.

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There’s no shortage of activities and attractions during a Seville getaway, though its architecture remains a particular highlight. Among its most renowned is the Alcázar of Seville, the city’s Royal Palace, showcasing Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque influences, which famously appeared in Game of Thrones.

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Amy Jones

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Another must-see is the Catedral de Sevilla, amongst the world’s largest cathedrals, boasting a royal chapel and the Giralda tower, which provides sweeping vistas across the vibrant city. The Setas de Sevilla, nicknamed the ‘Mushrooms of Seville’, is another eye-catching monument – a massive timber structure featuring a rooftop walkway that’s become a popular spot for visitors hoping to catch Seville’s stunning sunset.

The sun-drenched city also offers Santa Cruz, the historic Jewish quarter characterised by blossom-lined streets and golden buildings, alongside Seville’s celebrated Parque de María Luisa, which runs alongside the peaceful Guadalquivir River. One of the city’s most iconic spots is the renowned Plaza de España, situated within Maria Luisa park, which features a moat crossed by four bridges representing Spain’s ancient kingdoms, plus 52 tiled benches depicting different Spanish provinces.

A visitor who explored Plaza de España last month wrote on TripAdvisor: “This is a beautiful place, the buildings are immense, the history amazing, and the atmosphere is superb. I visited twice on our recent trip once early morning and I was the only person and once on a sunny afternoon with my wife. The difference in feelings was great, but both were unforgettable experiences. A must when visiting Seville.”

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Wandering through this stunning city is effortless, with its iconic architecture and rich heritage seamlessly woven into its lively, acclaimed culture. Visitors can also enjoy authentic Flamenco performances and experience the buzzing nightlife, whilst welcoming eateries serve up Spain’s finest culinary offerings through their famous tapas, and bars pour their distinctive orange wine.

Whilst summer temperatures can be blistering, particularly when sightseeing, a trip during the opening months of the year brings pleasant 21C warmth, making it a perfect winter getaway. What’s more, direct flights from London airports kick off at just £20 – what’s not to love?

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The cheapest European destination has been revealed for the Easter holidays, with golden sand beaches, sun-soaked rays and a charming town, for a fraction of the price

A beautiful town with golden-sand beaches and clear turquoise waters offers the best bang for your buck with £2 pints and a balmy 25C during the Easter holidays.

The resort town of Marmaris, on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, has been named the cheapest destination for a European escape during the Easter holidays. With sprawling beaches, scenic marinas and mountainous landscapes, it’s just over four hours from the UK, and is half the price of a trip to Paris during the same time.

When it comes to an affordable European getaway, thoughts can often turn to Paris, due to its convenient location, less than three hours from the UK by Eurostar or a swift flight that takes just over 90 minutes. While it’s a quick journey, the cost of a stay in the ‘City of Light’ can quickly rack up.

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In fact, Which? revealed that Paris is the most expensive short-haul city break destination you could choose over Easter, setting you back on average, £1,310 per person. Meanwhile, after comparing more than 3,000 package holidays during the busy travel period, the travel experts found that Marmaris offered the cheapest Easter holiday this year.

According to Which?, a stay at the sun-soaked city would cost an average of £594 per person for a seven-night package – half the cost of a trip to Paris! What’s more, Marmaris can reach highs of 25C in April, compared to 16C in Paris.

Often dubbed the ‘King of the coast’, Marmaris is a haven for those seeking an escape in the blistering heat and days spent at their sprawling sand beaches, which are undoubtedly a big draw to Brits. One of the most popular is Marmaris Long Beach (Uzunyali), stretching 4km near the city centre and lined with restaurants and bars, with a selection of water sports on offer.

There’s also Icmeler Beach with calm, azure waters and a relaxed atmosphere, and Turunç Beach with pebbly shores and crystal-clear waters, just a short drive from the city centre. For those feeling a little more adventurous, they can take a short boat ride to the stunning Sedir Island, also known as Cleopatra Island, for a slice of paradise, with its soft white sand and ancient ruins.

The Marmaris coast is dotted with luxurious resorts catering to all holidaymakers, including those looking for a stress-free family getaway with a range of activities and swimming pools to keep the little ones entertained. There’s also plenty to do away from the shores, including snorkelling boat trips, jeep safaris and a visit to the Atlantis Waterpark, which kids will love!

The charming town of Marmaris is also worth exploring, with its lively Grand Bazaar, 16th-century castle, and dancing fountain. There are plenty of bars, cafés and restaurants in the area, including its famed Bar Street, along with shops to pick up a souvenir or two!

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Choosing this option when you book your flights could help you save hundreds of pounds, and it’s especially useful during peak seasons such as half-term or the summer holidays

When it comes to booking a flight, we all want to save money, especially when we need to travel during peak times such as the dreaded school summer holidays.

Luckily, there are still some hacks that can help you cut the cost of flights, and Laura Lindsay who works at SkyScanner has offered up some of her expert travel tips. She said: “Last-minute doesn’t have to mean bad value. Whether you’re staying at home or going abroad, the travellers who take the time to shop around and compare deals will get the best prices. Being a little bit flexible could make a big difference in cost, as well as opening up options for destinations and accommodation you may not have considered.”

One of her clever tricks? Look at the school holiday dates for the counties and regions on the border of your own; these dates can differ, which means you might be travelling in your county’s own peak season, but your neighbouring towns might be ‘off peak’, causing a price difference.

For example bargain hunters who live in the north of England can often bag a cheap flight by flying from a Scottish airport. This is because school holidays in Scotland tend to be slightly different, for example, the six-week summer holiday begins early-July and ends around mid-August.

That means if you have a Scottish airport within reasonable travelling distance, you can save a lot of money by flying from Scotland in the last two weeks of August. And on the flipside, Scots can pick up cheaper flights by jetting off in early July from English airports.

In the meantime, check out more of Laura’s money-saving hacks below…

Search ‘everywhere’ for the best prices

Not fussy about where you want to go? On sites such as Skyscanner you can select ‘everywhere’ as your destination and will be able to find the cheapest destination for your dates. This will give you a number of options from city breaks to beach destinations, and you may be able to find an inexpensive hidden gem.

Skyscanner also have a cheapest destinations tool, where you simply choose the month you want to travel and get a list of the ten cheapest destinations for that period. For example, in March the cheapest flights can be found to Milan and Tirana in Albania for city breaks, while those seeking sunshine could find deals for Lanzarote and Marrakech.

Search nearby airports

Another feature on flight comparison sites that’s worth trying is including nearby airports in your search. On Skyscanner you simply tick the box under your destination or departure airport.

If you live close to London, for example, don’t just look at your nearest airport. Searching for nearby airports looks up the cheapest options around the capital, so a short tube journey could save you a lot of money. This works in any area where there are airports nearby, for example, comparing flights from Birmingham and East Midlands, which are just 45-minutes apart.

You can also choose to search nearby airports at your destination. Just make sure you work out how far away the airport will be from your accommodation before you book. Some airports with city names can still be miles away from the destination. For example, Paris Beauvais Airport is actually about 90-minutes from the French capital, so best avoided for a short break.

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A travel enthusiast and On the Beach worker shared the cheapest time to book flights and hotels

People hoping to get the best deal on their summer holiday might need to set an early alarm. A travel influencer claims he knows the ‘cheapest time’ for booking flights and hotels – and it’s bad news if you like to sleep in.

The tip was shared on social media by Rob Brooks, a travel enthusiast and influencer with the travel company On The Beach. He is well-known online for providing budget-friendly travel advice, hotel reviews, and holiday tips, which has helped him amass a significant following on social media, especially on TikTok where he goes by the username @Robonthebeach.

In a recent video, Rob shared ‘three bad holiday booking habits that could be costing you £100s’ and explained how the timing of your holiday booking can affect the price. Introducing the three tips, Rob said: “I look through holiday bookings every single day, and I see these mistakes all the time.”

For his first point, Rob suggested that people shouldn’t book their holidays in the morning unless they get up early. “Your first bad booking habit is booking holidays in the morning,” he claimed.

“We see so many people book holidays between 7am and 10am in the morning. Often, that’s people booking just before work, on the commute, or even at the desk with their first coffee. And I get it, it feels like you’re being really productive and taking off something big right at the beginning of the day.

“But not many people know it’s actually one of the most expensive windows to book, because you’ve got loads of people searching at the same time. Everyone’s had the same idea, which means demand spikes, flight prices spike too, and then package prices follow.”

Rob continued: “The best times to book are statistically in the evening, between 8pm and 10pm. And actually the very cheapest time to book is first thing in the morning, between 4am and 5am. But no one’s setting their alarm for that habit.”

Continuing his video, Rob shared two more mistakes that he said holidaymakers should be wary of. In his second tip, he suggested people shouldn’t wait when they find the right deal for them.

“Don’t forget, when you find a really good deal, it’s very likely that someone else has found the same deal too. So waiting doesn’t protect you; it usually just means that the best price then disappears. So I would say this: when you find a holiday that you think is a really good price and you’ve checked it against other people, don’t wait, just get it booked,” he advised.

Finally, the travel influencer warned people against being ‘super rigid’ with their holiday dates. Rob pointed out that switching your holiday from seven days to six days, for example, could make a big difference to the price.

If you’re looking for alternatives to Benidorm, there’s a destination that’s becoming increasingly popular with Brits who are seeking sunshine, inexpensive pints, and lively nightlife

Benidorm is the perfect choice of destination if you like a lively atmosphere, plenty of beach space, and clubs within walking distance of your hotel. However, in recent years, many tourists have been looking for alternatives to the Spanish town, and if you’re bored of Beni, there’s another fun destination about 3.5 hours from the UK.

Sunny Beach in Bulgaria has many similarities to Benidorm. Both resorts were developed in the 1960s with the package holiday boom, and Sunny Beach’s promenade with its high rise hotels could easily be mistaken for Benidorm’s Levante Beach area.

However, with some tourists complaining about Benidorm prices in recent years, Sunny Beach offers a cheaper alternative. YouTuber Travel with Col made a video of some of Sunny Beach’s prices in June of last year and showed deals such as two cocktails for £4.60, and beers for £1.50.

As the name implies, Sunny Beach sits on a long stretch of sandy coast. The Blue Flag beach is about six miles long, and there are quieter spots to be found for those who want to relax or enjoy more of a family-friendly atmosphere. The sand gently slopes into the Black Sea, and waters are shallow, clear, and calm, ideal for swimming or snorkelling.

Central Beach is at the heart of the action, and along the coast is a huge number of beach bars, nightclubs, and large hotels. By day, you’ll see people lounging on sunbeds with cocktails and enjoying DJ sets, while at night, the clubs are packed with people dancing until dawn. Many clubs open until five or six am, just as the sun comes up, but some spots such as Cacao Beach open 24-hours a day, so the party never stops.

Inland, the town is a tourist haven, full of shops selling beachwear, a market with lots of colourful stalls, and inexpensive fast food joints. You’ll find restaurants serving cuisine from around the world, as well as a few Bulgarian places where you can try Balkan dishes. Sunny Beach Amusement Park is popular with families, offering fairground rides and rollercoasters, while the Action Aquapark has pools, slides, and a lazy river.

Most Brits arrive via Burgas Airport, which has seasonal connections with airlines including easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, TUI, and Wizz Air. It’s about half an hour from Sunny Beach, and has good public transport connections.

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It’s worth taking a day trip to Burgas to explore this historic Bulgarian city. Attractions include The Sea Garden, famous for its pier which looks a lot like something you’d see at the British seaside. Dino Park is an amusement park with animatronic dinosaurs, allowing you to feel like you’ve stepped back in time, and there’s the vast Mall Galleria where you’ll find lots of popular European chains.

Finish your day with a boat trip to St. Anastasia Island. Dating back to medieval times, this tiny 2.5 acre island has a monastery, museum, and historic lighthouse to explore.

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