dupes

Eloise Barker, a writer for Responsible Travel, seeks out places to go when your kids have outgrown Lapland that are more affordable than the Finnish winter wonderland has become in recent years

Lapland, with its powdery snow, Northern Lights and Sámi culture, is popular for good reason, but its Santa Claus package holidays are pricey and book up fast: more and more people are visiting, some even taking extreme trips to visit for just one day.

Last year, we reported that the average price for a family holiday in Lapland from the UK was between £4,000 and £7,000.

But Europe is packed with winter wonderlands. You won’t find the big man in the red suit in these destinations – but you’ll still have a jolly good holiday…

Have you been on an amazing Christmas trip that you think Mirror readers would enjoy? We’d love to hear about it. Email [email protected]

Slovenia

All of Slovenia’s mountain resorts can be reached within 90 minutes from Ljubljana, its compact and pretty capital. There’s been almost €80 million of investment in infrastructure like ski lifts across multiple resorts, where you can also sled, snowshoe and go winter walking. The Post Office’s annual ski report noted that the cost of skiing in Slovenia’s Kranjska Gora resort had fallen 23.5% in the 2024/2025 season compared to the year before. Plus: the city of Celje transforms into a fairytale land in December, earning it the title ‘European City of Christmas 2025’.

• The average price of a double room in Slovenia is £121/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Ljubljana start at £29 in December; from Edinburgh, £76 (Skyscanner).

Slovakia

“Slovakia really is a very authentic, family-friendly winter destination and the High Tatras is still a hidden gem of Europe,” says Petr Ivanek, founder of Slovakia Explorer. “In comparison to the Alps or Lapland – British pounds go much further.”

There are thermal spas, water parks like Bešenova Aqua Park, and snowy High Tatras resorts, and the mountains are less crowded than at Zakopane on the Polish side of their slopes. Stop in Bratislava first: last year, the Post Office named Slovakia’s capital as Europe’s cheapest Christmas market destination.

• The average price of a double room in Slovakia is £96/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Bratislava in December start at £15; from Edinburgh, £26. Direct flights from London to Poprad start at £15 (Skyscanner).

Czech Republic

For all things Christmassy, consider the Czech Republic. Prices fell in the country last year, and Brno was voted European Capital of Christmas in 2024. Capital Prague remains a staple for Christmas markets and child-friendly activities, plus its public transport is free for children under 15. Fun fact: the Czech Republic has arguably the largest ice skating ‘rink’ in the world – at Lake Lipno, just outside the medieval fairytale town of Cesky Krumlov.

• The average price of a double room in the Czech Republic is £111/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Prague start at £26 in December; from Edinburgh, £42 (Skyscanner).

Romania

Swap the beaten track for wolf prints in the snow – in Transylvania, where villagers go Christmas carolling in traditional costume between beautifully decorated wooden houses.

You can ride about by horse-drawn sleigh or husky sled, and see atmospheric Brasov city and Bran Castle with beguiling snowy backdrops. Or switch the very old for the very new: an ice hotel, the only one in southeastern Europe, is built every year, 2,000m up in the Făgăraș Mountains.

• The average price of a double room in Romania is £83/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Brasov start at £56 in December (Skyscanner).

Bulgaria

“Two of Bulgaria’s national parks, Rila and Pirin, offer wonderful opportunities for winter holidays and for families interested in winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing,” says Anna Tuliyska at Sofia-based travel company Odysseia-In. The regions’ thermal springs also come into their own in cold weather. Whilst prices have risen in Bulgaria and may rise again when it adopts the euro in January 2026, the Post Office report ranked Bulgarian ski resorts among the cheapest in Europe in 2025.

• The average price of a double room in Bulgaria is £101/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Sofia start at £17 in December; from Edinburgh, £36 (Skyscanner).

Morocco

Morocco is not the baking hot destination you might expect in winter – average December temperatures are around 13°C, with highs in the 20s. Winter is an excellent time to take older kids to Morocco’s portion of the Sahara Desert.

Expect camel treks instead of husky rides, powdery sand not powdery snow, and sandboarding over snowboarding. Bolt on a stay in Marrakech for souks and stocking fillers – with the snowy peaks of the Atlas

Mountains framing the horizon. Prices drop in the winter months but can rise over Christmas.

• The average price of a double room in Morocco is £180/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Marrakech start at £15 in December; from Edinburgh, £31 (Skyscanner).

LIDL will be selling a Thermomix dupe that is significantly cheaper than the original.

Savings of more than £1,000 can be made with this middle aisle purchase from the discount retailer.

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Lidl is about to sell a dupe of the Thermomix worth £1,349 for just £299 for Lidl Plus customers.

Called the Monsieur Cuisine Smart, this exciting kitchen appliance will be in stores from Thursday, September 4.

It is a multi-functional device that can be used for everything you need, from food processing, cooking, searing, steaming, kneading, blending, and stirring.

There are even programming options available for it to chop, shred, grind, pure or emulsify ingredients.

You can therefore make anything from soups, sauces, or vegetable, meat or noodle dishes.

The smart device has WiFi functions that provides free monthly recipe updates with a registered user account, along with over 600 pre-installed recipes with step-by-step instructions through its cooking pilot.

There is also guided video cooking for selected recipes, that can be played on its fast-reacting 8-inch display screen.

On top of that, there is voice control capabilities that can be activated via Google Assistant.

Kitchen scales have been integrated into the device to enable weighing of ingredients that have been placed directly into the pot.

With 1000W power, up to 1kg of dough can be processes, through 10 speed settings including turbo function for pulse blending.

Kneading dough or stirring soups and stews can be carried out in the anti-clockwise motion the Monsieur Cuisine provides.

Furthermore, its facilitates precise cooking with temperatures from 37-130C that can be set in five degree increments.

There is also a 99 minute timer.

All the accessories are dishwasher safe, including the 4.5L stainless steel blender jug and various attachments that include a steamer, blade, and mixer.

The product is exclusively available for Lidl Plus customers to reserve from August 21 to 25 on the Lidl Plus App.

Regular customers can then purchase the Monsieur Cuisine once they are available in store next month.

Lidl’s version of the Thermomix seems to come with many functionalities of the original, at a much more affordable price.

This deal comes after Lidl was also found selling another kitchen appliance that can be used for baking at a price £400 cheaper than others.

It was their Silvercrest Kitchen Tools Stand Mixer, that was sold for only £49.99.

The budget-friendly retailer also had XL dual view air fryer available for just £79.99 this summer.

Lidl’s 15L Salter air fryer was half the price of Curry’s version, with six cooking functions and a sleek LED display.

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SUPERMARKET shoppers love reaching for a Pizza Express pizza – but can you find an own-brand one that’s just as good?

They can be pricey when compared to supermarket own brands.

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At the moment a Margherita will set you back between £4.35 – £6.00 depending on where you buy it.

Natasha Harding tried six supermarket brands and compared them to Pizza Express Margherita pizza – and rated them all out of 30.

Pizza Express Margherita Pizza

£4.35 (when bought with Nectar), Sainsbury’s

Per 100g: calories, 263 fat, 8.7g sugar, 3.4g salt 0.93g

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If the secret to a good pizza is in the dough, then Pizza Express hits the spot.

The base cooked to perfection and it was a good size for two people.

There was a good amount of topping and it cooked evenly in about 12 minutes.

However, there are other pizzas that taste just as good for a fraction of the cost.

Taste: 8/10
Value: 5/10
Overall rating: 6/10
Out of 30: 19

Carlos Stonebaked Pizza

£1.99, Aldi, Aldi

Per 100g: calories, 308 fat, 10.2g sugar, 4g salt 1.09g

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It cooked nicely in 12 minutes and was big enough to feed four people.

The base was deliciously crispy and the cheese and tomato topping tasted authentically Italian.

I haven’t tried this flavour from Aldi before, but absolutely will in the future – my winner – and less than half the price of Pizza Express, that’s dinner sorted.

Taste: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Overall rating: 10/10
Out of 30: 30

Cheese & Tomato Pizza

£1.90, Sainsbury’s

Per 100g: calories, 298 fat, 9g sugar, 2.6g salt 0.76g

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Good value and a perfect size for two.

I wasn’t so keen on this one as I thought it was a bit bland and there wasn’t enough cheese to tempt my tastebuds.

However, my daughter and her friend loved it and she’s asked if she can have it for tea regularly.

At that price, I’m happy to oblige – and if I join her, I’ll add extra cheese on my half.

Taste: 8/10
Value: 10/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Out of 30: 25

Stonebaked Margherita Pizza

£2.58, Asda

Per 100g: calories, 238 fat, 7.7g sugar, 3.9g salt 1.09g

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It cooked well in just over 12 minutes and the generous size means it would satisfy four people, especially if you add a couple of sides.

The topping was plentiful and the fact that you’re getting a lot of pizza for your money means that this is a good staple for a family if you’re unsure what to serve up for dinner.

Taste: 9/10
Value: 7/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Out of 30: 24

Chef Select, Stonebaked Margherita Pizza

£1.99, Lidl

Per 100g: calories, 254 fat, 8.6g sugar, 2.3g salt 1.08g

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Another well priced pizza but I wasn’t so keen on the taste.

The tomato had an intense, slightly synthetic taste that I couldn’t get away from.

The cheese was generous and tasted great – and it cooked to perfection.

If you like a stronger taste sensation, it might be one for you but it’s not one I’d be keen to buy again.

Taste: 6/10
Value: 10/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Out of 30: 23

Classic Margherita

£3.10, Tesco

Per 100g: calories, 259 fat, 7g sugar, 2.8g salt 0.75g

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It cooked nicely in just over ten minutes and looked very appealing once it was ready.

It was generously sized and the base was just the right consistency of being thick enough but crispy too.

It was oh so cheesy which hit the spot for me – I’d definitely buy it again if I needed a cheese fix.

Taste: 8/10
Value: 7/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Out of 30: 23

Essential Cheese & Tomato Pizza

£2.75, Waitrose

Per 100g: calories, 260 fat, 8g sugar, 4.6g salt .75g

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I felt a bit let down by Waitrose offering as the Essential range is fantastic.

The base was a bit thin, and it could have done with some extra toppings as it felt a bit lacklustre.

If I was to buy it again, it would be as a base to add some extra ingredients to.

Taste: 6/10
Value: 6/10
Overall rating: 6/10
Out of 30: 18

B&M shoppers are snapping up a dupe of The White Company’s iconic table lamp – priced nearly £100 less.

The lamp features a sleek white concrete base with a large matching shade and sells for just £20 at the popular British discount retailer.

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The White Company’s Clayton Table Lamp, currently priced at £110, has been popular for its minimalist design.

The upmarket home brand advertises the lamp as a versatile piece made from natural linen, ideal for bedside tables, consoles and sideboards.

B&M claims to offer a knockoff of the sought-after lamp.

The discount chain shared a video on social media promoting its own white lamp, with on-screen text that reads, “White Company who?” and “£20 base & shade”.

The post drew comments from shoppers tempted by the bargains displayed in the video.

One user wrote: “I’ve got to stop looking at these posts, too much temptation.”

Meanwhile, B&M shoppers can buy a three-person tent for just a fraction of the cost of the North Face equivalent.

B&M is selling the Outdoor Adventure 2-3 Person Camping Tent for £18.

North Face’s Stormbreak 2-Person Tent is currently available for a total of £225.

Offering a similar capacity, the more expensive model is described as water-resistant, breathable and lightweight.

B&M shoppers have also recently spotted a chair originally priced at £100 now selling for just £30.

The Louise chair, available in cream and green, measures 58cm wide, 72cm high and 68cm deep, and supports up to around 100kg.

Meanwhile, a garden gadget is available for just £1 at B&M.

The Modern Solar Table Lamp has been further reduced to £1, down from £1.50.

The lamp is 21cm tall and has a rechargeable battery, making it an affordable way to light up an outdoor space on summer nights.

It emits a soft, warm white LED light.

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THE Lady-Datejust, the Pearlmaster, the Oyster or the Yachtie – whatever your favourite Rolex is, it’s probably worth well over £10,000. 

The Swiss watch brand is synonymous with luxury, and us normal folk will probably spend our whole lives dreaming of owning one of its timepieces. 

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But where do we turn when saving up the five figures needed for an opulent watch is impossible? As it goes, Primark. 

The fast fashion giant has released a Rolex dupe for a mere £10. 

The affordable design is a copycat of the luxury brand’s Lady-Datejust in oyster steel and yellow gold – which costs a staggering £17,300 to buy direct. 

“Gold is coveted for its lustre and nobility,” a Rolex blurb reads. “Steel reinforces strength and reliability. 

“Together, they harmoniously combine the best of their properties.”

Money-saving content creator Aimee Michelle unearthed the imitation watch in her local Primark and took to Instagram to alert fellow fashionistas. 

“The comparison is uncanny,” she said. 

“Everything down to the fluted bezzle, the stainless steel with the gold and even the ‘mother of pearl’ face.

“It’s the only one they have currently in store… but this is big news.”

The Primark watch’s official name is The Edit Metal Watch, and it is made from 80% steel and 20% zinc. 

“Add a touch of luxury to your accessories edit with this timelessly sophisticated metal watch,” high street bosses said. 

The timepiece has a classic and timeless design that will be relevant and stylish throughout every season, meaning you’ll get way over your £10’s worth of wear. 

Like the Lady-Datejust, it is smaller and more delicate compared to many other watches.

As such, it’s ideal for women who prefer a more understated and elegant size without compromising on style.