WHEN it comes to buying a home abroad, no one knows more inside tips than the A Place in the Sun presenters.
With costs rising all over the world those on the hunt for a holiday home might be disheartened – but there are still bargains to be found according to property expert, Craig Rowe.
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A Place in the Sun star Craig Rowe heads to Limousin with to find a holiday home for FionaCredit: A Place in The SunThe Limousin region with places like Haute-Vienne still has bargainsCredit: Alamy
A brand new series of A Place in the Sun is back and presenter Craig Rowe who first joined the show four years ago has found a hidden gem.
In the upcoming episode airing on Thursday, January 7, Craig heads to the French countryside region of Limousin.
He’s helping best friends Fiona and Tina look for Fiona’s ideal home with a a maximum budget of £80,000.
Yet Craig reveals that they manage to bag a deal for £75,000.
Craig told us: “I’ve spent a lot of time in France, but for this show we were in Haute-Vienne – and I was amazed at the prices.
“At first when we were looking through the properties I said to my producer, ‘I think we’re going to struggle to get something decent for that price’.
“But you’d be amazed at what we found which were really good properties – and that really surprised me.”
While the Limousin region is miles away from the coastline, it’s well-known for being a hotspot for watersports thanks to its thousands of lakes.
In fact, the region is even called the ‘French Lake District‘ – it also has lots of walking and cycling routes.
Craig added: “It’s a beautiful region filled with little patisseries and boulangeries, which is everything I love about France.”
The region is full of pretty French towns with classic boulangeries and patisseriesCredit: Alamy
Craig continued: “It has lots of beautiful French towns, and of course, lots of lakes so you won’t miss being by the coast – and if you want to visit a city then Bordeaux isn’t far away.
“There’s still an expat community, and as we found, properties are really good value.
“With prices going up all over the world, it’s great to find these pockets where you can still get a really good bargain.”
If the French countryside doesn’t tickle your fancy, but you still want somewhere up-and-coming with lower prices, Craig has some other suggestions.
He said: “Valencia is one of my favourite places in Spain and in the last few years, I’ve heard more and more about it.
“It’s really booming and while property prices are going up, it’s still much more affordable than Barcelona or Madrid.
“Another place to watch in Spain would be Murcia – it’s still relatively under the radar because it doesn’t have as many airlinks as Malaga or the Costa Del Sol.
“For example in the winter you’ll have to fly from Alicante, but it’s definitely up-and-coming. That’s one to watch in 2026 – it would be a great place to invest.
Outside of Spain, I’d consider Porto in Portugal which is a great alternative to Lisbon which is getting quite expensive. But it still has great culture, food and wine.”
Other up-and-coming cities include Murcia – the capital of the Murcia region in SpainCredit: Alamy
If you’ve been watching A Place in the Sun wondering whether now is the right time to buy abroad, Craig has some words of wisdom.
Craig told us: “Property is going up everywhere, in the UK, Europe, the States. So if you’re thinking about doing it, why not now?
“Costs are only going one way, and while you’ve got these little gems, like Haute-Vienne, which are up-and-coming destinations, take the opportunity now.
“2026 is an exciting year, and I know for A Place in the Sun, we’ve got a lot of filming coming up with house hunters – there’s still a big passion and a hunger for people who want to look at properties overseas.”
Craig is planning to buy his own property in SpainCredit: Unknown
After selling Brits their dream home for five years, Craig is getting ready to take the plunge himself.
“My partner Paul and I are hoping to buy a property in Spain, we’re not in a position to do it yet, but hopefully we’ll be able to in the next couple of years.
“I love Valencia as a city, whereas my partner loves Barcelona – but I think he’s coming round to my idea.
“Valencia is smaller than Barcelona, it’s the third biggest city in Spain, but there’s only around 800,000 people that live there, so it’s still a relatively small city.
“It has amazing coasts, beautiful architecture, it’s got everything you need from a city.”
Watch Craig on A Place in the Sun on Thursday 8 January on Channel 4 at 6pm – new episodes will continue air Monday-Friday.
Craig has his eye on the coastal city of ValenciaCredit: Alamy
One Woman Who Was on A Place In The Sun Bought Her Dream Spanish Home For £45k…
Originally looking for a holiday home, Jacqui travelled to Spain in search of her dream escape with the help of presenter Danni Menzies.
After looking at multiple apartments, Jacqui fell for a flat in Almoradi with a communal pool and rooftop costing just £45,000 – after visiting 10 times in one year, Jacqui made it her permanent home.
Talking to Sun Travel about her move to sunny Spain Jacqui said: “It took a lot of guts for me to move. To say ‘right, I’m not coming back to the UK’ took a lot of courage. But it’s been so good, I absolutely love it.”
She says that one of the biggest perks of life abroad is that going out for meals and drinks works out to be a lot cheaper.
Jacqui said: “I love going out for meals, and it’s so much cheaper than in the UK, you can get a glass of wine for €1.50.
“You can get a three-course meal and a coffee for around €10.”
Jacqui bravely bit the bullet and loves her new life abroad, she does heed some warnings for anyone hoping to do the same.
She explained: “I’m lucky as I have a plan B, I’ll never sell my house in Scotland.
“But I know a lot of people here who have sold up completely, moved lock, stock and barrel and now they’re coming into their dotage and they can’t go back because they can’t afford it.
“I also know some people who came just before Covid wanting to open a bar and then as they started, had to close because Spain went into lockdown.
“They lost so much money and used all their savings to live and have had to move back to the UK and rent which is such a shame.
“My other piece of advice would be to rent first to see if you like the area. Thanks to Brexit, Brits can only rent in Spain for three months at a time, but do that and get to know the town you like.”
The website Travelsupermarket has looked at where families can save hundreds of pounds on their week in the sun this summer
Research has found big price differences between popular summer destinations for Brits (Image: Kennedy News/Svetlana Zlbrova)
Bulgaria has emerged as the top spot for a bargain summer getaway this year, families have been advised.
With January’s peak booking season in full swing, website TravelSupermarket revealed what it says are the most affordable countries for those planning an all-inclusive sunshine holiday in 2026. Bulgaria claimed the top spot, with an average of £760 per person for a week-long stay. In second place was Morocco, at an average £852 per person for seven nights, then Malta at £862.
The data was based on analysing family holiday searches conducted between October 5 last year and last week, for travel between May and September 2026. It found big price differences across popular destinations.
Looking across 13 popular destinations, the average price of a week in Bulgaria has fallen by £54 per person – or 7% – since last summer. At the other extreme, Cyprus was found to be the most expensive in the selection, at £1,186 per person.
Spain, ever popular with Brits, and including the Balearic and Canary Islands, ranked fourth in this year’s list, at £888 per person, with prices remaining virtually unchanged from 2025. Turkey was in 11th place, costing an average £1,057, with Greece in 12th position at £1,096.
Croatia is 10th cheapest for this summer, at an average £1,046 person. But the cost of typical break to the country has tumbled by 12% since last year, making it £136 cheaper this summer.
Travelsupermarket also looked at where families looking to head long-haul could get the most bang for their buck. It found Cape Verde offered the best value, at £1,247 per person, followed by the United Arab Emirates (£1,297), then the Dominican Republic (£1,664), and Mexico (£1,694).
Chris Webber, head of holidays and deals at TravelSupermarket said: “Bulgaria looks set to reclaim its crown as the go-to bargain all-inclusive destination.
“Despite the increases, Tunisia and Morocco remain firmly in the top five cheapest countries, so families can still find excellent value there. Croatia had been starting to get a reputation as a pricey destination, especially since adopting the Euro in January 2023, so this 12% price drop is really good news for families who were beginning to feel priced out of this beautiful destination.”
Cheapest short-haul summer holiday destinations for 2026
TRAVELERS visiting America’s famed national parks are going to face an extra $100 entry fee this week.
It comes as the National Park Service announced a new initiative, called the “America-first entry fee policy”.
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The National Park Service has abruptly upped its fees for international visitorsCredit: GettyThe amount of free entry days for US citizens has also been alteredCredit: Alamy
Under the policy from January 1 2026, citizens of the US will be prioritized for free entry, while international visitors will now face higher entry fees overall.
This will bring the cost of annual passes for non-residents to $250, while US residents will continue to pay $80.
The parks will no longer offer free admission at all on select days of celebration including Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which falls on the third Monday of January, or Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19.
Though Flag Day (June 14), the anniversary of the NPS (August 25), Constitution Day (September 17), and President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (October 27), will be acknowledged as fee-free days.
So if you’re planning a trip as a US citizen, these are the best days to aim for.
Eleven national parks will be affected, including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
In total, there will be eight free-entry days in 2026, up from six in 2025, but only for American citizens and residents.
Fees and increases will continue to vary by park, so it’s always best to check online before you book or travel.
The changes will make sure US taxpayers “continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted on X.
The increased fees come months after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to increase entry fees for foreign tourists.
