I SPEND most of my days scouring the web to track down the cheapest possible holiday deals – to share them all with Sun Club members.
Spending so much time filtering and flicking through holiday websites means I’ve gotten pretty good at seeking out a bargain.
In fact, I’m often finding UK breaks for under £5pp, city breaks for £99 and under, and even family holidays abroad for £150pp or less.
So I’ve decided to reveal exactly how I find these cheap holidays: the very best websites to use, and how to use them to bag the best deals.
Loveholidays and On the Beach are two incredible companies when it comes to bagging the cheapest deals.
Both offer package holidays which bundle in your return flights, accommodation and board of your choice – so there’s no need to worry about having to book it all separately.
With Loveholidays, it’s really easy to filter breaks by all inclusive, family friendly, short haul, long haul and more.
Their cheap holidays page lets you pick between cheap all-inclusives, beach holidays, city breaks and even family holidays with free child stays.
You can also filter by breaks under £500pp or even under £300pp. Drag the slider bar all the way down to the bottom, and you may even find hols for £120pp or under.
For example, under the ‘Cheap Beach Holidays’ tab, I found a week-long holiday to a four-star resort in Magaluf in October for £119pp.
On The Beach works in a similar fashion, and their cheap holidays page is regularly updated with ‘our cheapest deals of the week’, which often start from a super low £100pp to destinations like Portugal and Malta.
This page also currently has a ‘cheap holidays for autumn under £500′ section.
Some of the cheapest holidays they’re offering this autumn are week-long breaks to Turkey (from £135pp) and the Canary Islands (from £180pp).
One of the best deals I found for autumn using the cheap holidays page to navigate the offers is for a four night break in The Algarve for £95pp.
As well as UK breaks, Wowcher is also great for booking holidays abroad.
Yes they have the classic £99 mystery holiday, but they also offer beach holidays, European city breaks, cruises and even long haul escapes.
These include a glamorous Lake Como getaway from £79pp, an all-inclusive Egypt holiday from £299, and even an incredible Las Vegas holiday with flights for £399.
I recommend browsing their cheap holiday packages page or all-inclusive holidays page.
Lastminute.com is another great site that does what it says on the tin – and more.
While the homepage often showcases some of the site’s best value deals, they also have specific pages rounding up cheap family holiday destinations as well as cheap adults-only resorts.
Plus the site is still king when it comes to bagging a last-minute break. This webpage rounds up the week’s best exclusive deal, plus an offer of the week and last chance bargains.
Offers of the week are certainly one to keep an eye open for – their most recent was for a trip to a 5* resort in Tenerife for four nights with flights for £484pp.
The site also has a loyalty programme which is completely free to join, and can bag you up to an extra 15 per cent off holidays and experiences.
The offers get better the more holidays you take, and as you climb the ranks you can unlock more and more perks.
These include free travel audioguides, 10 per cent off car hire and free lounge access if your flight is delayed.
Sundeals is the new kid on the block when it comes to cheap holiday deals, and is a new branch of familiar favourite holiday company TUI.
Here you can explore deals by budget (under £350, under £500, under £1,000) or by destination and more.
On their cheap holidays page, I’ve found all inclusive holidays from £234pp, beach holidays from £115pp and city breaks from £147pp.
Plus, the holiday company offers holidays with super low deposits from £30pp, so you can get your next break locked in for cheap.
This is the only site you’ll have to pay for on this list, but my goodness is your membership worth it.
A Travelzoo membership costs £30 a year, but you can also try out 30 days of membership for £1.
Signing up means you’ll get Travelzoo’s ‘Top 20 deals’ dropped into your inbox each week, so you can easily have a quick browse to see if anything takes your fancy.
Or you can head to the site to browse cheap holiday deals broken down into loads of specific categories, from Asia Pacific holiday deals to island holidays and safari deals.
The best value to be found for foreign holidays here is for long haul breaks. The first time I came across their long haul holiday deals, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes.
You can visit gorgeous hotels in New York for £653pp, the Dominican Republic for £690pp and Mexico for £860pp – all for a week-long break including flights.
I even found an 11-night Egypt holiday which packs in your flights, four nights at a 5* all inclusive resort – followed by a Nile cruise which stops at major historical sights – for an unbelievable £549pp.
To be able to view and book these deals, you have to be signed up as a member.
Where you’re looking for your holidays is equally as important as how you’re looking.
You might be tempted to hop online and look for the same familiar favourites you’ve been to before, such as cheap Spain or Greece holidays.
But if you’re open to trying somewhere new, I’d recommend not ticking the ‘destination’ box. Instead, go for ‘beach holidays’ and see what pops up.
That way, you’re opening up hundreds or even thousands of new holiday options – which massively increases your chances of finding something cheaper.
And if you know there’s somewhere you really don’t want to go to, you can just untick it from the left-hand column of the page. Easy peasy.
I’d recommend keeping an eye out for Bulgaria, Albania and Montenegro holidays specifically.
These three destinations are absolute powerhouses when it comes to an affordable beach holiday.
Bulgaria has all-inclusive getaways from £279 and flights from the UK under £15. Plus once you’re there, you can grab a meal out for under £9 and a cappuccino for just 88p.
Albania has been named the ‘Maldives of Europe‘ thanks to its beaches with bright white sand and electric blue seas, with holidays from £165pp.
Montenegro offers £255 holidays and even has been referred to as ‘St Tropez with Benidorm prices’ by one travel expert.
Forget paying for just a bed for the night. Best Western’s GEM stays are hotel break packages with your room, food, and extra perks completely sorted for you.
The GEM packages stand for ‘Great Escapes, Memorable Stays’ and are centred around a huge variety of fun experiences.
The Somerset Family Escape package (from £123.38 per night) bundles in a family stay for two adults and one child with breakfast plus soft play access for the kids while parents can unwind in the spa.
Whereas the Ultimate Girls Night In package at Brackenborough Lakes & Resort reserves a hot tub lodge for two nights, breakfast each morning, three bottles of Prosecco and £15 takeaway credit per person from £44.50pp per night.
The UK holidays section of Wowcher is hiding some serious bargains, from spa weekends, to city hotel stays, to rural retreats.
Look for any offers with the pink ‘Price Drop’ label to find the cheapest deals.
Some of the top offers for UK breaks on Wowcher right now include a 4* break in Manchester for two with breakfast for £105, shaving 41 per cent off full-price.
Another fantastic offer is for a wellness retreat to Woodford Bridge Country Club, where four people can escape for four nights from £79 (£4.94pp per night).
Travelzoo’s UK holiday deals are just as impressive as their deals for holidays abroad.
If you head to their UK hotel breaks, deals and stays page, you can find weekends away from as little as £59.
You can stay at one of the world’s oldest inns, The Olde Bell in Hurley, from £75 a night with breakfast. This saves you 48 per cent when compared to booking direct.
Another great deal is this two night break in Northumberland for £89pp, which puts you up in the Riverdale Hall Hotel which overlooks the Northumberland National Park.
And that super cheap £59 deal? It’s for a seafront stay in Eastbourne, with an overnight break for two at the The Lansdowne hotel, working out to only £29.50pp.
Remember, however, that you have to be a Travelzoo member to unlock these deals (£30 per year).
Whether you enjoy pitching up a tent, cosying up in a caravan or even splashing out on a hot tub lodge, holiday parks have stays to suit all budgets.
Choosing to stay in a holiday park can be a fantastic way to tick off a new UK destination without having to fork out on an expensive hotel.
You can often bag a three or four night family break at a holiday park for £90-£100 if you know where to look, which would typically only get you one night in a hotel!
If you’re looking for a super cheap getaway, The Sun’s £9.50 holidays offer some of the best rates out there, which are often significantly cheaper than booking with the same park direct.
The bargain holidays are released in stages throughout the year, with the biggest Hols from £9.50 drop taking place in January,
As a Sun Club member you can bag your break earlier than anyone else – so make use of this perk!
Make sure to check the Sun Club Offers Hub and club950.co.uk to keep updated with Hols from £9.50 releases.
If the £9.50 holiday booking window is closed, Parkdean Resorts and Park Holidays offer some of the best rates among UK holiday parks.
Look out for Parkdean’s last minute breaks page where you can bag a three night stay in Norfolk from £99 or Cornwall from £109.
Park Holidays have 50+ award-winning parks across the UK – their short breaks page offers stays from £129.
Want to save even more? Go for a cosy wooden glamping pod instead of a caravan with Park Holidays, and you can stay from £50 for a two night break. These pods sleep four, so that’s only £6.25pp per night.
SACRAMENTO — As Californians prepare to elect a new governor in November, the concern they want to be his top priority is reducing the state’s entrenched high cost of living, according to a poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times.
Not too far behind that is strong voter support for fighting the policies of the Trump administration. That may be among the many reasons 58% of likely voters surveyed support Democrat Xavier Becerra in the governor’s race compared to the 33% who back Republican Steve Hilton, whom the president endorsed.
“These results suggest that Becerra is in a commanding position heading to November,” said IGS co-director Eric Schickler. “With 2026 shaping up to be a strong Democratic year nationally, the headwinds facing Hilton in Democratic-leaning California are even stronger than usual.”
The poll found that Becerra’s lead over Hilton had increased slightly since an August IGS poll, and the Democrat now holds a 25-percentage-point advantage.
Despite an effort to reach out to Democrats and independent voters and making California’s high housing costs, top-in-the-nation gasoline prices and other increasing daily living expenses a central focus of his campaign, Hilton is struggling to gain ground in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, the poll found.
“The difficult thing is that Steve Hilton’s a Republican in California,” said Tim Rosales, a Republican strategist who previously advised GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox in the 2018 race against Newsom. “On the scale of what’s more important to voters, the cost of living certainly is there, but those Democrats really aren’t willing to cast a vote or cross party lines to vote for a Republican.”
Asked to name one or two of their top concerns heading into the Nov. 3 election, 44% of likely voters cited the cost of living, 37% said it was important to push back against policies from the Trump administration and 30% said they wanted to help their political party win or maintain control of Congress.
“The November elections are being held at a time when the economic backdrop is worsening not only in California but across the nation, as prices are rising on most major household purchases, including groceries, gasoline, electricity and healthcare,” said IGS poll director Mark DiCamillo. “Pocketbook issues have traditionally played a big role in election politics and this year is no exception.”
Democrats, who make up nearly half of California’s 23 million registered voters, “understand the cost of living, and they feel it. They just feel like they need a new Democrat to deal with it,” Rosales said.
“Independent voters are a little bit different. They aren’t partisan but they are ideological and there is some opportunity there.” But Hilton would “need a whole lot of them in California in order to have a chance on a statewide level,” he said.
More than half of likely voters not registered with either the Democratic or Republican parties — most of whom declare themselves as “no party preference” — said they supported Becerra in the governor’s race, while 30% favored Hilton. The remaining 14% were undecided.
Hilton has made a slew of campaign promises to lower the cost of living, including $3 gasoline, no taxes on income below $150,000 and lowering energy bills by slashing climate-friendly regulations imposed by Democrats.
Both Rosales and DiCamillo agreed that while voters list affordability as a top issue, Democrats in particular are more motivated by the opportunity to push back on President Trump in the midterm elections.
“When you look at the Becerra voters on the issues or concerns that are important to them, it’s really framed by fighting Trump administration policies. I think that’s an indication of what’s happening in this election cycle,” DiCamillo said. “You’re seeing it across the country as well.”
The poll showed that 59% of Becerra supporters said fighting the Trump administration was a top priority, while 62% of Hilton supporters said reducing taxes was their main concern. More than 60% of undecided voters listed the cost of living as a top item.
Trump, who remains extremely unpopular among most Californians, endorsed Hilton for governor in April. Though the president’s backing helped the former Fox News host consolidate enough Republican support to finish second in the June primary, allowing him to advance to the November election, it may hurt his chance in the general election. A recent Public Policy Institute of California poll showed Trump with a 27% approval rating in the state, a record low across both of his terms.
Hilton has tried to court voters, especially Latinos and independents, who dislike Trump but are also dissatisfied with California’s Democratic leadership and its failure to alleviate some of California’s most incessant problems. The British-born Republican has also declined to criticize the president on issues including immigration enforcement or the Iran war.
Becerra’s wide lead is also boosted by his favorability rating — 48% of likely voters have a favorable opinion of him while 40% view him unfavorably and 11% have no opinion. Hilton’s rating is underwater; 51% of likely voters have an unfavorable opinion compared to 35% favorable and 13% with no opinion.
The Republican has criticized his opponent for doing few public events since the primary election and challenged Becerra to accept debate invitations from roughly a half-dozen news outlets around the state.
The two are scheduled to meet in a Sept. 30 nationally televised debate in Burbank hosted by CNN.
The poll was conducted online in English and Spanish from Sept. 15 to 20. Responses for the governor’s race poll came from a weighted sample of 4,512 respondents considered likely to vote in the November election, from a larger group of 6,989 registered voters throughout California. It has a margin of error of 2 percentage points in either direction.
La Liga president Javier Tebas says claiming there is a refereeing conspiracy against Real Madrid is like “living in another galaxy”.
Real manager Jose Mourinho accused officials of making key errors after his side were beaten 2-1 by rivals Atletico Madrid last week.
Mourinho brought printouts of screenshots to the post-match news conference, claiming Atletico should have been given two red cards in the first half.
Writing in response to an article in the Spanish media which claimed there is a “conspiracy” against Real, Tebes dismissed the allegations.
“Claiming that referees are directed against Real Madrid is living in another galaxy,” Tebas said on social media.
“That narrative serves as an excuse to cover up other shortcomings that are plain to see in these first matches of the season.
“It’s more comfortable to point to a conspiracy than to explain what’s happening on the pitch.”
Real are fourth in La Liga, six points behind Barcelona who top the table on 21 points after winning all seven of their league games this season.
After defeat by Atletico, where Real went down to 10 men in a feisty encounter after defender Dean Huijsen was sent off, Mourinho blamed the officiating.
“We can skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here,” Mourinho said as he showed media the printed images.
“Those were two clear red cards. Given the difficulties we faced afterwards playing 11 against 10, we can only imagine what 50 minutes of 11 against nine would have been like.”
Tebas has been critical of Real and its president Florentino Perez in previous years after disagreeing with their plans to join a European Super League in 2021.
In 2025 he said Real had “lost their head” after the club sent a formal letter of complaint to the Spanish FA about officiating in the league.
Frankie Muniz had a vulnerable moment on social media Friday, revealing he’s hit rock bottom following the announcement of his split from wife Paige Price.
The “Malcolm in the Middle” star announced he and Price were calling it quits after seven years of marriage in July, and now the actor is revealing he’s experienced some painful introspection in recent weeks.
“The last 6 weeks of my life have been a nightmare I’m praying to wake up from,” he wrote on Instagram. “Everything felt heavy, unclear, and like it was falling apart at the same time. I wouldn’t wish this season on anyone.”
He continued that despite the painful experience, “the unexpected gift in the middle of it is that I’ve had nowhere to hide.”
The actor-turned-race car driver said he’s spent the last several weeks reflecting and can now see the areas of his life where he thinks he can improve.
“I want to become a better version of me. Not the polished version I show the world … the actual one,” he wrote.
“I read that sometimes hitting rock bottom is the thing that wakes you up. It forces the changes you needed to make all along so you can live the best life possible. That idea has been sitting with me. In five years I believe I’ll look back at this exact low point and feel grateful for it, because the high I’ll be standing on then only exists because I went through this.”
He told his followers that this period isn’t the end of the story, but the catalyst for change.
“It’s the part where I start doing the work … the uncomfortable, unglamorous, necessary work. I’m choosing to treat this season as the foundation, not the finish line.”
Shortly after Muniz’s post, Price posted an Instagram story with a message that some followers speculated may be a response to the actor’s admission.
“Life is all about perspective. If you ask the grass, the zebra is the monster and the lion is the protector,” Price wrote.
Muniz is best known for his titular starring role in the beloved Fox sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle,” which ran for seven seasons in the early aughts. In April, the series returned for a four-episode reunion arc on Hulu starring returning fan favorites Bryan Cranston as Hal, Jane Kaczmarek as Lois and a couple of Malcolm’s TV siblings.
In 2006, when “Malcolm in the Middle” wrapped, Muniz transitioned away from acting and pursued race car driving.
The Labour Party chair has said Sir Jim Ratcliffe loses “the moral high ground” by making statements about the UK while living in tax exile.
Speaking to Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Bridget Phillipson said she would take the billionaire businessman’s comments that the UK was “on the slide” with a “pinch of salt”.
Sir Jim, the founder of petrochemical giant Ineos and Manchester United’s co-owner, told the BBC he has lost confidence in the UK due to a combination of high taxes and high immigration.
He has been a tax resident in Monaco since 2020 and said “things would have to get better” in the UK for him to return.
When questioned over the remarks, Phillipson said Sir Jim loses “the moral high ground” by “making these kinds of pronouncements while choosing to make decisions, that he is within his rights to make, to become a tax exile”.
Pushed on whether it bothers her that people who create jobs and pay a lot of tax were leaving the UK, the minister said she was “optimistic about our country’s prospects”.
Other high profile billionaires have left the UK, including including steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and most recently the UK’s third biggest taxpayer, hedge-fund boss Chris Rokos.
But, Philipson argued the country was in a good position ahead of the Budget next month, and Andy Burnham has shown a “sense of hope and optimism whilst recognising that many families are still struggling and there is more to do.”
“Of course, there are challenges, including big international headwinds, but I fundamentally believe that we are in a strong position going into this budget because of the decisions taken over the last two years, and I believe our country’s best days lie ahead of us,” she said.
Philipson declined to speculate over whether there would be tax rises in the Budget on 28 October, and said the government remained committed to being disciplined about its spending rules.
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Sonida Senior Living (SNDA) was trading higher as Baird Equity Research raised its recommendation on the stock to Buy equivalent.
Shares were 1.19% higher at $38.33 Friday afternoon.
“We believe SNDA is well-positioned to benefit from the highly favorable senior