MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Strong sterling and UK prices have vacation Britons fleeing to the continent

Bulgaria and Turkey best bargains for vacations

Soaring sterling rates are giving Britons and Gibraltarians as much as 14% more cash for their summer 2012 trips to Euro Europe compared with last year, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

Bulgaria is the best bargain country for Britons, the cost index from Post Office Travel Money showed. But for those shunning Europe and taking a holiday at home, Brighton was found to be the most expensive of the 15 destinations surveyed.

While a basket of 10 typical holiday costs, including a three-course meal, was just £42.79 in Bulgaria, the same items cost £79.25 in Brighton.

The second least-expensive destination was Turkey where the items at the resort of Marmaris cost just £54.22 - a dip of 22% compared with 2011 prices.

Prices on Spain’s Costa del Sol have risen 35% since last year, with the 10 items now costing £56.84. Portugal costs have also gone up - by 10% - but prices have gone down in most of the destinations surveyed.

Of the non-Euro-zone destinations, Croatia was the most expensive, with the items costing £73.65.

Post Office Travel Money head Andrew Brown said: “Resort prices and currency exchange rates are always changing, so it is worth doing some research to check the latest position before booking a holiday. It is also worth considering how you plan to spend your holiday cash.

“Our index includes the price of one meal but, if you eat out every night, the difference in cost between destinations can be quite marked.

“For example, according to our research, eating out for seven nights in either Bulgaria or Portugal will cost less than £175 but over £280 in Spain, France or Malta.