Tag: top holiday destination

The Post Office has recently released its annual Worldwide Holiday Costs Barometer report, listing the world”s best value holiday destinations. This year”s Barometer, which looks at the prices of eight popular tourist items in different locations, saw Turkey make a return to the Top 10 for the first time since 2008.

Always great value, holidays to Turkey have become even more affordable recently thanks to resort prices falling by a massive 16% on average over the last 12 months, and the country now features on the ”best value” lists of many top travel bloggers.

While the Post Office recommends visiting Marmaris for its wonderful weather and awe-inspiring natural harbour, the American travel blog Fodor”s Travel Intelligence highlights Istanbul as a great value destination that offers a unique mix of eastern and western culture.

Though not the official capital city – Ankara holds that honour – it”s the largest city in Turkey and something of a cultural capital. And with the Post Office reporting a fall in Turkish restaurant prices of around 22%, you”ll find some great value culinary delights here.

For fantastic lunchtime sandwiches, visit GüngörBüfe. This place may look like just another corner shop, but it”s been lauded by a group of Italian travellers as offering the best sandwiches outside of Naples – quite an accolade. You can make your own sandwich from an unusual array of fillings, including a delicious eggplant spread, or chicken parmesan with a Turkish twist. For an authentic taste of Istanbul, visit FatihKaradenizPidecisi and sample some perfect pide, a kind of Turkish pizza. Word has it you can hear the crunch of fresh bread from outside the restaurant.

If you fancy seeing other parts of Turkey, it”s worth remembering that the country”s trains are an especially quick and affordable way of getting around. In a land with such a colourful history, you”ll never be short of things to see and do. In addition to being home to two Wonders of the Ancient World – the ruins of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and the remains of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in Bodrum – there are plenty of other treats, like the weird and wonderful ”fairy chimney” rock structures in Cappadocia.

Visit Turkey with Cosmos, with holidays available from just £226 / USD 400 per person. Take a look at for a range of low-cost deals, with flights departing from Manchester, Birmingham, London Luton, London Gatwick and Leeds Bradford airports.  www.cosmos.co.uk.

via AirGuideOnline.com — Turkey make a return to the Top 10 vacation destinations.

TURKEY is becoming THE place to head for a bargain break thanks to plummeting hotel and restaurant prices.

A survey of visitor numbers shows Turkey is closing the gap on long-time favourite Spain and is now the cheapest short-haul ­sunshine spot outside the ­eurozone.

Resort prices have plunged by 10 per cent since last year – the biggest drop across Europe – and the pound has ­strengthened against the Turkish lira.

While prices elsewhere have risen, the average cost of a coffee in Turkey has fallen from £2.03 a year ago to £1.97 now, beer is down from £2.49 to £2.41 and a pack of cigarettes is £2.49, down from £3.07. Post Office ­researchers compared the year-on-year cost of 10 tourist staples ­including soft drinks, sunscreen and an evening meal in the resort of ­Marmaris.

The price of bottled water and sunscreen has risen, but the cost of a restaurant meal for a family of four has dropped from £69 to £55 – 21 per cent ­cheaper

Many are already taking ­advantage of the deals, with sales of Turkish lira up eight per cent on last year at post offices.

And tour operators have ­responded to the better exchange rates by ­cutting the cost of package deals by up to £203.

Around 2.6million Britons visited Turkey last year – up from ­2.1million in 2008.

Post Office head of travel Sarah Munro said: “Turkey is back on the radar as a value destination. Prices are well down while Sterling is up four per cent.”

via Turkey closes in on Spain as Brits’ top cheap holiday destination, says new survey – mirror.co.uk.