Holidays can range from a long weekend at a UK Bed and Breakfast through to that 3 week holiday of a lifetime to New Zealand. So how much do people spend on their holidays and how do they pay for them? Is a holiday loan the right financial option for everyone?
The Cost of Holidays
What's the typical cost of different types of holidays? It's useful to know how much a holiday is going to cost before you get too far into the planning process. The realities of the expense of a decent holiday are a shock to many people and without the finances to pay in cash for their vacation, they often resort to holiday loans to fill the void.
Take a typical weeks skiing holiday for a family of four these days. Things were not cheap but for UK families travelling to europe, the change in exchange rates has increased costs by 20 per cent over the past few months. That's taking the cost of a trip to even an averagely priced result to over £4000 all told.
Strange as it may sound, many people are finding their winter breaks cheaper in the US or Japan rather than the usual trip to Courcheval or Meribel.
Holidaying on the Cheap
Some useful tips on getting a great holiday at a bargain price.
The traditional UK beach holiday is seeing a revival in popularity, due to the increased cost of flights abroad and falling exchange rates. Many UK seaside hotels and self-catering cottages are already booked up for the peak summer months of July and August. Brits seeking to rein in their holiday costs are finding better value at home.
But for people who are looking for that holiday of a lifetime, then taking a loan to pay for a trip further afield is still the norm. North America, Australia, The Maldives, African Safaris and the Caribbean are still the hots spots. The fast-developing resort of Dubai is also becoming popular, espcially as a winter sun destination.
