All-inclusive holiday deals are cheaper in hotspots including Majorca and the Costa del Sol than going for a DIY break.
It may seem counterintuitive to think that a week's holiday kicking back by the pool with unlimited drinks and food would be cheaper than staying in a holiday apartment and sourcing snacks and alcohol yourself.
A recent study looked at six European holidays for a family of four in August, and found that an all-inclusive package holiday in a three-star hotel was cheaper in seven of them.
Even if you upgrade to a four-star hotel, all-inclusive deals cost less nearly half the time, the Which? research found.
The research compared a DIY holiday, where you stay in a hotel and eat and drink in local restaurants and bars, with the cheapest available all-inclusive holidays from the likes of Jet2holidays and TUI.
The destination with the biggest difference was Majorca.
The cheapest all-inclusive deal was £276 cheaper per person than a DIY holiday, meaning a family of four could save £1,100. Of course, it's worth noting that Majorca has introduced new tourist rules which include drinks limits on all-inclusive breaks.
Corfu was also around £150 cheaper per person if you opt for a three-star all inclusive option, while going all inclusive in the Costa del Sol costs a little less than doing it yourself.
Portugal’s Algarve was the exception: a DIY holiday was cheaper than an all-inclusive holiday - but by less than £50. That’s because flights to the Algarve in August are relatively inexpensive as are and meals and drinks.
Cheapest all inclusive destinations
(Destination: DIY price pp; 3-star all-inclusive price pp; 4-star all-inclusive price pp)
- Black Sea Coast, Bulgaria: £832; £801; £878
- Corfu, Greece: £955; £808; £1,080
- Majorca, Spain: £1,092; £816; £977
- Marmaris, Turkey: £908; £904; £928
- Costa del Sol, Spain: £980; £912; £915
- Algarve, Portugal: £924; £968; £1,055
Costa Barcelona - the stretch of coast north of Barcelona - is the cheapest destination for a short-haul all-inclusive break in early August.
Spain’s Costa Dorada, Fuerteventura, the Greek island of Zakynthos and Dalaman on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast also offer comparatively cheap all-inclusive package holidays in peak season.
The research compared the average cost of more than 2,500 short-haul package holidays from Jet2Holidays and Tui in five countries to find the lowest-priced resorts in the third week of the school summer holidays.
An all-inclusive package includes flights, accommodation, three buffet meals a day, snacks and local drinks. Entertainment, kids clubs (where the hotel has one) and selected activities are also usually thrown in, as are transfers.
Going for an all-inclusive also has the advantage of coming with extra protections if something goes wrong. If you decide to go DIY, book your flights and hotel together - with the same company, at the same time - to enjoy the same Atol protection given to all-inclusive package deals.
If you prefer to make your own holiday, knowing how much different parts of it will cost in different destinations is useful. The list below uses figures from the Post Office, Kayak and Skyscanner to show how much you might fork out if you opt against all inclusive.
Do you prefer an all-inclusive holiday? Let us know in the comments below.
