You need to hear this: Marmaris just got back its title of the best value holiday spot! Congratulations to all who stood for Marmaris!

As per latest UK Post Office Report: ‘Marmaris in Türkiye (Turkey) is cheapest this time, beating Sunny Beach in Bulgaria. Both are much better value than places that use the Euro.’ examines the average local prices of standard items to help travelers assess the affordability of different destinations. The report compares prices in 16 European resort destinations and evaluates the cost of 10 tourist items, such as an evening meal, sun cream, and a range of drinks.

Family Holiday Report 2025

Discover the best-value European destinations for families with our annual report on local costs for holiday essentials.

This year, Marmaris in Türkiye is cheapest overall. But where else will your money go further? And what can you expect to pay for individual items, like those to help keep the kids entertained at the beach?

Read the key takeaways here or download the full report.

Last updated: 15/7/2025

The best-value family destinations for 2025

Every year, the Post Office Travel Money Family Holiday Report reveals the places in Europe where UK families get best value.

This year’s report¹, created with travel operator TUI, compares how much 10 holiday essentials cost in 16 destinations. They include drinks, snacks, lunch, dinner and suncream.

Marmaris in Türkiye (Turkey) is cheapest this time, beating Sunny Beach in Bulgaria. Both are much better value than places that use the euro.

According to our consumer research², nearly eight in 10 families plan to go abroad this year. But about the same number spent too much last time, going 42% over their budgets. Food, drinks and treats for kids were big reasons why.

Our report helps you plan by showing what things cost before you go. Here, we’ve shared the key findings and the 10 cheapest places. It includes the Children’s Beach Barometer³, showing how much beach fun can add to your costs.

Key findings

• Marmaris came out cheapest, even though prices there rose by over 10% since last summer
• Sunny Beach in Bulgaria is now the second cheapest. Even though its prices are up 17%, it’s still almost 10% cheaper than the closest Eurozone resort
• The Algarve in Portugal (3rd) is still the cheapest place in the Eurozone, but prices went up by 15%
• Paphos in Cyprus (4th) is closing in on the Algarve, with total basket costs just under £1 more
• Majorca (15th) had the biggest price rise, with costs going up by 21%
• Crete (7th) saw the sharpest price drop, by almost 8%. It’s moved up to seventh in the rankings
• Lanzarote (5th) also got a bit cheaper, with costs falling by 2%
• Ibiza (16th) is still the most expensive place in the survey. A holiday basket there costs £242.79, almost twice as much as in Marmaris
• Prices went up in 13 out of the 16 European resorts checked. This reflects a broad trend of higher local costs
• Families spent an average of £202 on kids’ beach extras alone, a key factor driving holiday overspending

Top 10 best-value family destinations

Here are the resorts that came out cheapest overall for the 10 items we researched combined.

Top 10 cheapest beach spots for families

Many parents in our research said they spent more than planned on their last holiday because their kids wanted extra treats.

Things like buckets and spades, lilos, swimming masks, ice creams, pedalo rides and waterpark visits can quickly add up. For a family of four, these extras can cost between £179 and £290 in just one week, depending on where you go.

To help families save, our Children’s Beach Barometer shows which destinations offer the best value for kids’ beach fun. Here are the top 10 places where your money goes further.