Turkey tops ranking of cheapest family holiday destinations
The port city has the lowest prices out of 16 popular locations for a basket of 10 tourist items, Post Office Travel Money said.
This included just £67.67 for a three-course meal for two adults and two children with wine and soft drinks.
Other low prices included 16p for a 1.5-litre bottle of mineral water from a supermarket, £1.81 for a bottle or can of cola at a cafe or bar, and £2.61 for insect repellent.
Post Office Travel Money said the low prices for UK visitors are partly due to a sharp fall in the value of the Turkish lira.
Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, was found to be the second-cheapest destination, with Portugal's Algarve taking the third spot.
Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at Post Office, said: 'The collapse of the lira makes Turkish resorts like Marmaris a natural choice for families.
'However, visitors should be aware that while sterling is worth a third more than last July, local prices have increased dramatically because of the currency's collapse.
'Thankfully, once the positive exchange rate is applied to those local prices, British visitors will only have to pay around 10% more than a year ago, and this increase is much lower than in many other destinations.'
The total price for the basket of goods at Marmaris (£128.99) was nearly half the price compared with the most expensive destination analysed, Spain's Ibiza (£242.79).
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Prices for UK holidaymakers have risen in 13 of the 16 locations.
Ms Plunkett added: 'We found big price variations in the destinations surveyed, particularly comparing those in the eurozone.
'For example, prices in the Algarve are almost £100 lower for the same 10 items surveyed than in Ibiza.
'This makes it vitally important for holidaymakers to do their homework and take enough travel money to cover costs in the resort they are visiting.'
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Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
England fans face fines of up to £500 for wearing football shirts in Spain
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Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
It's not just Brits misbehaving abroad! Inside 'German Magaluf' where 'disrespectful' holidaymakers get VERY drunk leaving locals furious
From the smell of sizzling bratwurst sausages and sea of intoxicated people donning German football shirts you could think you had mistakenly landed in Munich in the height of summer. But this beach resort, lined with Bavarian beer halls, or Bierhalle, is in fact not within the Deutsch borders but is located on the sunny island of Majorca. The Balearic island has for long been a British favourite, whether it be for a relaxing family holiday beside the waters of Port Alcudia or Santa Ponsa, or for a boozy party-filled trip in Magaluf. And so it comes as a surprise to many Brits when they accidentally find themselves booked into hotels just minutes from the capital Palma to hear only the sound of German voices. Sat along the south coast of Majorca, just a 5-minute drive from the airport, the resort of S'Arenal is known for its vibrant nightlife, with huge clubs holding over 2,000 people. But nicknamed the 'German Magaluf', the resort is '90 per cent German', with more bratwurst and kebab stalls than tapas restaurants and souvenir shops stocked with t-shirts written in Deutsch and even German-language novels. Menus have Deutsch translations, supermarkets display German snacks, and almost all the music blasting from the eclectic strip of bars and beer halls is German. And by early evening flocks of young Germans flood the streets chugging beers as they get blackout drunk while police patrol the area. When MailOnline visited the crowded tourist spot this week it was so exclusively German that our reporter only came across three groups of Brits - all of whom said they had 'no idea' they had booked themselves in for a German getaway. Friends Afia Adjei and Chiara Yeboah, both 18, were on their first girls trip after finishing school and had booked a hotel in S'Arenal after seeing it was just minutes from the capital and was right by the beach. Other locations they'd looked at seemed to be more expensive and Magaluf was a long ride away from Palma Airport. But what they had not expected was to land on German territory. One of the girls exclaimed 'Oh thank God!' when they heard a familiar accent as our reporter approached them. The pair told of how they had no idea they had booked into a German resort. They told MailOnline: 'We were so shocked. We got here and were sat outside and heard people speaking and thought 'Is that Spanish or German?'. 'Then we realised it was German and it took a while for us to realise it was a German area. 'We really thought we were going to get the whole Spanish experience. 'But apart from the hotel staff and restaurant staff we haven't come across any Spanish locals. 'When we had lunch yesterday we saw one British couple, but that was it. 'It's so German. We haven't even had any Spanish food here yet. 'When we booked it we had no idea, it was just closer to the airport than the hotel we were originally looking at. 'It was a big shock. We've been looking for clubs to go to but we're going to Magaluf for that. 'We have just been staying around here so far, but we would have hoped for more culture. 'Even the dinners here it's a big culture shock, there wasn't any Spanish food. 'I'm just happy we can talk to someone who can speak English, we've just been speaking to each other. 'It is nice here but if we come back to Majorca we'd choose somewhere with maybe a few more Brits.' While walking through 'German Magaluf' may come as a shock to many Brits, for whom Majorca has always been a beloved British spot, it is not so surprising when looking at the figures. Germans make up the largest group of tourists in Majorca, with official data from 2023 showing they accounted for 40 per cent of all holidaymakers. While the small island had 4.23million German visitors in 2023, Brits - who make up the second largest group of tourists - made 2.34million visits. And S'Arenal is not the only part of Majorca that has been claimed by Germans. To the west, Peguera, next door to the British favourite Santa Ponsa, is filled with German cafes and bars and is dubbed 'Little Germany'. Affluent German tourists are also known to buy properties in the upmarket locations of Port D'Andratx, Deià and Pollensa. The Balearic island also now has a significant number of visitors from Holland and Sweden, with Dutch pubs lining the street further down from the German section along S'Arenal. Locals are said to be frustrated with the drunk havoc caused by Germans on this strip. The area is known to be problematic, with German police officers drafted in in the summer of 2023 to assist Spanish police in patrolling the streets. 'We wanted a spontaneous trip, we just bought flight tickets this morning, booked a flight and came out here', another one of the very few British couples the Mail came across in the strip in S'Arenal said. 'We had no idea it's so German, we've only just got here so we hadn't even noticed. We assumed it'd be mixed, we don't know what it's like yet. 'But there aren't many Spanish tapas places around, it seems to all be kebab shops. We just had Italian for lunch. Bierkonig, another big beerhall on the strip, with a fan shop outside selling merchandise. Partygoers were seen sporting Bierkonig branded tops 'There are also a lot of Dutch tourists here, there were a table of them here just now having jagerbombs.' When MailOnline visited the resort, by 6pm the beer halls were bustling with crowds of Germans wearing football shirts and wristbands in the colours of their flag. And despite street drinking being banned in parts of Majorca including Magaluf and Arenal last year, many were seen with cans and bottles in hand as they staggered along the 5km stretch of beach filled with German bars which the Deutsch refer to as 'Ballermann'. By night, teens were seen lying flat on pavements and sitting by the beach head in hands. At one point, police ordered drunk revelers who had entered the sea after midnight to get out. The behaviour of drunk Germans during early hours is said to have caused anger among Spanish locals who feel they are 'disrespectful'. Though, many pointed out that they end up in less fights than Brits, who have grown a reputation for causing chaos abroad. A Brit, sat in the only remaining British pub in the area, said: 'I had a free trip and I chose this place, I never knew it was so German. 'I didn't know of the resort before I came here and I've heard since I arrived that it's the German Magaluf. 'But I do think the Germans handle themselves quite well, it's not like the Brits. The English are the worst for that.' Pub owners told of how police ignore the behaviour of German tourists and do not crack down on street drinking, suggesting they are stricter on British hotspot Magaluf while the Germans can 'get away with murder'. Gerry Herriot, from Glasgow, runs Bogart's, the only lasting British pub on the S'Arenal strip, further south near the Dutch side. While he agreed that the fighting 'is a British thing' and not such an issue with German tourists, he said the Deutsch were problematic in other ways and said they get too drunk and are 'disrespectful'. He also told MailOnline how the now almost exclusively German area was once diverse with a good mix of tourists including Brits. He said: 'I've been here for 42 years, same bar same place. We get a mix of everyone here, we get the Germans, Brits and also Spanish locals. 'It never used to be like this, there used to be a mix of everyone. 'There used to be a lot of British bars around here, about 30 or 40 of them. Lots. 'But they're all gone now. 'Now these travel companies send people all to one place, so Magaluf if you're British or Arenal if you're German, and it's become all separate. 'It used to be a great atmosphere because everyone would mix and get to know others. 'It wasn't all German before. 'What's happened is before you would get the Germans in May, when they'd come with their families, and then in September with their dart teams. 'But what you have now is young Germans clocked onto that and all come here, and now it's mainly Germans throughout. 'You do get some Brits in here that complain that it's too German.' Speaking about the behaviour of Germans in Arenal, he said they treat the area like 'Disneyland'. He told MailOnline: 'There is no respect. 'The locals have no problem with tourism, but it's the behaviour. 'The Germans call it 'Mali', short for Majorca. They say "we're in Mali, we're in Mali". 'But they get away with murder here, that's what the Spanish people have a problem with. 'The Spanish say it's like Disneyland, they treat it like they can do anything. 'It's against the law to drink on the streets here since last year but they don't enforce it. 'If you walk down you'll see them with their beer cans. 'There is no respect. And the police just ignore it. 'A German tourist came in the other day and asked 'are there any Spanish people living in this area?' 'Can you believe that. 'There are Spanish locals living and working here, and the Germans are all over the streets. 'The fighting is a British thing, the Brits all fight. But the Germans don't really, it isn't a thing. 'They're a bit arrogant and stuff but they don't really fight. 'In 40 years I can count on my two hands the amount of times there's been problems at my pub. 'The problem with the Germans is they are just p***heads. 'They come into the hotels with bottles of beer, are out drinking on the street till late. 'Many years ago they said they wanted to make the place upmarket. We wanted to put out table and chairs and they said 'oh no no you can't put out plastic chairs' but they haven't enforced anything. Even signboards were written in German, including this one with rules for Bamboleo beerhall 'I think in Magaluf they have been a bit stricter. They need to do the same here.' One of the biggest nightclubs in the area, Mega-Park is extremely popular with Germans, with tickets up to £35 for just entry. Music at the popular open-air nightclub, as with most pubs and beer halls in the area, are almost entirely German, with popular Deutsch stars flown in to perform live. While for Brits they would not even recognise the singers, holidaymakers from Bavaria said some of the acts are very big names from home. Max Hubmayer, 35, is from Germany but has been living in Arenal for more than ten years. He told MailOnline: 'This is Germany. 'Germany is here, and the Dutch side is at the other end. Then the Brits have Magaluf. 'For about 10km here it is mostly German, it is like a culture place for us, it is like being in Germany. 'It's been like this for the last 40 years. 'Brits don't really come here, if they did they wouldn't like it, everything is German even the music is German, they wouldn't understand anything. 'Germans wouldn't like also. This is a German place, this is our culture place. And most British can't speak German.' Asked about which area is worse, he said: 'The British people fight more. Here it's okay, for so many people here there are not so much fights. But Magaluf, the Brits are a bit crazy, but I have no problem with Magaluf.' Diana Hermes, 22, and Leonine Kratzer, 24 had just landed in 'German Magaluf' and told MailOnline it was the go-to holiday spot for young Germans 'wanting to drink'. One of the streets with lines of German bars is seen packed on a Monday night They said: 'We like to come here we can drink a lot here. 'But 90 per cent of people here are German. We haven't seen any Brits.' Their friends Lukas Ott, Tobias Bux and Jonas Bux joined them as they exclaimed jokingly to MailOnline, 'Why aren't you in Magaluf? What are you doing here?' 'This is German central.' While locals acknowledged that Germans can cause problems with getting too drunk, there was a universal consensus that the 'English are more trouble'. A security guard outside wooden chalet-style German bar Bumbeleo noticed our British reporters and asked: 'Do you have a car? You need to go and see Magaluf. Asked about whether he prefers Magaluf or Arenal, he said: 'For work I prefer the German side, but for partying Brits are better. 'For work, the English are more trouble, they start more fights.' While the Arenal area is packed with Deutsch supermarkets, bars and food stalls, as you walk along the strip towards Ca'n Pastilla it becomes more and more mixed. Daniel Heckel and Nicole Neuner, 28 and 25, were sat out by the side of the harbour at the end of their night. They said: 'If you go about 10 minutes drive away to Ca'n Pastilla it is a lot more mixed. That's where we are staying and our hotel is fully British. 'It's always nice to meet other people and the Spanish people have been very friendly. 'Here it's German, down there it's Netherlands, then that way is England,' they pointed. Meanwhile, a group of German boys on holiday were heavily drinking as they celebrated their friend's birthday. The group, all ages between 18 and 20, said: 'It's a very German area, it's good for drinking. 'I'd say it's about 80 or 90 per cent German, to be honest we haven't seen any Brits.' A group of German boys celebrating their friend's birthday said: 'We came here last year as a group. 'The birthday boy has been here six times. 'It's good if you want to drink and have a good time. 'It's mainly German, but this year there is lots of Netherlands and Swedish people. But they go to their separate discos, whereas Mega Park and the others here are mainly German. 'They are very fun. One of them has a slide you go down to get in. 'There aren't many British in this area but they had a fight the other day. 'I think it was two Scottish guys, one guy on top of the other. 'They were looking for trouble, the British are always fighting. 'The Germans are pretty chill, you don't really see it with Germans. 'I don't think Brits would come here or like it, mostly because there's 100 per cent German songs and dances, if you're from England you understand nothing, so it's not fun.'
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside luxury beach-side hotel with 12 restaurants and roller-blading waiters serving drinks on the click of an app
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) I SUPPOSE I could walk over and order a drink at the bar... Or I could just tap a button on the hotel app, continue lapping up the sunshine and a waitress in rollerblades will zip over with an ice-cold bottle of Efes? 15 The stunning resort has all you need for a memorable holiday Credit: SUPPLIED 15 Some of the rooms set on their own swim-up pool area Credit: OZGUR SECMEN That sounds much more like it. Welcome to life at the stunning five-star Lara Barut Collection, one of the finest ultra all-inclusive hotels in beautiful Antalya, Turkey. With my wife unavailable due to work commitments, my daughter Gemma was only too happy to take time out of her busy schedule — doing nothing for the next three months while waiting to start university — and accompany me. Antalya is within easy reach of Scotland, with flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh seven days a week. Lara Barut Collection is nestled along the sun-kissed shores of Lara Beach, a swift 25-minute drive from the airport — a real bonus, as anyone who has experienced a two-hour plus coach trip to their hotel in Turkey will testify. The sweeping approach to Lara Barut Collection with impressive local sculptures at the entrance hint at the opulence that awaits. A welcome drink served in the lobby while checking in is most appreciated as you slide into holiday mode. Lara Barut Collection is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, but you wouldn't know it. A recent huge renovation programme means the place is absolutely pristine. There are 16 room categories available, including suites with Turkish bath and jacuzzi, and swim-up rooms and suites. 3 tips to help you get the cheapest flights when booking holidays My sea-view room is stylish and well equipped. The Nespresso coffee machine is a modern touch and the minibar is restocked daily with premium drinks and snacks and delicious dried and chocolate-dipped fruit. A pillow menu is most welcome, as is the 55in TV and complimentary beach bag. Gemma assures me the hairdryer and straighteners also add a touch of convenience, but to be honest, my hair straightening days are long behind me. 15 Spacious seaview room in hotel's main building 15 Bathrooms are luxurious with special added touches like hair straighteners 15 Scott and daughter Gemma loved watching sunsets from their balcony Credit: SUPPLIED 15 Swim-up rooms are a special treat A complimentary massage in the luxurious spa and wellness centre goes down a treat, with other treatments available from the friendly team. When it comes to dining, guests are spoiled for choice with 13 restaurants — eight of them a la carte and available for unlimited use — and seven bars. You won't go hungry here! It's easy to see why Lara Barut Collection was recently awarded Best Family Hotel by luxury hotel connoisseurs Conde Nast Johansens and reviews on all the major websites back that up. The hotel's aquapark has a variety of slides for all ages. Kids seemed to love the short queues and big thrills. 15 The Aqua park will keep the kids entertained the whole holiday There is a massive enclosed kids' club area for the little ones, with indoor and shaded outdoor facilities. They also have a superb baby star concept, providing cots, strollers, baby bath, steriliser, bottle warmer — literally everything you usually have to haul with you. Teenagers are also well catered for, with pool, table tennis, arcade games, PS5s and a raft of activities. There's also a well-equipped indoor gym and outdoor crossfit area, while archery, air rifle, mini-golf, football, squash and tennis prove popular with guests. Daily activities such as yoga, pilates, zumba and aqua gym are available and there's an indoor cinema with movies every day. There are two main pool areas, with plenty of sunbeds available, so no annoying early-morning rush required. The unique rollerblade service was a brilliant idea that went down a treat and the staff were certainly kept busy providing refreshing drinks with temperatures in the 30s. There's also a stunning lagoon, with a swim-up bar. 15 Plenty of room to sunbath around the hotel's gorgeous pools 15 The pool bar areas show off the hotel's luxury aesthetic Credit: OZGUR SECMEN 15 Luxurious beach-side cabanas and sunbeds galore at Lara Barut Lara Barut Collection has its own huge section of beach, with the Majo Beach Club serving drinks from morning to late into the night, plus, there are stunning private pavilions to enjoy. When done relaxing, there's plenty of great dining options. The main buffet restaurant Zestful Bazaar offers a vast selection of Turkish and international dishes, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Breakfast has all the usual options, with cereals, omelettes, meats and cheeses, fresh orange juice and refreshing Turkish tea and coffee, not to mention a cheeky Bucks Fizz for a boozy brunch if you fancy it. 15 Breakfast, lunch and dinner with a view at Zestful Bazaar 15 Scott enjoying the huge mezze won't be short of food options at Lara Barut Credit: SUPPLIED 15 Turunc A la Carte was worth a visit But for me the standouts were the freshly baked donuts and local breads. Absolutely delicious. For lunch and dinner, the quality remains top notch, with various themes on offer. Seafood night was sensational with fresh octopus, calamari, prawns, mussels and clams served both hot and chilled. For the a la carte restaurants, Turunc is available morning till night, with Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Italian and, of course, Turkish options also available. For the other restaurants, you book via the hotel app up to three days in advance and this is a pretty seamless experience. GO: TURKEY GO; LARA BARUT COLLECTION GETTING THERE: Jet2, easyJet, Corendon, SunExpress and TUI fly daily to Antalya from Glasgow, while Jet2, easyJet and Corendon also fly there from Edinburgh. Fares from £43pp. STAYING THERE: Rooms at Lara Barut Collection start from approx £480 per night for two adults in June. See MORE INFO: For more see Akdeniz is the fine dining jewel in the crown of Lara Barut Collection offering a gourmet experience. Sit back and go with the experts' recommendation as they deliver shrimp, seabass sashimi, risotto, lamb with sumac, chateaubriand and salmon wellington. A sensational experience. Meanwhile, Tirmis specialises in local dishes and is superb. A huge variety of Antalyan dips and dishes are presented with regional breads as a starter. The stuffed zucchini flowers were a particular highlight. Moreish grouper with almonds and Yoruk-style roasted beef was followed by a standout local desert of warm flour halva with burned ice cream. 15 Inside Sandal restaurant, one of the 12 on site - with six bars also scattered throughout Credit: OZGUR SECMEN 15 Delights on offer at Iro Sushi Bar Sandal Restaurant specialises in seafood, with another vast choice of dishes to start, including tarama carp roe caviar. We went nuts and also ordered fried calamari and octopus, while our enthusiastic waiter Ahmet sent over a spectacular prawn cocktail, too. My swordfish main was excellent, as was Gemma's miso salmon. Ahmet had advised us to try the beef tenderloin and jumbo shrimp, so he ordered one for us anyway! Kumda Kirpi BBQ offers a brilliant fun dining experience where you select your own ingredients and prepare your meal at your table and we devoured steak, chicken, prawns and sweetcorn. Other eateries include Pizzeria Di Laura for traditional Italian cuisine, Iro Sushi Bar and Kuya — a Turkish restaurant, with delicious kibbeh, lahmacun and hummus among our starters. And if you're looking for a snack in between all that, Hungry Gorilla Grab n Go serves up burgers, pizzas and delicious homemade lemonade, while Hanimeli Patisserie has scrumptious cakes, ice cream and gourmet coffee. Night time sees the animation team put on a kids' disco and entertainment and a variety of shows in the outdoor amphitheatre, while there is also live music at the poolside bar. Keep an eye out for Hasan, who serves a mean Baby Guinness with an accent so English you'd swear he must be from this side of the Bosphorus. In fact he's never left Turkey and learned the lingo from YouTube! Whatever language you speak, it all adds up to a perfect holiday destination. So what are you waiting for? Get your skates on.
