
Two bucket list trips cheaper than a holiday to Majorca, reveals winner of Race Across The World
The 22-year-old has been on the move since winning last year - and reveals that you can get to Brazil for less than going to Majorca.
4
Alfie Watts won the 2024 series of Race Across the World with his friend Owen Wood.
Since winning the series and the £20,000 prize pot that comes with it, Alfie has backpacked to 78 of the 195 countries.
And along the way, he's picked up some handy travel tips.
Talking to MailOnline, Alfie advised travellers to compare the total price of holidays against each other, rather than just the price of flights and accommodation.
He said: "You'll find that sometimes going long haul is actually better. Sure, flights to Thailand are £600-700, while Spain can sometimes be around £300.
"But if you look at the price of accommodation in Thailand, it can be £20 a night for luxury, and you can get meals for £2. Owen and I spent less on a week in Brazil, all-in, than a week in Majorca - even though our flights were 750 quid."
The cheapest month to fly from the UK to Brazil is usually in March. But you can get other good deals in February, November and October.
Those months are also the best times to visit Brazil as it's summer where temperatures sit between 27C and 33C.
Another tip that Alfie has is not relying on a debit or credit card. He said to always exchange money at home and carry cash.
ATMs abroad sometimes come with a fee to use a foreign card.
Race Across the World Experience Comes to London
4
During his series of Race Across the World, Alfie ventured from Japan to Indonesia.
Now that he gets to travel wherever he likes, Alfie is hoping to visit as many countries as possible.
Two of his favourites are Jordan and Malaysia.
Alfie said: "I took my Nan to Petra because she'd wanted to see it for her whole life, so that was really nice, and the whole feeling around the trip was just really positive. The people in Jordan are just so friendly as well."
He added that Malaysia is a "cheap paradise" but that his favourite place in the world is Angel Falls in Venezuela which are "completely off grid, and a nightmare to get to."
Fans of the show can now immerse themselves in a Race Across the World experience.
It has come to London this spring with tricky puzzles and no phones allowed.
The game is a foot race across London where players will navigate around city landmarks to reach the checkpoints.
Just like in the show, you'll have to find your bearings without modern technology - which means no mobile phones or maps.
There's no public transport allowed either and the adventure stretches across 3.1 miles.
Here's everything you need to know about the Race Across the World experience and how to play.
And one Sun Travel writer went to Rio de Janeiro and found it to be one of the friendliest cities.
4
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
From spending when you're abroad to absolutely smashing the preparation and packing, we reveal how to holiday like a pro
The phrase 'seasoned traveller' says it all - you really can improve your approach to travel over time. There are lots of ways to make the process of going on holiday easier and less stressful, many of which you pick up through experience. But rather than learning through your mistakes, why not discover the secrets to acing your holiday all at once? From avoiding money worries to perfecting the art of packing, we've done all the legwork for you - with the help of the friendly experts at Post Office Travel Money Card. We'll also reveal some tips to slash the cost of your getaway, from bagging cheaper airport parking to dodging unexpected roaming charges. Get a currency card for spending abroad Heading overseas? Then you'll need to arrange some travel money. But with many providers charging high exchange rates and rip-off fees, it's easy to get stung. And while you could withdraw a large bundle of cash, this opens the risk of it being lost or stolen. It's also inconvenient if you need money in several different currencies. A far better approach is to take out a Post Office Money Card, which lets you spend abroad with no charges* across all 22 supported currencies. Getting started is quick and easy. It's simply a question of ordering your card online or in-branch and loading it with your chosen currency - then off you go! The card allows you to use contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay™ at any of the more than 36million locations worldwide that take Mastercard®, while you can also use it to withdraw cash at ATMs. Out of funds? Then you can top up any time in your app or online account - which stays completely separate from your main bank account. Consider taking cash too Cards are a convenient way to pay. But there's a role for cash as well, particularly in countries that have not adopted digital payments as widely as the UK has. Carrying around some notes and coins gives you added flexibility in situations where cash is easier to use, such as for tipping staff. It also avoids the awkwardness of being unable to pay for something you've already bought before you realised the business doesn't accept cards. Finding cash in the right currency doesn't need to be a hassle. By visiting your local Post Office, you can pick up some back-up holiday cash and load your Travel Money Card in one go. You can also head online and choose to have the money delivered to your home or left at your nearest branch for collection. It's just what you need to get holiday ready with minimum effort. Pre-book your airport parking When you're looking forward to a dream trip, it's unlikely airport parking is on the top of your mind. But you should give it a moment's thought, as reserving it in advance can save a lot of money. In fact, some airports advertise savings of up to 70 per cent when you book ahead... Oh, and when you leave your car, always take a photo of your space - it will help you find it later! Consider an eSim for long trips Alongside currency fees, roaming charges are a bête noire for modern travellers. One way to avoid fees is to buy a physical local Sim card on arrival at your destination. But an easier option could be to pick up an eSim. These allow you to override the physical Sim card in your phone, meaning you'll know the rate you'll pay in advance without having to fiddle around with a new Sim upon arrival. Make use of free cancellation Sorting things like car hire in advance cuts out stress and could help you get a better price. An even more savvy approach is to choose a policy that offers free cancellation. That way, you can check shortly before you travel to see if prices have dropped so you can cancel and rebook at a cheaper rate. Many price comparison sites include a 'free cancellation' option in the search bar, making these offers easy to find. Try packing cubes Continuing on a strictly practical note, lets go from one p, parking, to another, packing. Lots of people have never heard of packing cubes, so if this applies to you it could be time to check them out! At their most basic, packing cubes are small fabric pouches secured by a zip - allowing you to group similar items, like pants and socks, making them easier to find. A fancier option are compression packing cubes, which are designed to maximise all available space by removing the air. Clever! Book your flight for a Monday ... or a Tuesday... or a Wednesday. The first three days of the week can be up to 20 per cent cheaper than Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays for international trips¹. So if you are able to be flexible with dates, it could be worth running through the various options before you book. Avoid being left with cash you can't spend One of the trickier parts of travelling before digital payments was calculating exactly how much cash you'd need for each trip. After all, who wants to come home with a mass of leftover change in various currencies that you can't spend? It you have funds remaining on your Travel Money Card that you don't want to keep for a future holiday, one of your options is to simply spend your money in the UK as normal. They'll automatically move the money to sterling every time you pay for something based on the day's exchange rate without charging you a fee. Anything you don't spend stays in the currency you have on the card. It's that straightforward! Post Office Travel Money Card is an electronic money product issued by First Rate Exchange Services Ltd pursuant to license by Mastercard International. First Rate Exchange Services Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with number 4287490 whose registered office is Botanica Ditton Park, Riding Ct Rd, Datchet, SL3 9LL (Financial Services Register No. 900412). Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. *Fee-Free when spending abroad with an available balance of a local currency supported by the card. Apple, the Apple logo, and Apple Pay are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Pay is a trademark of Google LLC. ¹


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Major UK airport's scheme to skip the queues this summer - but there's a catch
Travellers hoping to skip the long queues at security this summer may be in luck. Holidaymakers jetting off from Manchester Airport can pre-book a spot to quickly speed through security. The service, called TimeSlot, can be used by passengers flying from Terminal 2 and 3. It allows tourists to select what time they will be heading through security and 'enjoy a smoother, quicker route'. Travellers can book up to 14 days in advance and will receive a QR code after booking. The code must be presented to a security ambassador at the airport, with a boarding pass. The service is available to use at Terminal 3 from 4am to 6pm. While those departing from Terminal 2 can book between 3.30am to 7.30am, and 11.30am to 3pm from July 22. TimeSlot is priced up to £4.99, with some bookings free. Manchester Airport's website reads: 'Speed through security by pre-booking your slot with TimeSlot, our easy-to-use service available in Terminals 2 and 3. 'Choose a time that fits your travel schedule and enjoy a smoother, quicker route through security. 'With limited slots available, TimeSlot helps to keep you moving through security, giving you more time to relax in the departure lounge or shop at World Duty Free before your flight.' Reservations can be made for up to six people at once. The airport describes the service as 'perfect for those organised travellers who like to stick to a schedule'. When booking, passengers will be suggested 'the best slot options based on your flight details,' according to the website, which is typically two hours before the flight departs. However, the service does not cover check-in, baggage drop or passport control and can only be used at security. It comes after Heathrow announced ambitious new plans to cut waiting times at airport security. The UK's busiest airport has pledged that 95 per cent of passengers will pass through security in under five minutes by 2031. Heathrow is also planning to redesign its terminals to improve the passenger experience by creating 70,000 sqm more space for travellers, reports The Times. Terminals 3 and 5 are also set to get more shops and restaurants while the airport has pledged that 99 per cent of bags will arrive in time due to new technology. The airport said the technology would mean that 1.25 million fewer bags ended up lost.


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Resorts across Europe are now employing security to tackle sunbed fights - and they're even removing towels
As holidaymakers jet off on their travels abroad this summer, some hotels are having to find different ways to handle sunbed shortages, and tensions. Gone are the days of waking up early and putting your towel down on a sunbed to secure a good spot by the pool. Now, some hotels are employing security to help keep things under control after several videos have gone viral of people battling it out for sun loungers. Another tourist, @grantsimpson10, posted a video on TikTok of a security guard opening gates to the pool area at Spring Bitacora hotel in Tenerife and dozens of tourists flooding in with their towels at hand. A viewer commented on the clip, revealing they had holidayed there previously and said: 'Stayed there two years ago great hotel but the sun lounger situation was an absolute joke do they still have a security guard?' The poster replied, confirming the establishment had staff 'patrolling' the area still. 'Yeah still got two patrolling it until 8am for opening the gates,' they wrote. Spring Bitacora isn't the only hotel to employ such methods to help tackle the increasingly common sun bed battles. Someone else, @seejonj, posted on TikTok a clip sharing that their hotel in Turkey employed security guards to remove towels from 'unaccompanied' sun loungers before 7am. They captioned the video: 'Sun lounger etiquette, no unaccompanied towels allowed before 7am. 'In all fairness there is plenty and plenty of loungers. always a space and the staff a super friendly and will find you a linger and set it up for you. 'No need to be out at 0630. We've seen the same few people out at 0530!! putting their towels down.' The video, taken at 6.30am, showed dozens of sun beds positioned neatly, most of them with towels already spread across them. The holidaymaker revealed the 'majority of loungers taken with towels'. In a caption over the video, they added: 'The security guard removes them unless you stay with the towels. 'No unaccompanied towels before 7am.' @seejonj Sun lounger etiquette 😩 no unaccompanied towels allowed before 7am. in all fairness there is plenty and plenty of loungers. always a space and the staff a super friendly and will find you a linger and set it up for you. no need to be out at 0630. We've seen the same few people out at 0530!! putting their towels down. #fyp #eftaliaaquaresort #towelchallenge #summer2025 #turkeytiktok #eftalia #sunlounger #loungerwars ♬ original sound - HeyZeusGetLoose Footage at Spring Bitacora hotel showing how security have been employed to help keep things under control after several videos have gone viral of people battling it out for sun loungers abroad It comes after holidaymakers were left shocked as they watched a 'stampede' unfold for prime sunbed spots at a popular five-star hotel in Crete - sparked by influencers who wanted to take selfies 'all day' on them. Chaotic scenes unfolded at Akasha Beach Hotel & Spa, located in Hersonissos, which saw dozens of guests charging towards available loungers as the pool opened for the day. The luxury hotel has become a hit on social media in recent months thanks to its modern and 'clean' aesthetic, providing visually appealing backdrops for photos and videos, which is a key factor for content creators. The hotel's multiple pools, private beach, and spa facilities also offer a range of opportunities for influencers to create engaging content and share unique experiences with their followers.