The cheapest last-minute summer holiday destinations

Here's where you can get the best value for money on a last-minute summer holiday.

If you’ve left organising your summer holiday to the last minute – don’t panic.

We’ve rounded up the destinations where you can get the most value for your money when it comes to hotels in the UK and abroad, currency exchange and holiday spending.

So all you’ve got to do is take your pick and find the most affordable way to get there!

Hotels in the UK

You could save money by staying in the UK instead of going abroad this year. But while this may reduce your travel costs, the cost of accommodation could still be high.

Top10.com has found the cheapest hotels out of the UK’s seaside resorts, Heritage Cities and most popular destinations based on one night's stay in August.

A trip to Skegness is the cheapest seaside option at £59 a night compared to Newquay where on average a room will cost £204 a night.

But if it’s a Heritage City break you’re after Salisbury and Durham are cheapest, costing an average of £88 per night, compared to £195 in Oxford.

Of the top holiday destinations in the UK, London is unsurprisingly the most expensive with a room costing an average of £278 a night, whereas Blackpool is the cheapest of the most popular destinations with hotels charging an average of £59 a night.

Below are tables showing the full results.

Top 10 cheapest UK seaside hotels

Source: Top10.com

Based one night's stay at 3* and 4* hotels between Friday 8th and Saturday 9th August 2014

Top 10 most expensive UK seaside hotels

Source: Top10.com

Based one night's stay at 3* and 4* hotels between Friday 8th and Saturday 9th August 2014

The cheapest and most expensive hotels in popular UK holiday destinations

Source: Top10.com

Based one night's stay at 3* and 4* hotels between Friday 8th and Saturday 9th August 2014

The cheapest and most expensive hotels in UK Heritage Cities

Source: Top10.com

Based one night's stay at 3* and 4* hotels between Friday 8th and Saturday 9th August 2014

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Hotels abroad

If you're hankering after a trip abroad, accommodation is still likely to use up a large percentage of your holiday budget. So it’s worth finding out which destinations offer the cheapest deals and seeing if you can find an affordable way of getting there to save money.

Hotel comparison website Trivago has analysed the average price of one night’s stay in hotels across the world to find the cheapest and most expensive during July and August.

It found the cheapest hotels can be found in Kodaikanal in India, which on average will set you back £27 a night during July and August. Velden in Austria was found to be the most expensive place to stay during July and August with the price of a room costing on average £252 a night.

Below are the full results.

Top 10 cheapest hotels abroad

Source: Trivago

All prices are the average price per night during July and August 2014

Top 10 most expensive hotels abroad

Source: Trivago

All prices are the average price per night during July and August 2014

If you’re looking online it’s worth checking a few different websites, and always reading the reviews before booking anything to make sure the hotel actually exists and looks how it was described!

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Holiday currency

Another way to gauge where you can grab a last-minute holiday bargain is by checking currency rates and how much bang you can get for your buck!

Right now your pounds will go furthest in Indonesia, followed by Jamaica and Turkey, according to data from Moneycorp.

Top 10 cheapest currencies

Source: Moneycorp

*Between 10th July 2013 and 10th July 2014

Getting your holiday money before you go away is also vital as most banks will charge you over the odds to withdraw cash from foreign cash machines or pay for foreign transactions on your card.

Check out The best credit cards to use on your travels and The best debit cards to use abroad.

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Holiday spending

Another element of your last-minute holiday plans to carefully consider is how expensive things are once you get there!

The cost of buying food, drinks and other items while you’re on holiday can really add up.

The Post Office has found the cheapest and most expensive destinations based on a basket of eight typical holiday purchases including a cup of coffee, a bottle of local beer, a can of Coca-Cola, a glass of wine, 1.5ml of bottled water, 200ml of sun cream, an English tabloid newspaper, insect repellent, a two-course lunch for two (excluding drinks) and a three-course meal with wine for two people.

When looking at spending alone, Bulgaria’s Sunny Beach is the cheapest destination with typical holiday purchases costing £44.05 altogether. In contrast holidaymakers in Sorrento, Italy pay over twice as much at £102 for the same items.

Below are the full results.

Top 10 cheapest holiday resorts

Source: Post Office

Prices relate to exchange rates in April 2014.

Top 10 most expensive holiday resorts

Source: Post Office

Prices relate to exchange rates in April 2014.

Wherever you end up going read How to avoid blowing your holiday budget to ensure you manage your money effectively once you’re on your trip.

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