The Great 'Cheap When You Get There' Holidays

Former_MSE_Archna

Getting cheap holidays is easy (read Cheap Packages or Cheap Flights articles) but you can often end up spending a fortune once you get there, cancelling any savings you've made.

So I thought I'd tap MoneySavers' knowledge on the best destinations for cheap food, booze, free museums, cheap day trips and bargain shopping.

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Where have you been
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Dylanwing

I have done Prague and Krakow and both are cheap for food, booze, fags, travel, and if you hunt around a bit, hotels. Prague is cheaper than Krakow, and if you do day trips, it can be really cheap. Two beers and a coffee for £1 in Kutna Hora. If you go cheap, food is edible, but not too startling.

dcf

Just spent a month in SW China - Sichuan & Yunnan provinces. I travel backpacker style, and mostly stayed in good quality budget accommodation. Total spending on food, accommodation, beer, transport, entry fees etc was about £10/day. Adding in the cost of the flight to China (£390), the costs of getting the visa (£50) and a guide book, the trip cost £750. And this part of China is very interesting too.

bob4jane

I spent three months in Sofia, the capital- also went to the popular beach area, and Beer / generic spirits were really cheap (I was there in '04, 30p a pint) as was food, both in fast-food places, pizza, sandwhiches, etc. and in restaurants. I was able to eat out, including a *full* compliment of vodka(very cheap, it was 30p for 50ml in lot of places in sofia) and beer- for perhaps £5.
No reak discount airlines fly to bulgaria, YET- however the tour operators, Thompson and Thomas Cook (whose airlines fly there, of course...) do packages that can be cheap.
I hear that the country is also good for skiiing, too.

Beate

If you go to Salzburg, Austria, get yourself a Salzburg Card.

The Salzburg Card includes:
Free single admission to all the city's attractions
Free use of public transport throughout the city, incl. fortress funicular, panorama boat & cable car Untersberg
Attractive discounts for cultural events
Discounts for various tours and excursions

It is so well worth the money - I think we saved the card price three times over at least because there are so many different attractions covered.
Find prices and terms and conditions here:
http://www2.salzburg.info/sehenswertes_281.htm

Salzburg can be reached cheaply by Ryanair from Stansted, the airport is lovely and tiny, so not much waiting for luggage, and it is only a few miles from the city. You don't need to be into Mozart or the Sound of Music to find a lot to do and look at.

julika

All public transport in Hungary is free to over 65s who are EU citizens. Best to carry a photocopy of your passport or other identity document showing your age, as inspectors are thick on the ground.

Julika

MrSmartprice

A couple of cities we have visited in the last 6 months where I was pleasantly surprised at the low cost of everything:

Porto: Even cheaper than Algarve or Lisbon. Drinks in bars are cheap (though not quite as cheap as Prague.) Restaurants serve half portions at half price, which are plenty. Full portions are generally shared between two. Set lunch menus where the locals eat are amazing value. Hotels are competitive too, as is public transport which is excellent.

Santiago de Compostela: A very reasonable place for everything. Bars are cheap, and many give you a plate of food with every drink for free - the prices are still cheap despite this. You can have a few drinks and not need to buy a meal if you wish. Hotels are god value too, as are restaurants if you decide to pay for a meal.

golddustmedia

The UK wins out.

I don't feel a holiday is a bargain if to get there you're spending hundreds on flights/taxes/hotels.

SO, Every year I enjoy several holidays in the UK.

This comes with many benefits;

• You can normally get there by car or a special offer coach/train ticket. (London to Taunton/Exeter for £1 on national express fun fares!) Even Berryscoaches do an open return fast ticket for £19, or try Megabus for around £10.
• You can take your food from home or shop as normal from the supermarket (so your food bill is no higher than staying at home!). Or lets face it 2 people can eat out at Wetherspoons for £5.99. (remember non smoking from 1st july!)
• Accommodation is often easy, cheap or even FREE; (how about visiting some friends/relatives for a night or two? When did you last try camping?).
• There are ALWAYS free things to do if you look for them, ask the Tourist info office, check your library etc!

Where I live in Tiverton (Devon) there are within short distances free visits to Cider Farms (see the animals etc), Exeter museum, Exeter Cathedral, The beaches! National Trust land, Exmoor, Dartmoor etc etc etc!!!). Point is, what's the point in flying thousands of miles to do stuff you can do in the UK for free!?

SO, I reckon if you live say 2 - 4 hours from Devon and are able to stay for a couple of nights with friends/relatives your cost of a holiday need be no higher than the cost of getting here. As stated above you can get a coach ticket from London to Taunton or Exeter for £1!!!

How about that, a holiday in Devon for £2 (return fare).

Ok, so you don't have relatives/friends here and want to drive from say London?
3 hr drive = £25 of diesel
Camping = £10 - £15 per night
Groceries from the supermarket = £25

Making a nice break from the big smoke under £100 and you know your not making a massive carbon footprint on a plane to the Costa Del Sol only to have your wallet nicked! What's more, you'd probably spend as much staying at home!

PS: This post is relevant as about 1 weekend per month we accommodate friends and relatives from all over the country who visit us, general cost to them is petrol or a train ticket, perhaps a take-away to say thankyou

Cheapskate_Paul

I thought I'd tap MoneySavers' knowledge on the best destinations for cheap food, booze, free museums, cheap day trips and bargain shopping.

I don't know if it is still the case, but a couple of years ago I was in Spain (Madrid) and was surprised to find out that EU passport holders can get :jfree:j access to a lot of attractions run by the Government, as long as it is Wednesday.

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Finch7

Turkey

I went last summer and me and the OH took £400 and we went out every night, and ate out for all our meals and still had money left over. We were in Marmaris and many of the deals meant that a 3 course meal and drink was around £6. There is always bartering too, if there are many people asking for you to dine in their restaurant they offer free drinks to make you come to theirs.

For day trips, simply tell the sellers the other offers you have had whilst walking down the road and they will continue to drop the prices. You can go on them for less than half the price they intend, and it was a few pounds to go on day cruises food inc, and water parks, turkish baths etc.

Take stirling as this is accepted and their exchange centres offer very good rates.

budgetflyer

Cheapskate_Paul wrote: »

I thought I'd tap MoneySavers' knowledge on the best destinations for cheap food, booze, free museums, cheap day trips and bargain shopping.

I don't know if it is still the case, but a couple of years ago I was in Spain (Madrid) and was surprised to find out that EU passport holders can get :jfree:j access to a lot of attractions run by the Government, as long as it is Wednesday.

[/quote]

The Madrid Metro covers just about everywhere, (including the Airport,1 euro surcharge) Tickets are 1 euro (inc as many changeovers as reqd to get to your destination) or you can buy a 10 trip ticket for 6.6 euro. Less than 50p per journey