2 June 2009 | Turkey and Croatia join last year’s winner Bulgaria as Europe’s best buys in this year’s Post Office Holidays Costs Barometer.

The survey compares each year the prices of ten basic tourist staples, such as sun cream, drinks and food.

At around £42 (around 49 euro) for the holiday items, including drinks and meals, Bulgaria’s Sunny Beach resort was two and a half times cheaper than Antigua - the most expensive destination surveyed. Turkey and Croatia joined Bulgaria as the other two holiday spots outside the eurozone and Europe’s cheapest options for a bargain break.

In addition, however, this year’s survey discovered that many popular eurozone destinations, such as Italy and Greece, turned out to be a lot cheaper than expected. Spain, like last year, was the cheapest eurozone destination surveyed, while France was the most expensive.

“The eurozone has taken a bashing this year but our survey suggests that tourist outlets in many resorts are taking dramatic steps to encourage tourists. Despite the weak pound, this means that UK tourists who shop carefully could find that they get more than expected for their money,” according to Sarah Munro, Post Office head of travel services.

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