Why your holiday could cost an extra £200 this summer

Package holidays to popular European destinations are up to 11.5% more expensive this year compared with 2024, according to new analysis.

Consumer group Which? said this is because of a range of factors, including high demand, rising energy costs for hotels, and capacity constraints for airlines.

The Black Sea coast of Bulgaria is one of the destinations that have seen the most significant increase.

The average per person price for a seven-day break in that location has risen by 11.5% from £1,038 to £1,157.

That means a couple will have to find an extra £238 on average to make a booking.

Other destinations with high average price rises were found to be Italy (up 7.4%), Portugal (up 6.8%) and Cyprus (up 6.4%).

Across all locations, the average increase was 4.2%.

Which? said this is compared with the UK’s Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation of 2.5% in the year to December 2024, whereas the rate of inflation in the euro area was 2.4%.

However, package holiday prices have fallen in a handful of summer holiday hotspots, such as Ibiza (down 6.4%) and Tenerife (down 2.0%).

Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: “Booking early is almost always your best chance of securing the best rate – so now is the best time to get the cheapest prices on summer holidays.

“Take the time to shop around, and if you’re holidaying with kids, consider travelling in the last week of the summer holidays, as we’ve previously found this can be the cheapest week in the peak season.”

The analysis took into account prices for more than 8,000 European package holidays, comparing bookings made this month for an August departure with bookings made in January 2024 for an August 2024 departure.