Why Staycation When You Can Spend Less By Choosing A Self Catering Algarve Villa Holiday?

May 31, 2011 - PRLog -- Recent research carried out by a UK hotelier cast a rather gloomy cloud over the British summer with the news that 35% of Brits felt that a ‘staycation’ was on the cards thanks to money worries and concerns over the cost of going abroad for a seasonal break. Fortunately, self-catering villa specialists Premier Holidays are giving hope to the millions who had resigned themselves to a rainy few days in the British Isles with assurances that a self catering villa in the Algarve may in fact be a much cheaper alternative.

Ian Fox from Premier Holidays said, “It’s a myth that holidaying in the UK can only be cheaper than an overseas break. With the cost of fuel high, travelling to a destination such as the South Coast from the north of England can run into the hundreds of pounds alone, without factoring in accommodation, entertainment on rainy days and the cost of food and drink.

“In comparison, many airlines posted poor passenger figures last summer as lots of people opted to stay at home and save money rather than go on holiday. This means there are lots of great deals to be had this year to entice holidaymakers back into the air and overseas for their annual getaway.”

Opting to stay in the UK and travel to a British resort for a week or two this summer also makes it difficult to make any savings on the cost of living. Even self-catering can be expensive as it’s still necessary to buy food and drink at just the same sort of costs – if not higher- as doing the weekly shop in a local supermarket. Travel abroad though and the cost of living is much cheaper, allowing savings on the cost of feeding a family for a week that can then go towards flights, spending money and souvenirs.

The annual Post Office service released this week found an Algarve Villa holiday to be one of the top two European holiday destinations for 2011 when it came to value for money and the cost of food and drink. The total price of 16 everyday essentials including milk, eggs, bread, water and vegetables was just £44.36 in the Algarve compared with £63.63 in Brighton. These savings make it much more affordable to find a cheap flight and book a luxury Algarve villa than jump in the car and head to a resort such as Brighton, Torquay or St Ives.  

Mr Fox added, “The Algarve has been named by the Post Office for a number of years running in their annual report as one of the cheapest places in Europe for a holiday, definitely cheaper than Britain as the cost of the standard basket of goods showed and also notably cheaper than places like Cyprus and the Greek Islands. With so many great deals on flights and on other essentials like car hire, it’s possible to enjoy a hot sunny week in Portugal for a much lower total cost than a week in the UK.”

With almost guaranteed sunshine, an Algarve villa with a pool is a must and choosing one close to the beach also means there’s less to spend on attractions and days out as the whole family can just head to the beach. Popular resorts such as Vale do Lobo represent good value for money – larger properties are plentiful so you can even rent a large, luxurious accommodation with five or six bedrooms and split the cost with extended family or friends. Villa Prado, a spacious and attractive four bedroom villa in Quinta dos Alamos in the heart of the Algarve costs as little as £81 per person.

To browse the range of villas in the Algarve from Premier Holidays and to book online, visit http://www.premier-holidays.com.