By L Whitmore, 3rd July 2010
The cost of holidays soars by up to 85% during school breaks,
research has revealed.
Parents hoping for a cheap family getaway when their children
are not in school are out of luck, as package holidays charge far
over the odds during school summer holidays.
A study conducted by Santander Cards which looked into the costs
of various holidays found that, on average, the cost of overseas
trips rose by an average of 38% from mid-July to mid-August - a
marked difference between the amount charged during term time in
schools and how much the same holiday would cost during the summer
break. The increase for UK holidays was slightly less, rising by an
average of 30%.
The largest price hike was seen in the range of the package
holidays available to Portugal, which saw an average cost increase
of 85% between mid-July and mid-August. The lowest premiums were
levied on trips to Majorca, which see an average increase of just
16%.
The investigation found the highest price rise seen on holidays
taken within the UK over the same time period to be 75%.
Predictably, it was discovered, prices plunge back down in
September when children return to school. The cost of trips abroad
typically drops by around 33% compared to the price during August,
whereas UK holidays reduce their prices by more than half - an
average of 55%, in fact.
"Massively inflated premiums are an unfortunate inevitability
for families going away during the school summer holidays," said
Emma Roberts, director of Santander Cards. "With prices increasing
by up to 85 per cent for those going abroad and 75 per cent for
those taking a break in the UK, it's not going to be cheap for
families hoping to get away this summer."
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