While the festive season is still upon us, forward-thinking holidaymakers are already setting their sights on summer 2026. New research from consumer champion Which? has pinpointed the destinations where your travel budget will go the furthest, revealing the top ten cheapest package holiday resorts for the peak season.
Sun and Savings: The Top Budget-Friendly Destinations
The comprehensive study analysed over 5,000 package deals from two of the UK's most popular tour operators, Jet2holidays and easyJet Holidays. It focused on the average price per person for a seven-night peak season break, combining flights and accommodation.
Spain's Costa Blanca emerged as the clear winner for value. A perennial favourite since the package holiday boom of the 1970s, the region, encompassing resorts like Benidorm, Javea, and Denia, had an average weekly price of just £864 per person. The very cheapest deal uncovered was a week's self-catering at Benidorm's two-star Playamar apartments, costing a remarkably low £535 per person at the height of summer.
In a surprising second place was Italy's picturesque Tuscany, with an average price of £929. Known for its rolling hills and culinary delights, the region proved more competitively priced than other Italian hotspots; a holiday in Sardinia, for example, averaged over £500 more at £1,508.
The only non-European destination to make the top three was Morocco's Agadir coast, offering a week's package for an average of £946. The North African spot is renowned for affordable food and drink and is a major draw for surfers.
Spanish Dominance and Canary Islands Value
Spain firmly controlled the list, claiming six of the ten spots across its Costas and Canary Islands. Following the top three, Turkey's Dalaman coast took fourth place (£1,048), before a trio of Canary Islands filled positions five to seven: Tenerife (£1,073), Fuerteventura (£1,119), and Gran Canaria (£1,121).
Spain's Costa Brava and Costa Dorada secured eighth and ninth place, at £1,125 and £1,133 respectively. The sole Greek entry was the island of Zante (Zakynthos), rounding out the top ten with an average price of £1,142.
The research examined holidays across 13 countries, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey.
How to Find the Best Travel Deals Online
In a separate investigation, Which? also assessed the performance of leading travel comparison websites. For finding flights, Skyscanner came out on top with a score of 81%, praised as the "easiest to use" site and scoring full marks for functionality and transparency.
Google Flights followed closely in second place (79%), while Google Hotels led the rankings for accommodation searches (79%). The study advised caution with some sites, noting that Jetcost, which ranked worst for flights (49%), frequently linked to little-known booking agents with questionable user reviews.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, advised: "Some of these comparison sites will make it harder, not easier to find the cheapest price... The best let you book your flights and hotels directly. We always recommend holidaymakers do this as it offers greater protection should something go wrong, and is often better value too."
