Rising prices in Europe mean Brits are going long haul

As the weaker pound has meant the prices paid by UK travellers to Europe have risen, Hotels.com is expecting to see more British holidaymakers considering a break to non Euro zone destinations in 2009, where they can expect more for their money.

The Hotels.com Hotel Price Index has shown price rises of up to 32% in many European destinations: Monte Carlo has seen a staggering hotel price hike of 31% to an average of £176 per room per night, whilst Geneva has seen a huge 32% price rise to £136. Similarly, the popular German city of Munich has seen hotel prices rise by 13% to £111.

Instead, UK travellers would be wise to consider going the long haul to destinations such as Iceland, Morocco, Thailand, Australia, or South Africa, where the costs of a break aren’t affected by the rising cost of the dollar and the Euro. The Hotel Price Index has shown that hotel prices in Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, are down to just £87 per room per night on average for British travellers. Similarly, Brits can expect to pay just £79 for a night in Marrakech, a favourite winter sun destination.

For those prepared to travel further afield, a night in Sydney will set you back just £85, whilst a night in Auckland will cost a mere £57. Similarly, average hotel prices in Bangkok, recently hit by protests, are just £61 per room per night.

Cost of hotels in Euro zone v non Euro zone destinations

Destination and average price per room per night for British travellers in Q3 2008

Euro destinations
France (Monte Carlo) £176
Switzerland (Geneva) £136
Germany (Munich) £111
Spain (Barcelona) £102

Non Euro destinations
Turkey (Istanbul) £93
South Africa (Cape Town) £90
Iceland (Reykjavik) £87
Australia (Sydney) £85
Morocco (Marrakech) £79
China (Shanghai) £67
Thailand (Bangkok) £61
New Zealand (Auckland) £57

Alison Couper, Director of Communications at Hotels.com, says: “There has never been a better time for Brits to venture further afield to places where hotel prices are falling and the pound is still strong. However, for travellers preferring to stay closer to home there are still some fantastic deals to be found. Sites such as ours are currently offering savings of up to 50% on hotels in Europe.”