Brits preparing to fly further afield for a spot of guaranteed Easter sun may be in for a nasty surprise. For places such as to Dubai, a return ticket is on average 49% more expensive this year than last, according to comparison site, Kayak.

The average return flight price over Easter 2017 was £317 but this year, it’s £472. In close second is Faro which came in at an affordable £121 last year, but now Brits will need to fork out £178 – 47% more.

Malaga and Alicante also make the top 10 destinations this year but their price has risen by 40% and 42% respectively.

While some destinations have been top picks for the past three years, notably missing this year is Reykjavik, which was the fourth favourite for the past two years in a row.

People are instead turning to Paris (27% year-on-year increase in popularity) and Istanbul (160% year-on-year increase in popularity).

Kayak also found that travellers plan their Easter break around seven months earlier and typically depart on Good Friday and return on Easter Monday to make full use of the holiday days.

Neil Cartwright, travel expert at KAYAK, said: “We have noticed a trend in recent years for many Brits to go on more, shorter holidays throughout the year rather than one long summer holiday. Our data shows that for many British travellers, Easter is now a key time for fitting in one of these shorter holidays. And rather than leaving it to the last minute, Brits are planning well in advance in order to secure travel deals on the Easter weekend getaway.”