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The UK holiday destination swaps that will save you money

Emma Lunn
Written By:
Emma Lunn
Posted:
Updated:
01/09/2020

People holidaying in the UK can save hundreds of pounds by swapping their location for a similar destination just a few miles away.

Research by Which? Travel found there are savings to be made on hotel costs by picking cheaper cities and towns to stay in.

Which? Travel compared the average hotel room rates in towns in 10 of the UK’s most popular destinations, including Cornwall and the Cotswolds. It compared these with other similar nearby resorts, to see how much people could save by travelling just a few miles further.

Big savings in Devon

The biggest saving was in Devon. Holidaymakers can save an average of £59 a night by swapping one coastal destination for another just 20 miles away.

Which? found the average cost of a hotel room in Salcombe was £209 a night. However, further down the coast in Dartmouth, holidaymakers paid an average of just £150 a night. Over the course of a week, this works out to a saving of more than £400.

Dartmouth received the second highest ranking in Which?’s recent survey of seaside towns and villages, achieving a customer score of 84%. It scored highly for its scenery and tourist attractions. It also out-ranked Salcombe, which received a score of 71%.

The shortest distance

The shortest distance that Which? found people would have to travel to make a saving was just three miles – from Saundersfoot to Tenby, in Wales.

While a night in Saundersfoot would set you back an average of £155, a room just three miles south in Tenby costs an average of £112, saving £43 a night, or £301 over the course of a week.

Tenby also fared well in Which?’s seaside survey, receiving a customer score of 79%, while Saundersfoot received 71%.

Scotland

Some swaps meant travelling a bit further to make a saving. For example, holidaymakers looking for a Scottish city break could save an average of £25 a night if they stayed in Glasgow instead of Edinburgh.

The two cities are 47 miles apart. Glasgow ranked highly in Which?’s recent survey of the UK’s best cities, scoring 82% – just two percentage points behind Edinburgh (84%). It received excellent scores for culture, sights and attractions, as well as food and drink.

A return train ticket between the two cities costs less than £14, with the journey taking less than 90 minutes. So the savings made by staying in Glasgow would cover the cost of a day trip to Edinburgh.

Other savings

Further savings can be made on a trip to the Cotswolds by staying in Gloucester rather than Cheltenham (an average saving of £46 a night).

If you fancy a beach break in East Sussex, swapping Brighton for Eastbourne will save you an average of £56 a night; staying in Wells in Somerset, instead of  Bath, will result in average savings of £53 a night.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “These destination swaps aren’t just a chance to save money – travellers can expect to find fewer crowds and more space to breathe, with holidaymakers ranking many of the cheaper destinations as not only better value, but a better overall stay than their pricier and more popular counterparts.”

“As we come towards the end of a holiday season like no other, holidaymakers will be pleased to learn they can still squeeze the last out of the summer without sacrificing beautiful scenery or great attractions by just travelling a few extra miles along the road.”