2026 Holiday Destinations on a Budget

Here’s our pick of the destinations worth your attention this year, along with some practical ways to keep costs down without compromising on the holiday itself.

Ten Destinations If You’re on a Budget

• For dependable sun and easy living, Nerja and Fuengirola on Spain’s Costa del Sol continue to deliver, with gentle beaches and a wide choice of affordable dining away from the bigger resorts.
• Over in Portugal, Albufeira and Lagos along the Algarve offer those famous golden cliffs and calm waters at their best, particularly if you can travel in June or September rather than fighting the August crowds.
• Spain’s Costa Brava is a quieter alternative to the Costa del Sol, with charming coastal towns, hidden coves, and a straightforward train journey into Barcelona for those who fancy a day in the city. Lisbon rewards a slower style of exploring, its trams and free viewpoints making it an easy, walkable capital that pairs neatly with a few extra days on the coast thanks to affordable rail connections.
• In Greece, Rethymno and Agios Nikolaos in Crete remain excellent choices, their old harbours and unhurried pace offering some of the island’s best value once you’ve chosen the right base. Back in Spain, Altea, just along from Benidorm’s busier centre, brings real old-town charm to the Costa Blanca alongside the region’s usual reliable weather.
• Malta continues to punch above its weight for value, with Valletta’s historic streets free to explore and an island-wide bus network that makes getting around refreshingly cheap. In Turkey, Antalya’s long beaches and dependable sunshine make it a strong choice for all-inclusive holidays in particular, ideal if you’d rather have costs settled before you go.
• Majorca’s Pollença and Alcúdia tend to be more affordable than visitors expect, especially once you move away from the island’s busiest resorts, while Rhodes Old Town is best saved for the shoulder months either side of summer, when both the prices and the heat become a little easier to manage.

Getting More From Your Travel Budget

Timing matters more than almost anything else. Shifting your trip to June or September instead of peak August can noticeably reduce costs while keeping the good weather. Aim to book flights six to ten weeks in advance for the best balance between price and availability, and look at smaller, family-run accommodation, which often costs less and offers more character than the larger chains.

Once you’ve arrived, local transport will nearly always beat taxis on price, and some of the best experiences won’t cost you anything at all, think old towns, free viewpoints, and beach days. A short distance from the main resort centre can mean significantly lower prices without losing convenience, and the same goes for food: wander a little further from the tourist strip and you’ll usually eat better for less. Where you can, book excursions directly rather than through a third party, and always weigh up an all-inclusive deal against arranging things yourself, since the better option tends to depend entirely on where you’re headed.

Travel Insurance Matters, Whatever Your Budget

Keeping costs down on your holiday shouldn’t mean cutting corners on your cover. Whatever your age, and whatever health conditions you’re living with, the right travel insurance means you can enjoy your trip properly, safe in the knowledge that you’re protected if the unexpected happens.

Safe travels,

Rosie at OK To Travel

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