The pound had enjoyed several years of growth were it was possible to get two dollars for a pound and almost one euro and a half for a pound
. Unfortunately the situation is now very different and the pound is weak against many other currencies. Holidays considerably more expensive than the British public are used to and finding those cheap holidays will be much harder this year.
Although it isn't all doom and gloom, there are bargain holidays to be had. There are other countries that have had suffered just as badly from the economic downturn. You can find very cheap holidays if you go to lets say unusual locations such as Iceland. Iceland's economy was severely hit when the economic recession hit, after expanding very quickly the shortage of finance and large borrowings hit the country hard. The good news is it is much cheaper to holiday here as the country looks to attract holidaymakers.
If you are prepared to search around to find the best deals they can be found. Cheap holidays can be even found for popular European destinations. In particular bargains can be had if you look for holidays in Madrid and Barcelona.
Prices do vary quite considerably as travel agents attempt to maximise their profits. The month you travel also comes into the price of your holiday. It will be much cheaper if you want to go for your summer holidays in May as opposed to July as schools haven't finished the academic year.
Although it can be time consuming, comparing different holidays is certainly worth the hassle as prices can vary considerably. Comparison sites can help allowing you to search multiple destinations and dates without the pressure of going to a high street shop. You can browse at your leisure, look at flexible dates and research locations to get feedback from other holidaymakers.
Once you are armed with the places you want to visit you could then haggle with travel agents to try and reduce the prices for the holidays. As less people will be holidaying this year travel agents will be fighting over each other to get your business so cheap holidays can be had through bargaining and haggling.