Cheap holidays from the UK: when and where to go for less

The biggest savings on cheap holidays from the UK come from when you travel and what the fare leaves out, not from a secret destination. No official source prints holiday prices, so this guide uses what GOV.UK, the FCDO and ONS publish: school fines, flight tax, entry rules and visa fees.

That means we name no cheapest month and no price for any destination. A price copied from a seller's page is an offer that changes by the hour, and this site is a guide, not a seller. What we can check is the cost around the price, and every figure below comes from a page we read on 4 November 2026. For the wider map of where to go and when, start with our holiday destinations guide.

GOV.UK's page on legal action to enforce school attendance says a local council can give each parent a fine of £80, rising to £160 if it is not paid within 21 days. The page does not mention holidays by name, so ask the school before you book a week that takes a child out of lessons.

The dates themselves are set locally. GOV.UK's school term and holiday dates page lists none and sends you to your local council's website, because dates vary across the UK. Check your own council's calendar before you compare any two weeks.

Air Passenger Duty is a tax charged by the government on flights from the UK, and it rises steeply with distance. GOV.UK gives two bands and two rates. The reduced rate is for travel in the lowest class on the plane, with seat pitches under 1.016 metres (40 inches).

The gap between the two bands is £87 at the reduced rate (£102 minus £15) and £212 at the standard rate (£244 minus £32).

Six popular holiday countries, one rule set each. Four follow the Schengen rules, Turkey has its own, and Egypt is the one that normally asks British passport holders for a visa.

On the Entry/Exit System (EES), GOV.UK's Spain page says it is replacing manual passport stamping. You may have to register fingerprints and a photo at a booth on your first visit, children aged 11 or younger have no fingerprints taken, registration costs nothing and the record is valid for 3 years. Bulgaria follows the Schengen rules, so the same passport test applies there.

For the full rules, see our entry requirements for British passport holders, and the pages on Turkey and Egypt. Our winter sun and city breaks guides cover the same kind of checks for their destinations.

Six things to budget for or check before you book, from the rules and taxes on this page.

• Flight tax
  Air Passenger Duty, between £15 and £244 depending on band and rate, per the table above.
• A visa fee
  Egypt's visa on arrival is 30 US dollars (about £22) in cash, so the visa is a cost to plan for before you leave.
• Passport dates
  The Schengen rule needs a passport issued less than 10 years before arrival, and Turkey asks for 150 days of validity after you arrive. Our UK passport guide covers renewal.
• A school fine
  £80 to £160 a parent, if the trip takes a child out of school and the council issues a penalty notice.
• Getting to the airport
  Our UK airports guide covers the journey to the airport.
• Time to spare
  A short trip leaves no time to fix a passport problem, so check the dates first.

ONS estimates that Spain was the most visited country for residents of Great Britain in 2025, with 19.1 million visits, ahead of France (9.1 million) and Italy (5.7 million). That shows where demand is, not where it is cheapest, and ONS prints no price per destination.

So the honest method is to do the comparing yourself, in this order, on the dates you can really travel.

1. Fix the weeks you can go, using your own council's school dates.
2. Check the climate and the FCDO advice for each place on your list in our best time to visit guide, or see hot places in December and hot places in January for the winter months.
3. Check the entry rules and passport dates in the table above.
4. Add the flight tax and any visa fee to the fare you are shown, then compare the totals.

If the trip is a few days rather than a week, our weekend breaks and city breaks guides work from journey times, and for December our Christmas markets guide lists dates by city.

• What is the cheapest month to go on holiday from the UK?

  We name none. GOV.UK, the FCDO and ONS publish no holiday prices by month, and a figure from a seller’s page would be an offer, not a fact. We checked school fines, flight tax and entry costs instead, on 4 November 2026.

• Do I need a visa for Spain, Portugal, Greece or Bulgaria?

  No, not for a short stay. GOV.UK says you can travel to the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, and time in other Schengen countries in the previous 180 days counts.

• Does Turkey need a visa for British passport holders?

  Not for tourism. GOV.UK says you can visit Turkey without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and your passport must expire at least 150 days after you arrive.

• How much is the Egypt visa for British passport holders?

  GOV.UK says a physical visa on arrival is 30 US dollars (about £22), cash only. A digital visa on arrival at Cairo from 1 August 2026 is 36 US dollars (about £27) by card. You can also apply for an e-visa online.

• Is there a fine for missing school for a holiday?

  GOV.UK says a local council can fine each parent £80, rising to £160 if unpaid after 21 days, and £160 for a second fine within 3 years. Its page does not name holidays, so ask the school.

• What is Air Passenger Duty?

  It is a tax on flights from the UK. GOV.UK lists £15 (reduced) and £32 (standard) for flights of 0 to 2,000 miles, and £102 and £244 for 2,001 to 5,500 miles.

• Is Bulgaria in the Schengen area?

  Yes. GOV.UK says Bulgaria follows Schengen area rules, so the 90-day visa-free limit and the passport dates apply.

• Does the EU Entry/Exit System cost anything?

  No. GOV.UK’s Spain page says registration has no cost. You may have to give fingerprints and a photo on your first visit, and the record is valid for 3 years.