Budget travel: around the world in thrifty ways

It is a fairly safe bet that most people’s travel plans this year will be dominated more than ever by financial concerns. So my selections for 2009 have an emphasis on budget, with particular reference to finding places where the pound is still reasonably strong.

All references to the value of the pound refer to the differences between a fixed date in December 2007 and the equivalent day in December 2008. Exchange rates could change radically before you travel, for better or for worse.

Family holidays

If you want Mediterranean sunshine, it has to be Turkey this year. The climate is good, standards of accommodation and service are generally high, the food is excellent and the pound is only slightly down against the lira. As prices here are good value anyway, it looks as though it will be the most affordable summer-sun destination this year.

The smaller resorts such as Kalkan and Kas and accommodation in the Kaya Valley look particularly appealing options for 2009, as do coastal cruises on the locally built wooden gulets.

Also, while tour operators have been losing ground to independent travellers in countries such as Spain and Italy, they are still strong in Turkey. In the current climate, the package holidays they offer are particularly attractive, not least because they both protect your money through the bonding scheme and are priced in sterling.

Nearer home, you don’t get much better beaches than the great swathes of sand used for the D-Day landings along the north Normandy coast, those on the south coast of Brittany, or the much smaller coves of the pink granite coast west of St Malo.

Once these were favourite holiday playgrounds for vast numbers of British holidaymakers who have, over the past decade or so, been lured farther south by cheap air fares. This year these French beaches look appealing once more. Ferry fares have fallen sharply and, though you have to pay in euros, the cost of accommodation and eating out is still on a par with prices in Britain.

Adventure

One destination stands out as an obvious choice for outdoor adventure: Iceland. After decades of scarily high prices, the currency has almost halved in value against the pound – so the meal that cost me £80 for two in 2007 should be nearer £20 a head in 2009.

It is the most extraordinary island, one where you can drive across a desert of black ash only to find yourself standing on the edge of one of Europe’s most prodigious waterfalls. You can swim in a hot spring, walk on warm lava and then go whale-watching in the North Atlantic. Words such as wild and spectacular are overused in travel brochures; they are appropriate when it comes to Iceland.

You might not think that cruising in the Galapagos Islands constitutes an adventure holiday – until you find yourself snorkelling alongside a bull sea lion or spot a hammerhead shark. As 2009 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, and it was in the Galapagos that he found crucial evidence for his theory of evolution, this is a perfect year for a trip.

Sporting highlights

There are some great opportunities for sport-related travel. February sees the start of the England cricket tour to the West Indies. The itinerary zigzags through Barbados, Antigua, Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and St Lucia, including a total of four Test matches and five one-day internationals, and continues into early April.

The British Lions have a three-Test rugby union tour to South Africa in June and July, with the Pretoria Test on June 27 looking the most tempting fixture. England cricketers also head to South Africa in December.

Long-haul

This could be a good year to go to China. The high prices attached to the Olympics are over and the solar eclipse predicted for July 2009 could be enough in itself to justify a trip. It will be the longest solar eclipse of the century and one of the best viewing points will be to the south of Shanghai. Book soon: demand for flights and accommodation in July is likely to be strong.

Sri Lanka is not quite the winter-sun bargain it used to be – the currency has strengthened by about 20 per cent against the pound in the past year. But base costs are still very low; just how low is revealed by a simple comparison of the prices charged in Sri Lanka and in the Caribbean by a luxury company such as Amanresorts, which aims to run all its properties to the same standard. Rates per room per night in Sri Lanka are around £430; in the Caribbean they rise as high as £1,028.

One of the reasons Sri Lanka offers such good value is a perception of political uncertainty and the risk of terrorist attacks – see www.fco.gov.uk – but most tour operators are confident it will do well in 2009. Hayes and Jarvis, a tour operator specialising in the Indian Ocean, calculates that Sri Lanka offers the best value in the region, and also tips Kenya as a country where prices will be keen next year – both for beach holidays and safaris. The political uncertainty in Kenya has depressed bookings, so tour operators and hotels are having to offer excellent value to attract customers. As with Sri Lanka, it is advisable to keep an eye on Foreign Office advice before travelling.

New Zealand and Australia are seen as two of the safest retreats from the world’s troubles. Air fares are still competitive – Trailfinders (www.trailfinders.com) is selling returns for travel in 2009 from £779 to Sydney and £699 to Auckland. Once there you will find that, while the Australian dollar has strengthened a little against the pound, the pound has actually gained a little against the New Zealand dollar.

Cruising

There are two good reasons to consider cruising in 2009.

First, there are a lot of ships out there – including eight new launches in 2009 – and these will be chasing fewer customers, as many feel the impact of the recession. This means cruise companies will be forced to keep rates low – some current offers are below prices of 10 years ago.

Second, on many cruises you can pay in sterling and include nearly all of your costs without having to worry about expensive extras. With some cruises costing little more than £60 per person per day, it might even work out cheaper than staying at home.

City breaks

Istanbul would be an excellent choice for a city break in 2009, especially for those who have enjoyed the Royal Academy’s current Byzantium exhibition: the city’s Archaeological Museum has an outstanding collection of Byzantine art. You will also benefit from a decent exchange rate.

Prague is also looking like a good destination. It has some of the lowest hotel prices in Europe (an average of about £75 per room per night) and the pound has slipped by only about four per cent against the Czech koruna over the past 12 months.

Time your visit for the Prague Spring International Music Festival (May 12-June 3), at which performers will include Anne-Sophie Mutter and Kurt Masur (www.festival.cz).

Skiing

After a couple of years when the weak dollar made for excellent value in the Rockies, the Alps seem the best bet by far for skiers this winter. Yes, the euro makes things expensive when you get there, but the huge snow falls of December have produced one of the best starts to the season in living memory.

The best way to control costs will probably be to drive down to a French resort, booking self-catering and taking some basic groceries with you. Booking through a tour operator that has priced its holidays in pounds would also be a good move – a ski pass bought through an operator in pounds before you travel is likely to be at least 10 per cent cheaper than one bought in the resort in euros.

Another good strategy is to travel in January or March and book at the last minute. Ski companies are already discounting these low-season months; there are bound to be more price reductions nearer the departure date.

Staying home

If anything is certain for 2009, it is that more British holidaymakers will stay in the United Kingdom this summer. The years when you could travel abroad and still pay less for your holiday overall seem to have ended for the time being. So, if you are thinking of taking the family to the Lake District, Cornwall, the Isle of Wight or the Norfolk coast, it would be a good idea to book now, before all the best accommodation is snapped up.