Holidaymakers travelling to European destinations are spending three times more than those going outside the Eurozone.

A recent Post Office survey has revealed that holiday essentials including drinks, transfers, accommodation and even post cards cost much less in places like Prague and Budapest compared with cities like Athens and Barcelona.

The pound sterling has actually strengthened in some non-Euro countries since last summer, offering even greater value for money in summer 2009.

Leading UK tour operators have cut back on some European destinations this year in anticipation of fewer bookings. Thomas Cook chief executive, Manny Fontenla-Novoa has stated that Spanish and Greek hoteliers will need to reconsider their prices to keep the market competitive.

TUI Travel which owns First Choice and Thomson brands confirmed that bookings to Egypt were up by 18% on last year and by 8% to Turkey, both countries being outside Eurozone and both predicted as two of the summer 2009 hotspots.

In a Telegraph newspaper reader’s poll, nearly two thirds of people surveyed admitted that the weak pound was putting them off holidaying in Europe.