GOOD news for anyone going halfway through – it will cost less thanks to a stronger pound.
While costs have risen at most resorts since the Post’s last biannual report in 2019, families will pay up to 18% less at seven out of ten fall sun destinations.
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But the cost of flights and hotels is the key.
Croatia was the most expensive country for food and drink, but cheap flights and hotels made it the third cheapest.
Researchers looked at the cost of a food and drink basket for a family of four for a week, as well as the prices for a week-long package.
Turkey offers the best value for money, according to the Post Office Travel Money report, with prices in Marmaris less than half of all other places except the Algarve, which ranked second in the survey .
The cost of the basket in Marmaris is £ 34.98, ten percent lower than in 2019.
The Algarve is the cheapest in the Eurozone, although at £ 47.09 it is 14% more expensive than in the last report.
The most expensive of the ten destinations was Porec in Croatia, where prices rose 4% to £ 91.29.
But this is reversed when the value of a week’s worth of meals and drinks is combined with the cost of a one-week package for four people.
Families could easily find a package deal for around £ 1,500 to £ 1,600 in Turkey, Croatia or the Algarve.
A housing shortage in western Cyprus means they will pay around £ 3,626.
Turkey (£ 1,766.31) and the Algarve (£ 1,941.04) remain cheapest when travel, hotels, meals and drinks are combined – and on that basis Porec moves up to third place (£ 2,177.80).
Along with Madeira, the autumn sun spots of Malta, Greece and Cyprus are the most expensive.
Nick Boden, of Post Office Travel Money, said: “The pound sterling has remained dynamic this year and is worth around 8% more against the euro and the Croatian kuna than a year ago.
Insurers relax
A NUMBER of insurers have recently relaxed some of their rules for vacationers.
Earlier this month, Direct Line and Churchill announced that they had removed some restrictions on trip cancellation coverage that were put in place last year.
They said it will support the recovery of the travel industry and give customers more confidence to travel.
The changes have also been applied to global family travel insurance available to Nationwide Building Society FlexPlus checking account customers, which is underwritten by Direct Line.
Samsung returns to the fold
FLIP phones are back – thanks to foldable screen technology that finally works.
Samsung’s Flip 3 is like the Motorola Razr and other “flip†phones that were very successful in the early 2000s.
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When flipped over, it has a 6.7-inch screen – the same size as the larger iPhone – but folds up to half the size like a makeup compact.
It is therefore big and small at the same time.
It costs £ 350 less than the original Z Flip (there was no second version) and is now also water resistant and more wear resistant.
At £ 949, or from £ 44 per month at Vodafone, it costs about the same as other high-end smartphones like the company’s Galaxy S21 + or Apple’s new iPhones.
Folding phones seemed like a gimmick when they first appeared a few years ago, but I’ve tested the Flip 3 and they’re starting to make sense.
The Flip 3 looks great, with a sleek and sleek cream finish.
Unlike previous foldable phones, this one is solid and well designed.
You can see the seam where the screen folds, but really only when the screen is turned off. It also looks like a regular display.
Meanwhile, there is a small external display which is great for notifications.
In most cases, this is a regular smartphone with decent cameras and fast performance, but that little extra: it folds in half.
And it’s water resistant – a first for a foldable phone – up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. Very handy when I drop it in the tub.
Like all Samsungs, it uses Android, so there are all normal apps in the Google Play Store.
These are fluid, thanks to the Qualcomm processor, the same “brain” used by competitors.
Battery life is a concern and it rarely lasted me all day – something I’ve grown used to with the iPhone or other Samsung handsets.
The camera rivals most – very important shots in low light are good.
But there is no zoom lens, something more and more in high-end rivals – the thinness of the body means that there is not enough room.
Unfolded, the screen is as bright and detailed as any other, but it’s made of softer glass because when folded it has its own protection.
But if you drop the handset when it’s open, it will pick up nicks.
I don’t think the original design is a gimmick.
This means that the gadget can more easily slip into pockets and bags while having a large display, also protected from damage when not in use.
We might start to see more and more phones with foldable screens and that’s a big step in that direction.
Samsung galaxy flip 3
- Pros: Stunning design, useful external display, excellent build quality.
- Cons: Battery life, decent cameras but no zoom.
Technical tips: 6.7 inch display, 1.9 inch external display, dual 12MP rear cameras, 10MP selfie camera, fingerprint sensor, Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G processor.
Technology launches
THREE tech giants – Apple, Google and Samsung – will all launch gadgets this week.
Apple is set to unveil new laptops and the third version of its AirPod wireless headphones tomorrow.
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The latest MacBook Pro will have Apple’s own processor rather than Intel’s.
Google’s latest smartphone, the Pixel 6, is due on Tuesday.
Early versions tried to compete with the iPhone, but since then the company has focused on mid-range phones. It could also launch new versions of its smart speakers.
Samsung will also unveil new products on Wednesday – but there are no clues yet on what we’ll see.
