Cheapest holiday destinations: What £1,000 will buy you in cities from New York to Istanbul

A new TripAdvisor survey says the Algarve is the cheapest place to holiday right now, and New York the most expensive. Simon Calder is on the case

Istanbul came out as the cheapest city break in our like-for-like survey (Getty Images)

For the biggest holiday bang for your puny pounds, head for Turkey, Portugal or Spain — that is the conclusion after a new holiday cost survey and additional research by The Independent.

As the Brexit debate rages, the pound remains stubbornly weak — pushing up holiday costs for anyone spending sterling. A report from TripAdvisor out today says this spring £1,000 will buy return flights plus 18 nights in Albufeira on Portugal’s Algarve, 17 nights in Benidorm or 13 nights in Prague, versus just three nights in New York.

The travel review site looked at 10 key destinations, and researched room rates and air fares between March and May.

Joint fourth place is occupied by Marrakech and Paris, where £1,000 buys nine nights. Bangkok (eight nights) and Reykjavik (six nights) are sixth and seventh respectively.

Sharing eighth place, with £1,000 buying four nights, are Dubai and Hong Kong.

New York is last and most expensive as a result of a very high nightly rate: £293 for a double room, says TripAdvisor, compared with £90 for Albufeira.

But some key high-value locations were missing from the TripAdvisor research. In addition, the report cannot compare like with like because of a difference of hotels used.

So The Independent introduced Cairo and Istanbul, in place of Marrakech and Reykjavik, and looked only at room rates on the same night — 25 March — staying at Holiday Inns, which offer comparable standards worldwide. Alicante replaced Benidorm, which does not have a Holiday Inn.

New York is relatively expensive - but you already knew that (Getty)

Comparing like for like, some of the results were dramatically different. Istanbul, with a nightly rate of just £36 for a double room and return flights easily available for £100, will welcome the traveller for 25 nights for £1,000.

Portugal, Spain and the Czech Republic took the next three places, but Cairo moved ahead of Paris. Dubai displaced Bangkok, while New York City nudged ahead of Hong Kong — where the Holiday Inn guest will be able to spend only two nights.

The Independent Holiday Inn-dex

Rates for night of 25 March

Istanbul £36

Albufeira £50

Alicante £52

Prague £59

Cairo £84

Dubai £88

Paris £107

Bangkok £109

New York City £169

Hong Kong - £179

Additional research by Becca Meier