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Respected travel platform Which? has advised UK tourists planning a summer break to Spain to book now, as flight prices are only going one way: Up. On top of this, those who need to renew a British passport this year are likely to face inflated charges.

 

Package holidays in particular have shot up to destinations like Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Cyprus and Turkey, a huge 19% jump on last year’s prices. The experts now reckon that the average trip this summer will soar to 990 euros (867 pounds).

 

Budget travel giants Ryanair have been warning since last year that the days of cheap European flights are over, but Spain remains one of the cheapest destinations according to Travelsupermarket, with family packages going for 791 euros per person (693 British pounds).

 

Using data on the cost of flights to 15 destinations in Spain, France, Italy, Greece and the US from six of the UK’s busiest airports, the researchers have determined that things are going to get worse rather than better as the year goes on: flight prices this coming Easter are looking around 51% more more expensive than last year.

 

Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: “Travellers are likely to experience significantly higher prices than they’re used to for a trip away this year, with huge demand for holidays combining with inflationary pressure to create a perfect storm of spiralling costs.

 

“Flights in particular have seen some of the steepest price rises so far, with our research finding flights to popular destinations including Greece and Italy up 71% compared to last year.”

 

Adding insult to injury, British tourists who fail to renew their passports this year will almost certainly face increased charges, as pending Parliamentary approval, online renewal fees will likely rise from 75.50 pounds (86.29 euros) to 82.50 pounds (94.29 euros).

 

In response to the higher chargers, the UK authorities said: “The Government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications. The fees will also contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders”.

 

 

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