UK Post Office survey draws angry response

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According to UK Post Office research, France came out as ‘by far' the costliest of the big four European holiday destinations, compared to Spain, Greece and Turkey.  France came out as most expensive in 7 of the 11 key categories used in the exercise, with information supplied by tourist boards.

The survey looked at the cost of things like three-course meals, mineral water, cans of coke, beer, car hire, fuel, postcards with stamps to the UK, and access to top heritage sites.  Overall, the country was said to be 61 per cent pricier than Turkey, 58 per cent more than Spain and 13 per cent higher than Greece - with car hire particularly costly at £115 a week, compared with £57 in Spain.  The survey labeled France "significantly less family-friendly than Italy, Greece or Spain when it comes to a day out", referring to the cost of family attractions.

The survey quickly drew an angry response, with the French tourist board questioning whether like-for-like costs had been compared, and industry experts were quick to discredit the report.  Martyn Sumners of the Association of British Tour Operators in France said: "Labelling France as ‘significantly less family-friendly' is practically libellous." He said that it was misleading to include hire-car costs since many people took their own vehicle.

Follow up checks found that key attractions were similar in price, whilst the cost of eating things like seafood in France was much cheaper, because it is normal fare.  Many of the favourite attractions in France are free, such as huge beaches, pretty towns and countryside, and many lakes and leisure facilities.  The cost of ferry crossings are normally for a car and 4 people, and the cheaper diesel prices mean that actually getting to your destination in France costs you less.  The stress of getting a family through airports also makes driving to France a much more attractive proposition.

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