Croatia Top for Value for Money & as a 2010 Destination

Description:

Looking for more value for money for your 2010 holiday...? 
Outside of the Eurozone, Croatia is a fantastic choice - beautiful, exclusive but just not that expensive yet...

Realbuzz.com has just put Croatia on the list of the top ten countries to visit on a budget. The list “10 cheap countries to visit now” is a guide for recession savvy tourists looking for new, cheaper destinations. Old favourites like France, Italy, Spain and USA are proving less popular and are being replaced by countries such as Mexico, Turkey, South Africa, Iceland and Croatia, the article says. The article is a response to the UK tourist situation which has seen the pound plummet in value against the Dollar and Euro making holidays to the Eurozone and the USA much more expensive.

Guide2Croatia has looked into the cost of loving and prices in Croatia generally that you might find...

The cost of living in Croatia is overall lower than much of Western Europe. Prices vary widely by region but still, Croatia is generally around 25% cheaper than the UK. Of course, if you really go for it on holiday you can spend as much as you want and there are expensive and exclusive restaurants and watering holes if you want to do that. But generally speaking, Croatia is reasonably priced. This is great news for UK holiday makers for the up and coming summer season as the Euro is still going to be expensive just like last year! It makes a real difference to the price of anyone's holiday if you have to pay out so much for food and drinks - especially if you have a family.

Realbuzz.com said "Croatia still remains outside the eurozone, so is good value for money compared with the likes of France or Italy. The weakness of the Croatian kuna against the pound, makes it one of the cheapest destinations in Europe. If you are on a budget, there's no lack of cheap accommodation in Croatia, from campsites to private guest houses, while even the more up-market hotels still offer good deals. The easiest way to do this is to travel outside of the peak season (June to August) - instead travelling in April/ May or September/October, when you should still experience good weather but find room prices far cheaper."

Here's a list of some of the most popular holiday purchases and their prices in Croatia:

• Espresso coffee: 6 kunas (about 80p)
• Cappuccino: 7 to 8 kunas Beer - 33cl: 9 to 10 kunas (about £1.30)
• Beer - 50 cl: 10 to 12 kunas (about £1.50)
• Local wine in a restaurant: 60 to 70 kunas per liter (about £7-£8)
• Beefsteak: 70 to 80 kunas (about £8-£9)
• Fish: 250 to 300 kunas per kilo (about £29-£33 per kilo)
• 1 litre of petrol: 6,50 kunas (about 90p)

A recent survey says in the UK and Croatia shows that Croatia is around 25% less expensive than the UK - a big difference to the doubly expensive Eurozone countries of France, Greece and Spain.

But Croatia isn't a 'cheap' destination and British Airways has voted Dubrovnik no. 6 in their Top 10 Top Destinations list. What makes it attractive (low development and none of the commercialization that we've seen in the med over the last 25 years) also means there isn't a huge amount of accommodation relative to other countries. So accommodation prices aren't cheap, but nor would one want them to be - Croatia is popular these days as a holiday destination and place to live because it is unspoilt. This is the key to Croatia's success. CNN has also just listed Croatia as the new Celebrity destination of 2010 with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Andre Agassi, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, and Sharon Stone all visiting. CNN says that Dubai was the country of choice for celebs but they are now switching to less expensive options in the light of the US financial situation.

The cost of living day to day in Croatia is an added bonus which has been made more obvious by the Euro sitaution. For travelers who appreciate this about Croatia, it's an excellent option and when you have been there it's easy to see why people love it so much.

An interesting article in ''The Observer'' earlier this year, reintroduced British holiday-makers to the delights of Croatia - Yugoslavia used to be more popular than Greece a generation ago so it seems rather funny! The article from 18.01.2009. from the travel section has a number of specific suggestions for holidays in Croatia rather than-other places:

-The Island of Korčula instead of Corfu!

-Istria instead of Chianti! (Great selection of wine, truffles and the medieval hill towns of Motovun and Groznjan,Pula's amphitheatre  make Istria special)

-Zadar instead of Ibiza ("one of the hippest club scenes in Europe" is in Zadar, according to The Guardian. (The Garden festival is recommended! The full article can be found here...

So the advice is clear! Spend less of your hard earned money and get more in Croatia!

Like this story? Why not use our RSS feed and receive updates as soon as they are posted? Or join us as a member and receive periodical newsletters and help us create this site!

The views expressed are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Guide2Croatia.