I can still remember the days when International travel was the preserve of the rich. The jetset would have their holidays abroad whilst the rest of us just ventured down the road to the seaside. When overseas holidays did become available to the masses everyone was heading for Spain and the Canary islands or jumping on a ferry and visiting France. As time has passed, however, people are venturing further afield and to more exotic destinations.

Eastern Europe

There was a time when it was a cheap option to travel to Eastern European countries. Yugoslavia and the Eastern Block nations were very affordable but few people would travel there being suspicious of the communist regimes. If you were adventurous, however, you could grab a bargain and even make some money whilst you were there. The people in some of these countries did not have ready access to western merchandise and so it was beneficial to travel with a few western clothes and cigarettes which you could sell to the locals. A friend of mine once went to Bulgaria with a suitcase full of Levi 501’s and other denim. She made a killing!

Changing Habits

The travel landscape is very different these days. As more and more people now holiday overseas and the communist regimes have collapsed, those countries which used to be such a bargain are not so cheap anymore. With such a demand for travel and many people interested in exploring new places, some destinations can now charge a premium for their services. A case in point is Croatia, once part of Yugoslavia but now a hugely popular choice with European tourists.

Croatia

I had a big shock recently when I started to organise a trip to Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. As a frequent visitor to neighbouring Slovenia I was expecting the costs of the trip to be reasonable but how wrong I was. I had overlooked the fact that Slovenia has yet to experience a boom in tourism and so the prices for flights and accommodation are very reasonable. The same cannot be said of Croatia which is now receiving so many visitors that demand had inflated the prices dramatically.

Changing Plans

I was shocked to find that a flight to any of the Croatian airports was going to cost almost double what I would pay to fly to Slovenia. The accommodation was about 50% more expensive and the car hire was a massive 125% more costly. My inexpensive holiday was turning into a money pit and I was stunned to realise that I could have taken a trip to America for less! In the end I decided to fly to Slovenia and drive into Croatia. The cheaper flights and car hire have saved my partner and I an incredible £464.

Now is the time

When a destination becomes popular then you can expect the prices to rise rapidly. If there are places you are interested in visiting which are still a little off the tourist map then go now before everyone else discovers them and you end up paying twice as much for the privilege.

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Article by Sally Stacey