Dupes or jewels? Flights to Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia soar as Brits hunt for cheaper holidays!

Women are doing it for themselves: Girls beat the boys when it comes to solo travel!

GOOD day holidaymakers it’s June. This month, as we check into another hotel, we realise we’ve created a monster by just innocently saying “yes, of course”. In recent years as Chalkmarks has checked into hotels we are more frequently being asked to offer a credit card as a guarantee. At first we asked why? (We still ask why tbh?) The answer never makes sense to us. So, it’s a very awkward conversation. We already paid for the room so why are we having to pay again? We’re told it’s because people steal things like pillows, bathrobes and kettles. As an aside: who wants a pillow that hundreds of people have slept on to take home – eugh? The hotel already has my address, passport and credit card details. Why is that not enough to come after me if I rob the stinky pillow? And why aren’t they up front and charge it on booking. That way the customer is informed and has the choice. Instead they surprise you with it on arrival. And the amount differs per hotel: it can be the cost of the first night, it can be a random £250, it can be £1. Is it even legal? And what if you refuse? We have, and nothing actually happens. Worst case scenario once, is they got the manager to scare us. Dream on! They can’t really do anything because we have paid already. Mostly though, we just say: “yes, of course” for a quiet life and hand over our credit card. But, even stranger is that they refund the money back on to your card on checkout before they’ve inspected the room to see if we’ve stuffed the musty pillows in our suitcases. So, what was the point? Argh… we need a holiday! Does anyone out there have any answers perlease? Until then, here’s this month’s fluffy travel headlines.

HOLIDAY HUNTER!

Travel for all: The majority of the world is planning a holiday in the next 12 months. Woah! It might seem like a week doesn’t go by when we don’t hear that everyone is packing their suitcase and escaping but this time, the research is global. Expedia’s 2025 Traveller Value Index found a whopping 88 per cent of people on the planet are planning getaway trips. On the issue of money, it revealed more travellers are keen on using loyalty schemes but don’t mind spending a bit more on a hotel if it has good reviews. To save cash they’re making the most of flexcations or bleisure (both the same thing, meaning when you travel for work then add on a few extras days as hols). And then the biggest shift for the travel industry: Some 61 per cent of us look to social media to decide where to go – that’s soared from 35 per cent in 2022. And 73 per cent say they have already been influenced by errr… influencers. Here’s the full report.

Single ladies are taking over the world: Well, Asia. Women have become the fastest growing group of travellers according to the boss of Hostelworld. The number of solo travellers is also rising with the latest data showing an increase from 57 per cent in 2021 to 63 per cent in 2024. And, another trend is Europeans taking off to Asia, especially Thailand, because of cheap accommodation and living. Gary Morrison said: “To a large extent, the travel industry has been kind of closed off to solo travellers and it doesn’t really cater to them. Every single hotel room is for two people. I think, in the longer term, other parts of the travel industry will start catering to solo travellers – which is, to stop charging them for two-person rooms.” Like that will ever happen. The Independent has more.

New on the bucket list: Stats from the Civil Aviation Authority reveal that flights from the UK to Bosnia and Herzegovina jumped 284 per cent last year, trips to Montenegro were up 164 per cent, and Albania 61 per cent. Plus there were flight increases to Azerbaijan, Tunisia, Rwanda, Morocco and Ghana.

Where everyone went in 2025: The Guardian has spotted a TikTok craze, which tbh was labelled by Expedia in 2023, known as destination dupes. Chalkmarks has been writing about this for almost two years now and is clearly here for the long haul. Destination dupes are where you go to an alternative hotspot that’s much cheaper than the Insta-crowded location. Enter Albania for its “Italian” and “Maldives” vibes.

Have you seen our pictures: Our fantastic travel photos, which capture some of our favourite destinations around the world, are now available for sale on Alamy. Woohoo!

Getting heated: It’s not really fair on these destinations to call them dupes. They’re really hidden gems that haven’t been promoted to British holidaymakers before, and so there aren’t many package holiday options available. Beach holidays aside, many fear an increase in tourists will turn these jewels into overcrowded grotspots. But fear not, the beaches of the Costa del Sol and the Canary Islands are still going to be packed out this year – Tenerife saw three million holidaymakers in 2024. The numbers going to Bosnia and Herzegovina totalled just 80,000 last year, Albania saw under one million visitors and Montenegro 220,000.

What’s in the Balkans? The Albanian Riviera! But haven’t you seen the news? Yes, Albania sounds great. It’s not all drugs, smugglers and migrants. It’s “Little Italy”, says the Financial Times. It’s “The Caribbean of Europe”, writes the Daily Telegraph, “where luxury hotels cost less than £100”. It’s all about their 280-mile coastline spread across two seas, the Adriatic and the Ionian. This area was already known as the Albanian Riviera – but it went viral in 2023 when influencers posted stunning beach photos of Ksamil and tagged it the “Maldives of Europe”. Plus, there’s no shortage of sunshine. As autumn begins in Britain, summer goes on across Albania. Located opposite Italy and sitting north of Greece, with the rock of Corfu just across the water, temperatures remain in the high 20Cs until October. Also, hotels and eating out are extremely cheap. Two scoops of gelato cost 100 lekë (pronounced lek), that’s 80p! Wow – where’s the link? It’s here.

Wish you weren’t here: Relations between holidaymakers and locals in Tenerife have taken another turn for the worse after 2,000 residents marched on the streets calling for an end to mass tourism – leaving sun-hungry Britons hiding in their rooms. Campaigners say the Canary Island’s population of 2.2 million can’t cope with 18 million visitors each year. According to MailOnline the Canary Islands has already seen an 8 per cent dip in holidaymakers since anti-tourism protests began. The Spanish government has called for 66,000 Airbnb listings to be removed saying they did not have clear or proper licences. The BBC has more.

Is it safe to go to Spain? For years Spain has been the number one choice with up to 18 million Britons visiting last year. But, another travel boss has admitted that holidaymakers are ringing their call centres asking if they should still be travelling to Espana amid the ongoing anti-tourism protests. Steve Heapy, at Jet2, said the question they get asked is: “Are we still welcome in the resort”. He said it was that it wasn’t package-holiday tourists causing the problem (of course). Instead he mentioned “unlicensed tourism properties”. He means Airbnb and suggests fines for those who rent out properties without licences or tax records. But, as for an answer to is it safe, he didn’t say. Question is: will you miss that trip to Benidorm when you’ve been to Phuket, or Bali in Indonesia?

Race across the pond: Just in time for summer, the US dollar continues to wobble - with the pound now up to $1.35, so you can order that extra-large Coke and fries. Since Donald Trump became president travellers have been turned away at the borders or thrown in jail for not having a hotel booked but Britons are not afraid. They are flocking to to the USA, especially New York, Orlando and Miami as sterling is strong against the dollar. Experts warn, though, it won’t last. There's more in the Guardian.

Racing away: Holidaymakers in countries hit by Mr Trump’s trade tariffs are giving the US a miss, according to Trivago. The trend has seen bookings to the US from Canada, Mexico and Japan down by double digits - with German demand also falling. This means hotel rooms are cheaper. The Telegraph has more.

Proud to be British: Trivago also found that many Brits are not choosing flip-flops and beaches this summer but opting for a staycation with bookings 25 per cent up on last year. And where to go? London tops the list, followed by Edinburgh, where demand has surged nearly 30 per cent. But see below. Other popular spots include York, Blackpool, and Manchester.

Where to eat: St Paul’s in London is home to a giant new Market Place Food Hall with cuisines from around the world (see pic below). This will put the City back on the tourist map after many years of offering scant attractions in the evenings and on weekends. Hoping to capture the office workers and evening crowds, it’ll be open from 8.30am until 10pm offering up live DJs and comedy nights. Chalkmarks was invited to the launch in May and got stuck into the Aussie-style sushi rolls, Pad Thai, pizza, and Vietnamese duck all washed down with a gingery Brooklyn Paul cocktail. Our verdict: heavenly. Thank you for opening this. Find it across the road from St Paul’s Cathedral and right in front of the Tube station (Barbican exit).

Not rude just Norwegian: Oslo tops the weekend break cost-o-meter with a mind-blowing £636.20 price tag. Highland bills also rack up in Edinburgh with a two-night stay costing £601.50 – even more during the Festival and Fringe in August. It seems the further north you go, the more you pay. The study by Post Office Travel Money didn’t factor in the cost of flights only the price of a three-star hotel, transport and attractions in June. Eastern Europe dominates the other end of the scale with Riga, Latvia, named the cheapest getaway at £252.63 – and for the first time it overtakes Lithuania’s Vilnius which costs £254.32. Laura Plunkett, from the Post Office, said the real challenge of a city break was “the cost of accommodation” with “big swings in hotel costs depending on how many rooms are available in peak months”. Here’s more in the Daily Record.

What’s in Riga: There’s a lot going on in Latvia’s capital shaped by its Soviet and European heritage. The city is regularly voted one of the best value in Europe. And it’s true. Chalkmarks has stayed in a five-star hotel, for four nights, in the Old Town, for the price of one night in London. Don’t miss the stunning Old Town, climb St Peter’s Church for panoramic city views, take a trip along the canals and a boat journey on the Daugava River to the beach resort Jurmala (see top pic). And don’t forget to eat potato pancakes and drink Black Balsam, a herbal liqueur. Best of all, if you want to turn away from the Mediterranean heat, a Baltic summer comes in around the mid-20s. Perfect!

What’s in Oslo: In Norway’s capital they live friluftsliv – free air life – an outdoors lifestyle on the fjords and in the forests. The city sits on a fjord where you can float away on a wooden sauna then take a dip in the water when you get too hot. Then there’s the Opera House with its famous slanting roof and next door the Munch Museum which houses The Scream painting. At Vigeland Sculpture Park there are 200 stone statues of naked people. And before you leave please try the brown cheese waffles – but if you find eating out too expensive there are hot dogs in every corner shop for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Belly flop: Due to global economic uncertainty it seems many people are looking for ways to save on their holidays this year. According to a poll, by home-swapping platform Kindred, 83 per cent of sunseekers plan to reduce their spending, with 39 per cent hunting for cheaper accommodation or planning on staying with friends. Around 14 per cent say they would even be willing to skip a getaway this year. Yikes – that’s drastic! See destination dupes, above, immediately. Justine Palefsky at Kindred, said: “We’re seeing a clear shift toward more thoughtful, value-driven travel that aligns with both budget and beliefs.” The Evening Standard has more.

Going up: The message from Ryanair is to expect higher flight prices this summer. What with rising fuel costs to meet net-zero targets, air traffic fees, the delay of new planes arriving and a fall in profit, as they tried to keep costs low last year, prices will go up around 6 per cent said boss Michael O’Leary. Reuters has more.

From easyJet: The orange airline said it was on target to make plenty of money this year with their base reopening in Newcastle in 2026 and demand strong for far-flung destinations such as Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco and Cape Verde. Again, from Reuters.

Then On the Beach: Package holiday firm On the Beach said holiday bookings were booming this year with sales up 14 per cent on 2024. Despite its On the Beach brand name, the boost has come from demand for its city break packages. Analyst at eToro Mark Crouch said: “Despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures, the company’s flexible bookings and value-for-money packages continue to resonate with budget-conscious holidaymakers, driving double-digit growth in bookings, volume, and profits.” The Independent has more.

And Tui: Europe’s largest operator, says it’s struggling with holiday bookings which are down 1 per cent on last year, adding that demand in the UK was flat. Tui boss Sebastian Ebel said: “Given the economic conditions, 2025 will be challenging. Europe needs new momentum. We must return to an overall economy that is growing. More investment, more freedom – less regulation and less bureaucracy. This will strengthen the economy and consumer behaviour.”

Sunbathers paradise: If you think summer holidays are best on the Med think again. Varna is the bluest and most beautiful beach resort on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. It’s everything you’d find on the Côte d’Azur or on the Costa del Sol but it’s also packed with history and culture. They even use merci as thank you and chau as goodbye. Very handy! Varna is an extremely pretty and leafy seaside port with a huge landscaped park on the waterfront with a mile-long stretch of glamorous bars, restaurants and clubs to go with it. There are sofas, beanbags, and brightly painted wooden armchairs down on the sand. As well as being a sunbathers paradise, further along the coast are the popular resorts of Sunny Beach, Golden Sands and Sunny Day – popular with Britons on two-week packaged holidays. Hear more here.

Light at the end of the tunnel: Plans for a direct train from London to Switzerland are underway after the UK and Swiss governments signed a cooperation deal. Currently, rail passengers must change trains in Paris, but a direct service could cut travel time to Geneva from 7.5 to around 5 hours. A flight from London to Geneva takes 1 hour 40 minutes. So when might this happen? No time soon. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “It’s not going to be within the next 12 months.” Luckily, Swiss transport minister Albert Rosti gave the game away, he said it would be within five to ten years. PA Media has more.

Down the track: We could soon be boarding high-speed, double-decker trains from London to Paris, which would increase capacity and lower prices through the Channel Tunnel. Nothing will happen quickly though with talks unlikely to turn to trains until the end of the decade. Reuters has more.

Also on the line: It looks like there could soon be a new train service that totally bypasses London and heads straight to the seaside. The Arriva Group has applied to the Office of Rail and Road to run five daily Grand Central train services direct between Newcastle and Brighton from December 2026. The route would take in York, Sheffield, Birmingham, Oxford, Reading and Gatwick Airport. It’s in the Brighton Argus.

Back in the queue: There has been great excitement that PM Keir Starmer’s first EU-UK summit since Brexit would allow British holidaymakers to use the EU passport eGates to get to the beaches more quickly. Mr Starmer said he hoped that would happen “as soon as possible”, maybe this summer. But the EU quickly said: “Not this summer.” If it does happen at all, it will come after the new EU visa rules Entry/Exit System (EES) come in, which is expected in October… and if the member state allows it. And also, don’t expect cheap roaming to return either. Another hope that was dashed was Britons being able to use their phone’s mobile data for free while in Europe. Spain said it was not keen on the idea as holidaymakers would jam up their network during the summer and drive up prices. Sky News explains it all.

Terminal issue: Air India had the worst punctuality of any airline last year, with UK flights delayed by an average of 45 minutes and 48 seconds, according to Civil Aviation Authority data. Its Gatwick to Bangalore route was the worst, with delays averaging 1 hour 23 minutes. Guernsey-based Aurigny Air Services was second-worst, followed by SunExpress and Air Portugal. Emerald Airlines was best, with delays averaging 10 minutes 30 seconds. Which? Travel editor Rory Boland called the delays “completely unacceptable”. Air India blamed factors beyond its control but said punctuality had improved in 2025. This one appeared in the Daily Mail written by our Ed Natalie Chalk. No link though #buyapaper!

Airport proposal: If you’re triggered by car parking charges, maybe scroll past this one because Gatwick has increased (see here) its drop-off charges to £7. According to the Evening Standard this is part of a plan to help pay for the airport’s second runway – with a promise that 54 per of passengers will reach the airport by public transport. A final decision on the £2.5 billion expansion will come in October, whereas the prices have already gone up. It’s a crime, someone said on X. Here, Which? tells us how to get around the charges – most tips involve being dropped off a bus stop or a short walk away.

Just woke up? Heathrow boss Thomas Woldbye has apologised for... wait for it, sleeping through the airport crisis when all the lights went out back in March. What a humdinger. As you may recall, a fire at a substation had caused a power outage and some 1,300 flights were cancelled. We were told that Mr Woldbye had gone to bed, leaving his deputy in charge so he could handle the fallout first thing the following day. We reported on it here. Turns out, that never happened. An inquiry found that all attempts to call him had failed as his phone was on silent. He only found out what was going on at 6.45am. We're not sure which is more shocking: He told the truth or that the CEO of one of Britain's biggest pieces of infrastructure, earning megabucks, can't be contacted in an emergency. Either way the X crowd raged, calling for him to be sacked for being asleep at the wheel. Despite his absence, the inquiry also found that shutting down the airport was the right thing to do. Soooo, back to sleep then. Guido followed this one.

Go wild: Campers can pitch up their tents and sleep under the stars on Dartmoor, the Supreme Court has ruled. Right to Roam campaigners are over the moon after a millionaire land owner tried to ban the public camping on his land. Back in 2023, the Court of Appeal gave walkers the legal right to wild camp in the national park in Devon but this was challenged – Chalkmarks reported on it here. Now it’s legal – 100 per cent! The Guardian has more.

Keep your money: Visitors to Northern Ireland's Giant’s Causeway are being told to stop jamming coins into the basalt columns. The National Trust says the trend is causing rust and damage to the 60-million-year-old rocks. The worst affected area is The Loom, where discolouration is visible. One tour guide said: “If you want to leave something behind, take a photo – it'll last longer.” The BBC has more. Why do they do it?

Mixed signals: Prince Harry has turned up in Shanghai to talk about climate change and sustainable tourism. It wasn't lost on the papers that he wasn't worried about his own carbon footprint when he flew 13 hours from LA to deliver this keynote message. In his role as founder of Travalyst, Harry said tourism must be a force for good but that “meaningful change never comes easily”. He added: "The true measure of our commitment is how we respond when the path becomes difficult. We must never give up." What does that even mean?

The next big question: Aisle, window or in the middle? According to very important research, older passengers prefer the aisle seat on a plane. The poll by YouGov revealed 43 per cent of those aged over 65 said they like the aisle compared to 22 per cent of 18-24s. Overall 53 per cent liked the window seat. There was 2 per cent who said they preferred the middle seat. Maybe they didn’t understand the question. What the research didn’t reveal is why they bothered. Nothing better to do – 100 per cent – is our guess!

Take a stand: Have you seen the new stand-up airplane seats? The saddle-looking chairs with passengers strapped in as if they were on a rollercoaster ride have been created by Aviointeriors as the next generation of upright economy options. Despite very vague interest from budget airlines, don’t expect them on your flight any time soon. Take a look in The Sun.

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GONE FISHING!