Dining out
A family of four can enjoy a three-course meal every night for a week plus drinks in the Algarve for £312 according to Thomas Cook's cost of living index for this summer. They reckon the prices in other places are: Tenerife £198, Costa del Sol £226, Cyprus £243, Turkey £251, Majorca £270, Madeira £310, Zante £336, Sicily £312, Florida £462 and Sorrento £616.
Taking off
Some 83% of a sample of 3,000 university applicants intend to take a gap year to travel and work abroad, according to STA Travel
Gaining currency
Barclays is offering commission-free currency to the most popular holiday destinations - the US, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain - throughout July. Customers can visit Barclays branches or ring 0845 6008090. Currency can be delivered to home or your place of work for £3.50.
Luton delays
Passengers travelling to Luton Airport this summer should allow extra time for their car journeys as there are to be night-time closures at junction 10 of the M1 for four weeks from July 23.
Away match
British Airways has just launched a brochure concentrating solely on weddings. Kenya, Mexico, Thailand and Cuba are all new "wedding destinations" featured. Mauritius is the most popular destination so far this year, followed by St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua and Bahamas. BA Holidays Weddings 0870 2424245.
Eastern promise
Russia and Croatia are set to lead the tourism boom in central and eastern Europe over the next 20 years, according to a study by industry analysts Travel and Tourism Intelligence. TTI expects the number of foreign visitors to the whole region to treble in the next 20 years, to more than 220m. It considers Krakow, St Petersburg and Zagreb to be the main cities to benefit from an increase in visitors. The reprt, Tourism in Central and Eastern Europe, costs £395 from TTI (020-7814 3820, www.t-ti.com).
All in good taste
Brittany Ferries has produced a Winebuyers Pocket Guide to entice their passengers to buy bottles on board, which will be delivered to your car. Brittany Ferries 0870 5360360.
Downhill struggle
The UK's largest ski holiday company, Crystal (0870 848 7000), says bookings are 8% up on last year but still below where they were two years ago.
