I hope it plummets even further....I would love to see it go back to 1.45 1.5 again..but there is not much hope of that!

2 euros to the pound! That'd be nice!

The current financial problems being experienced by Greece may contribute slightly to a more favourable exchange rate for us Brits but I agree with Justval, I think the days of 1.4/1.5 Euros to the pound are long gone unfortunately. I'll be watching with interest, as although booked outside the Eurozone for this year, would love to go back to Portugal, Greece or Cyprus in 2011.

Well I think today may define things a bit. All depends if Greece get bailed out by France and Germany! It's a bit unfair on the Irish if they get bailed out though when they were left to sort it themselves!
I'd take 1.20 to the pound if given now!

A good increase for the £ yesterday and so far today it's climbing again!

I remember when it was 1.65 ...those were the days....wish Id stashed some away now...tweetie

The other thing to worry about is inflation, especially Greece, Spain and Portugal. You might get a slightly better rate of exchange than last year but if prices have shot up when you get there you won't be any better off.

on the news today it said that spain and greece were still in recession, so would inflation be going up? last year we still changed the same amount of sterling for our holiday and just tried to makes our euros go further by taking a few items that we knew would be more expensive than the uk, in our minds we have adjusted our spending to fit in with the exchange of about 1.11 to 1.13 which we got last year , so if that goes up it will be a bonus unless as you say inflation/prices go up! the current situation hasn't made me avoid euro zones for holidays as i think you can still get great value in these resorts.

Just checked currencyexchange to see what rate they have, and at the moment €1.14, so things looking up

H Andy
I agree with what you're saying and we have adjusted our finances for the last few times we have been to Spain, working on the principle of one euro for one pound sterling, and anything above that is a welcomed bonus.
I do get a trifle annoyed when journalists give an opinion with a wide sweeping brush and compare Spain to Greece and say " Spain is still in recession".

I don't know anything about either Greece or Portugal, but in 2008 before the recession, the Spanish economy was regarded as one of the most dynamic within the EU and they had a surplus of money, which meant that they were one of the last countries to go into recession, and therefore will be one of the last to come out of it, so it's not exactly hard to go figure out, why today they are still in the recession.
Spain has been hit hard because of the bubble bursting in the construction sector, which was going to happen at some point with or without a recession because of the saturation and supply outstripping demand, and with the poor exchange rate between sterling and the euro which has seen a drop in tourists, both happening at the same time"¦.both they have heavily relied upon.

The Spanish state pensioners have just seen a 4.9% increase in their pensions, which means they actually get more than me, but I suppose the Spanish pensioners are not having to bail out the bankers in London, and when their government makes a commitment to them, they don't renege on the promises.

IMO: When people say that Spain is expensive and they are pricing themselves out of the market, I believe that too many people have had it too good for too long, and if you want good hotels, food, infrastructure etc"¦.. It's now pay back time because the Spanish people, especially in the tourist sector, are tired of working for peanuts.

Sanji

I believe that too many people have had it too good for too long, and if you want good hotels, food, infrastructure etc"¦.. It's now pay back time because the Spanish people, especially in the tourist sector, are tired of working for peanuts.

I think this applies to other countries as well. We have been able to take advantage because these countries have all to often been lagging behind.

If you think the cost has gone up have a try at pricing up a holiday here in the UK enjoying exactly what you do on holiday. Was doing that last week. Prices gone up in Spain etc? Well it is still cheaper than the UK in many instances.

As far as the Euro is concerned, in my experience it has never been fully accepted by the people, no matter what the politicians are concerned. It will survive if only because Brussels will force it - they are not into "egg on face"

fwh

I still work my euro rate at €1=80p, it used to be €1=70p a few years ago. When it was almost parity a short while ago, almost €1=£1 I still worked it out at €1=80p. I know it's not and at the moment, it's approx. €1=87p and hopefully will get better, but I found I was cutting back when using the parity rate so just dismiss it now and not let it spoil my holiday. I have cut back on my holidays though a wee bit, but I did used to go OTT. Spain and the Algarve are still pretty good value really, especially hotels out of season so we shouldn't really complain - but we do of course. On a positive I find there are a lot more drink and food offers as resorts struggle, so this offsets the euro rate to a degree - not in peak season though I imagine.

Robby

The way I look at it is I love going on holiday. Average price of a pint here in the Midlands is £2.60 so If I'm paying 3 euros for a pint that works out to about £2.65. So for that extra 5p I'm sat overlooking the med with my family, with the sun going down in the distance, in my short sleeved shirt, thinking to myself how it's probably 8 degrees and raining back home!!!
Also I know it doesn't apply to everyone but we're paying £200 a month less on our mortgage with the low interest rates so we can put a bit more for spending if we need to!

as above i would happily pay 3/4 euros for a cool drink chilling out in the warmth then £2.20 in my local eating pork scratchings

I think that's fine if you normally enjoy a few pints at your local every day. However, hubby and I don't often go out drinking whilst at home but do think it's part of our holiday. So when you go from spending nothing on drinks to dishing out around 3 euros for every drink bought on holiday it can add up to a lot. Especially when you're a couple.

I too would much rather be sat in the sunshine with my drink than at home but the price on the drinks will determine how many I have.

all this moaning about the price of a pint.. its £3.20 [€3.35]in my local and its not worth driving 4 miles to save 20p
if you cant afford to enjoy your holiday then perhaps you should re-think... last October i was in Cyprus [not renowned for being cheap] but i could find the local beer from €2.0 per pint up to €3.5 per pint all within 5 min walk of our hotel, the local wines and spirits were far cheaper than the UK all full strength.. [ok they may have a slightly different taste] but come on a holiday is suppose to be an experience

wiz

and back on topic the interbank rate is currently as i type 1.1547 € to the £ so the tourist rates should start to creep up

When I go on holiday, I like to get out and about, do some excursions, last year went to see U2 in Milan, the poor exchange rate had added to my costs, and how much uk stirling I have to exchanges

This year I am hoping for a very fairable rate, which means i can take £500 less, which can be used as a back up

Last Summer we found the strong Euro made things quite dear. It didn't help that prices (in Euros) seemed to have jumped a lot as well. The wime that the previous year had been E1.20 a bottle was now E3.00. That was France, we then drove down to Italy where the rip off prices were also accompanied by absolutly atrocious service (if 'service' doesnt contravene the trades descriptions act). Hopefully when we go over the France this Summer they will be more grateful for our money!

all this moaning about the price of a pint

Where's all the moaning?