Hi Shorty, my parents have just got back from majorca, and although they enjoyed the hotel they stayed in, said they wouldnt return for 2 reasons... 1st is that it is so much more expensive now than it was 2 years ago...especially with the euro being so low at the moment, and the 2nd, because after going to turkey and egypt last year, they have now realised that the local spaniards are not as friendly as they thought they were.... i hope this doesnt offend any spanish lovers (you know what i mean)

clare.

shorty

as you know we love turkey......

we have done lots of spain, and canaries but never majorca, so i am biased in my answer...

the turkish would bed over backward to help with dietry needs, and the peolpe are so lovely......

we now love icmeler, its got everything on its doorstep, plus you can get the dolmus to places,

why not give that a try......?

Just got back from Turkey and we thought the prices were up quite a bit on last year. You can eat cheaply if you search out the back street lokantas or a pide house but being on hols we wanted a bit of harbourside prettiness. We thought the prices were much the same as any UK pub and sometimes more, beer was 4 or 5 lira and sprits about 7 or 8 lira. Dolmus (bus) fares seemed about the same but petrol was really expensive, we hired a small car and didn't go far but spent 100 lira on petrol in a week.
We noticed a distinct lack of tourists about.

i think it would depend on where you went, I think Turkey is like anywhere else you have more expensive areas and cheaper ones.

having been researching prices in Icmeler as i am off there in september, so far what i have found seems ok for me. the last poster puy efes at 4-5 lira, but you can get a pint bottle in some places in icmeler for 1.75 lira!! which is well cheap

I personally wouldn't go anywhere that uses the euro.

Ola

Don't forget that trips are cheaper and much better value for money than Spain. We go to Icmeler and have never paid 5 lira for a beer. If you look at the price of the meals they often include that lovely Lavash bread as a starter and coffee,tea is often on the house. There also the likes of Turkish baths, boat trips for £10 sometimes less. Not forgetting pedicure, manicures and turkish barbers for a price that is unreal. A transport system that I wish we had here.
All these things make Turkey worthwhile.
Marg

Here here Marg!!!

Do you know if you can get false nails put on in Icmeler

Sorry about that but it just popped into my head.

ola

Have you been this year nekit? Last week beer was 4 or 5 lira in Datca depending on where the bar was, go around to the back streets and rough it a bit and it will be cheaper. Draught beer - smaller, was about 3.5. Coffee was 3 lira and teas about 1.5. We too have never paid that much before but prices are up on last year. In most of the 'pretty' restaurants a meal consisting of some mezes, main course, the usual free bread and coffee and a bottle of water was around 60 lira for 2 and that's more than last year. Add in alcohol and it was much more. Datca has always been a little more expensive than the bigger resorts but not much. Dolmus prices were much the same and good value around 1.5 lira for our 2 km trip to town about half what I pay for a similar trip into town in UK but less frequent, more crowded, unlikely to get a seat but a lot of fun. If you are a Turk on the minimum wage the dolmus is actually very expensive. Taxis were more and also the transfer costs to and from the airport up £30 on last years return trip. A boat trip with a basic fish meal was 27.5 lira. We don't do organised trips prefering to hire a car and do our own but petrol was a lot more as it is everywhere. So that is bound to reflect on the cost of organised trips. My pedicure was 20 lira up a bit on last year but still good value. I will go to Turkey no matter what the cost as I love it there but the reality is prices in tourist areas are escalating quite quickly. I have been to some euro countries this year and the poor rate of exchange makes it very expensive so in comparison it makes Turkey OK but don't expect the very cheap prices of 3 years ago.

I think the problem is shorty that both countrys will be more expensive than they were three years ago. It's just a sign of the times and similar to it is here.

Do you normally go AI, HB or SC and eat out all the time ? I think this can effect your budget.

I suppose my ideal holiday before kids would be SC and eating out every night, but I am finding that the whole of my holiday budget just goes on food, drink and snacks if I do that, with very little over for anything else.

Thanks very much for all the replies. We go self catering as my son is coeliac so can not eat the food provided at half board or AI. I eat out all the time and cook for him a couple of times, otherwise he eats out (mainly things like chips, omeletes and plain steaks which are gluten free).

It sounds as if the prices have gone up everywhere, so maybe Turkey will still be slightly cheaper......I must say though I do like to eat at the harbour/seafront type places rather than seeking out cheaper back street restaurants.

I have found the Turkish people seem to be more genuinely friendly than the Spanish (absolutely no offence to the Spanish intended there).

I think maybe I need to make the decision on a country then maybe adjust my spending budget accordingly.

Thanks again everyone.

Hi Shorty

Sorry to hear your son has dietry issues that must make it doubly difficult for you. I was going to suggets a compromise of HB as by the time we are going through our 2nd week and start running out of money it's nice to know your food is paid for up front & then you can go on that extra boat trip or shopping expedition and not have to keep money back to eat. But it sounds like this won't work for you.

Perhaps if you choose a place in either of the Countrys that has lots of SC & BnB's the restaurant prices will be more competative. I do agree I'm not a fan of eating in backstreets. Sometimes the setting of a restaurant is as important as the food.

I think the people in both countrys are nice, it just seems to me the Spanish are more reserved and the Turkish more in your face. I imagine it's a cultural thing.

Hope you get something suitable.

Doe

This a sign of the times which makes all inclusive so attractive. If i had a complaint about Turkey it's that their all inclusives are dire. Maybe not all, but certainly the ones I have been to.

To answer the question I have not been to Icmeler yet we go in three weeks but looking at the prices that some of the members have put up it looks about the same as last year.
Marg

Thanks doe..........we did once go hb and the hotel let me keep all sorts of food in their main fridge in reception (that was about 11 yrs ago in Majorca) but it does end up meaning we pay for meals that he cannot eat.

Thanks neknit too.

I really think I need to decide on a country now and go for it but I am not good with decisions

My best bet now is probably to see which country offers the best bargain s/c price and take it from there.

Thanks again everyone....I may now have to start a topic on Bitez as I know Briar had a couple of great holidays there a few years back

Hope you have a lovely time Marg it was getting quite hot when we left on Monday. It will be interesting to see what you think about the prices and Icmeler may be a little cheaper than Datca. As you say though, the people are nice the place is beautiful so who cares about the odd extra lira and it's still all reasonable anyway for us although for the average Turk the prices we pay are very high. I think you will find it more than last year although prices are bound to go up everywhere. Its just that over the 15 years I have been visiting it seems to have gone up very quickly recently and now the difference between prices in UK and Turkey are not as far apart as they once were. I personally think AI's are very bad for Turkey, we have done it once and didn't really like it. They more or less keep tourists captive and the surrounding restaurants and bars miss out on income. There are no AI's in Datca and its mostly self catering but that hasn't kept the prices down. Many of my friends who have houses there now eat in while they are there as restaurants are becoming too expensive. If you buy fresh local produce you can live very reasonably.

I must admit I have only been AI in Turkey once, but the food was superb, I dont think I have particulary low standards either. We were spoilt for choice night after night and didn't find it 'dire' at all.
I guess I must have just got lucky. Hope my luck holds out for this year as well.

We are looking forward to it but maybe we need to allow a bit more cash than we were going to take. My husband loves his Efes and I am a gin and tonic drinker so thre's half the hols money gone straight away
Marg

I'm sure it will be fine Marg. Most AI's charge for premium brands so if that's what you like its worth putting a little extra in the budget for them. Have a great time.

doe, do you mind if I ask where you went for your Turkish AI? Cheers.

Hi Shorty

I stayed in the Belcekic Beach hotel in Olu Deniz, the trouble is I dont really understand what the medical condition your little one has so I don't know if it would suit.

It did have a huge array of food, each evening. One section with loads of salads, leaf salads, pasta salads, rice salads, from what I remember they were not 'dressed' in anyway, dressings were seperate. There was always baguettes & fresh breads. With the salads were cold meat selections & cheeses. Also there were soups & sometimes seafoods.

Hot foods were chicken dishes, meat dishes, pasta dishes, with different types of vegetables, some were what I think of as the 'mixed up varieties' some were plain. There was always a small kids section with chips, burgers, breaded chicken, pasta. (lots of adults nicked the chips from this )

They had 'show cooking' every night as well. Stir-frys where you selected your own ingredients and they cooked it in front of you with noddles. Steaks and veal cooked the same. Fresh pizza (pide?) some nights.

Loads of deserts, many milk based ones, creme caramels, cream gateaux, fresh merengues still warm from cooking, huge juicy black cherries, strawberries, peaches, grapes etc. Sometimes little tubs of ice creams.

If LynWestie or Lallygirl (visited twice) are about they will give a view on the food I am sure as there is loads I have probably forgotten.

Hope this helps. Doe

Never drink branded spirits abroad I find the local firewater is fine. Do like a proper tonic though.
I am sure we will enjoy it and will write a review on my return

Marg