As you say, the euro may never get to that exchange rate. What I do wonder is how long countries like Spain can afford to stay in it! 18% unemployment and rising and their government with its hands tied behind its back can't be much fun for the Spanish. I wouldn't bet against the peseta making a re-appearance!

I am in La Cala at the moment and although I personally find the prices to be fine I am finding some of the ridiculous laws to be affecting my holiday and have just played super secret bingo .

I hate to admit it aswell(please don´t all crucify me) but at times I am really bored and am struggling to entertain the children during the evening. They are too young for the show bars and the only alternative appears to be the cellar bar and Louie the clown who they can´t stand, Panchos no longer has anything suitable for young children which is a real shame.

Benidorm and the surrounding area really needs some entertainment venues for young ones that does not involve slot machines and for that reason alone I will be choosing a hotel next time instead of private self catering accomodation. This knock on affect will of course only make the bars and restaurants struggle even more.

This is year three of a peak season family holiday to this area and I have never struggled before, yes the bingo and quizzes may have been a bit naff at times but hell it´s better than having nothing at all.

Colin I don`t think the Spainish wanted the euro in as for the first couple of years they always displayed the peseta price aswell as the euro one. We went to Benidorm 9 years ago just before the euro came in and we were suprized how cheap everything was and that you could eat and drink anywhere with out asking the price.

The next year we went back and the euro had just come in at 1.60 to the pound. Even at this excellent rate we notice how some things had gone up. Kids rides for one were 30p a go with the peseta but went up to 75p. Mini golf is now £5pp a go were as a few years ago it was £2 pp a go.

We have had holidays in Benidorm for the last 9 years and some of them we have had to budget due to me being a housewife and no second income. Now things are not as tight I find that we still have to watch where we spend our money, thankfull we hadn`t visited the caberet bars with thier rip off prices because our son would not have enjoyed it. We did visit them last year once and didn`t go back as we thought it was a rip off and it`s a shame as we all would enjoy the entertainment now but it`s their loss.

I agree with you that if you wanted to save money you could buy it else where and why should you, it`s time we all said no to rip off prices.

they had to display both prices in euro and peseta for a year.

big question.would you still go if there was no more 1 euro a pint bars.or if they put it up to say 1.50 or even 2.00.

it begs the case on how low can you go.benidorm is lucky.you should try ibiza.you would have a heart attack.there is only one bar in ibiza thats cheap.1.65 for a big bottle.you get well over two pints out of that as well.

beer in clubs 10 euro a small bottle and water 5/6 euro a mini bottle.bars are 3.50 to 4 a pint.so its like begin back home but more.

the euro by the way was always over valued from the start.

I have always enjoyed Benidorm.We always love to go on the beach,but to pay approx £12 for 2 sunbeds and 1 parosol per day is more than Im prepared to pay.Last year when we went in March,as we have always gone this month for the last 14 years,we was being charged 7.50 euros in cabaret bars for 1 spanish brandy and cola and 1 cola,then!!after about 20 minutes when we were about half way through our drinks they were comming up to us asking if we were ready to order another drink!!.Weve had enough of being ripped off.

We were in Mercadona today, and they STILL have the peseta equivalent on most of their prices.

So reading what people are saying is that the exchange rate is making prices in Spain too dear. Well, well.

For those of us who live and work here we can't bring prices down pro rata to the £/€ exchange rate just to keep tourists happy as our cost of living has risen just as much as it has in the UK and prices here rise just as they do in the UK. Yes there are rip off places. To give you an idea - 2 coffees and 2 tostadas cost €3,60 in one Spanish place near where I live and the identical order costs €5,80 in the Brit bar next door. Why? Because the Brit bar attracts the Brit tourists so the owner thinks he can fleece them. Between October and April the Brit bar is quiet and the owner complains he's struggling but the Spanish bar is busy all year round. In my area I see many Brit owned bars open and then close and then open up again with a new owner and then close yet the Spanish bars and restaurants that were open when I first moved here 4 years ago are still be run by the same owners.

The difference is that we think in € and tourists always convert to their own currency so if the £ was to strengthen to say €1.30 in 2010 tourists would think that prices have gone down compared to 2009 when in reality they will have risen.

"So reading what people are saying is that the exchange rate is making prices in Spain too dear."

No, it's making prices in the whole of the eurozone too dear. The important thing is that many places in the eurozone have always been dear, but those aren't the places most of us traditionally go on holiday. One of the most important factors that made people choose to go to Spain was that it was so much cheaper than holidaying in the UK, with the sun thrown in as a big bonus.

"....we can't bring prices down pro rata to the £/€ exchange rate just to keep tourists happy...."

Well, there is an alternative, but I believe the Spanish unemployment provisions leave a lot to be desired.

To put the boot on the other foot, i'd love to know how ecconomical the Spanish find having a 2 week holiday in Britain, and if they think we offer value for money!! Think i already know the answer though!!

Best Regards - Taggy

well a couple i know who own a bar in playa den bossa (uno;s) came over to uk last december.they thought the uk was cheap.only because of sales.and they could not believe the buy one get one free offers.and how cheap is was for clothes in most shops.ie primark/asda/tk max

so on that they thought the uk was cheap.plus the wish they could of bought back 24 cans of beer for £10.00 back to ibiza.

...and how much did 2 weeks accomodation and food cost them?

Best Regards - Taggy

they stayed in a hotel in notts.again they thought prices were good on hotel rate and food.but they only stayed for a week.the daughter is at notts uni.i know she stocked up on chocolate (thorntons).i got her hook on them a few years back.again offers of bogof.as we all know uk chocolate is not cheap in spain.and you would have to import thorntons anyway.my case is full of little treats for people i know when i go out.i even got next door bar some wirewool from wilkos.cost £1.49.to wipe down marks on steel bar.i never paid for a thing that day.and at uno;s i take out a few pint glasses and beer mats.again free night out.but i never abuse it.

i never asked how much they paid for hotel ect.its maybe i should of said how much they gave there daughter with begin at uni.

You sound like Del Boy!!!

Best Regards - Taggy

".......many places in the eurozone have always been dear, but those aren't the places most of us traditionally go on holiday"

I must be mistaken then as I thought we were discussing prices in Benidorm which is in the Eurozone but yes, the exchange rate will make prices dear in comparison to a couple of years ago in Spain and the Eurozone as a whole. Prices in Benidorm have always been more expensive as there is a captive audience which you will find anywhere in the world.

Try buying 2 coffees in the main square in the centre of Madrid - 8 Euros

"Well, there is an alternative" - yes there is, avoid the Brit bars and cafes, go Spanish and pay Spanish prices. Take your own beach chairs and parasols to the beach and take lunch in a cool box

Beach chairs, parasols and cool boxes may not be the most practical things for a holiday maker to bring with them.

I find it strange that Colin has been given the advice to ‘shop around' for better prices in this instance. I get the impression that he knows Benidorm well and is also aware of the prices there.

The fact remains that the cheapest is not always the most desirable. If it were we would all be living in the cheapest houses surrounded by the cheapest furniture, eating the cheapest food and having a really cheap car in the road outside.

If you live in the UK you don't routinely hunt out the absolute cheapest places to eat and drink for a night out. So why should you when on holiday?

People tend to go to places that they like and feel comfortable in. For Colin it would seem that the places that he once enjoyed no longer give him the feeling of value for money. Fair enough. Time to move on. But to judge Spain and the entire Eurozone by some of the inflated prices in Benidorm is perhaps taking things a little too far.

That's fair comment Oly Daze, but the equivalents cost less if you shop around. If you want imported stuff then you have to pay for it. I'm used to self catering rather than hotels so usually find beach equipment in the apartment or villa so was talking from that point of view.

I agree, don't judge Spain by Benidorm prices!