The cheapest place for British families to go on holiday in Europe has been revealed, thanks to new research.

Turkey comes top of the list for places for bargain-hunting Brits, with the sea-side resort of Marmaris coming in at 36 percent cheaper than last summer.

Thanks to the pounds growth against the lira, savvy holiday makers can bag a bucket and spade for 82p at the Turkish resort, as well as a banana boat ride for £6.53, a tasty magnum ice cream for 73p and an inflatable lilo for £1.45. 

The second cheapest location on the list was Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, where prices are down 6.4% year on year.

Spain's Costa del Sol was in third place despite a 5% price rise, followed by the Greek islands of Crete (down 1.1%) and Corfu (down 24.2%).

The most expensive destination in the report was Sorrento, Italy, where the same basket of goods is almost three times more expensive than in Marmaris.

Post Office Travel Money compared the price of a basket of beach shopping in 15 popular European holiday destinations, researchers found that prices have fallen in Turkey, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, the Balearic islands, the south of France and Italy.

A drop in local prices ad a small rise in the value of sterling against the euro and other European currencies accounts for the increased spending power of UK holidaymakers. 

Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money, said there are 'big variations in costs between the European resorts'.

He went on: 'It really will pay dividends to do some homework to get a realistic view of the holiday cash you will need for meals, drinks and other tourist staples.

'If you haven't already booked and are looking for a late deal, the low resort prices in Turkey and Bulgaria make these countries great bets for wallet-watchers.

'In the eurozone, Spain is still great value and the low prices we found in Corfu make Greece a good tip too.'

Tour operator Thomas Cook reported in April that the number of UK visitors to Turkey this summer is surging, with package holiday bookings up 84% year on year after security concerns eased.

The growth is driven by families, who make up 61% of bookings to the country.