One of the hardest things when planning a trip can be guessing how much it will cost once there and how much currency do I need to take with me? There is nothing worse than exchanging too much money and losing out when you convert it back after the holiday. The below costing is based on three people sharing the costs during 10 days in the Algarve in Portugal. This was a family holiday where the budget was not as strict as my normal trips so there is certainly room to cut the budget a little but hopefully it will give you an idea of how much you will need for your holiday.
How Much Does 10 Days In The Algarve Cost?
Pre-Departure Costs
Flights
These were booked with Easyjet and we selected the cheapest flights on the day we wanted to travel and changed out travel day to avoid the bank holiday.
London Gatwick to Faro £82.29
Faro to London Gatwick £37.29
Baggage £38.00
Total: £157.58//€198.55
Accommodation
We booked a 3 bedroom villa with swimming pool. It was around a 5 minute drive from the town of Carvoeiro in the Algarve and within walking distance to the beach, restaurants and shops. As you will see from below the holiday only ended up with three of us and thus the villa was bigger than what we needed. Therefore you could easily save some money on accommodation.
The total for this apartment was £1066.
Accommodation based on three people sharing £355
Total: £355//€447
Car Rental
We used Holiday Autos to book our car rental and chose an estate car as this was a family holiday and we thought we might need the room, especially getting suitcases in the boot. Everything was super easy with the car rental and I would totally recommend holiday autos.
The total for the car rental was £150.
Car Rental based on three people sharing £50
Additional drivers £16 each
Additional Insurance (for all 3) £44
Total: £80.50//€101.45
Airport Parking
We used APH parking at Gatwick for our airport parking as I had used them before and knew they provided a quick and reliable service. Which is very important when you are in-charge of booking somewhere to leave your Dad’s car!
Total for the airport parking was £80.74
Airport Parking based on three people sharing £27
Total: £27//€34
The below overall total and all totals for each section are per a person and based on the price being shared between three people.
Pre Departure Total: £620.08//€781
Costs in Portugal
All of the below prices are per a person but based on three people sharing.
Food and Drink
Self-catering (breakfast, lunch and dinner) based on three people sharing €103.30
Eating out: dinner based on three people sharing €124.90
The above price for eating out includes a tip, main meal, desert and alcohol which averages at €31.25 per a meal.
Eating out: cafe stops based on three people sharing €40.85
Total: £213.53//€269.05
Attractions
Castle entrance €2.80
Slide and Splash water park €22.95
Locker at Slide and Splash €5
Boat Trip €18.50 (including €1 tip)
Total: £39.10//€49.25
Car Charges
Petrol based on three people sharing €13.50
Parking €0.60
Total: £11.20//€14.10
Costs in Portugal Total: £263.83//€332.40
Overall cost for 10 days holiday in Portugal: £883.91//€1113.40
This is by no means the cheapest holiday ever in the Algarve and there are certainly areas that could help to cut the cost of this holiday. Traveling with hand luggage only would be an easy option and the villa we stayed in slept more than was necessary in the end, so be sure to choose accommodation wisely.
Hopefully you will find this guide helpful for budgeting for a trip in the Algarve.
PLEASE NOTE: all prices were correct at the time of writing and the exchange rate has been worked out at €1.26 to £1.
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I really need to try out the villa thing – you know, I’ve never actually stayed in one and colleagues of mine keep telling me how it can work out to be such a great value option especially for a group and how you can really make it your own comfortable base. I wish I’d explored more of the Algarve when I went (also a family holiday) many years ago as unfortunately, we just stuck to the marina area that we were staying at. Been seeing your insta photos and looks like it was beautiful scenery!
Author
I hope you get to go back to the Algarve at some point. It really is a beautiful area of the country. As for villas they really are great for a group of people especially for value. If there is just two of you then I often get a little Airbnb apartment instead of staying in a hotel but of course those luxury hotel nights are still nice too!