Hotel rooms for £6, beers for a quid - the cheapest beach resort you can fly to from Manchester revealed
Mediterranean resort has bargain basement prices
The cheapest holiday city in the world for 2020 has been revealed - and you can fly there from Manchester in less than four-and-a-half hours.
New figures show that travellers to the Turkish province of Antalya will get more for their money than in anywhere else.
According to travel firm Hoppa, a trip there will set you back an average of just £63.79 per day in 2020. And this includes the cost of overnight accommodation.
Low price doesn't have to mean low quality either.
The gateway to Turkey's southern Mediterranean region, it's located in a prime spot on the idyllic Turquoise Coast.
From beautiful historic buildings to phenomenal natural attractions, exceptional restaurants and sweeping white sands with tropical blue waters, it's every inch the holiday hotspot.
Despite being popular with tourists who flock to the Turkish Province, prices have remained resolutely low for travellers, earning it the title of the cheapest city in the world.
We've taken a closer look to see how far your hard-earned money will go. Spoiler: Quite far.
Disclaimer: Prices correct at time of writing and may be subject to variations including current exchange rates, method and time of booking. Examples are for illustration purposes only.
Accommodation
Even in a prime location in the heart of the city, Antalya has some of the cheapest places to stay. The average cost of a hotel here is around £20 a night.
And there are plenty of options available for much less than this price point.
Hotel rooms in the city centre - with the bonus of being just a stone's throw from the beach can be found for as little as £6 a night, based on two people sharing.
Dynamic pricing means that costs do fluctuate depending on the time of year, but even in the height of the holiday season, if you plan ahead you are likely to find plenty rooms for less than £20 a night.
At the time of writing, the Life Hotel in Antalya city centre is priced at £8 per night from January through to June, rising to £10 in July and between £15 and £17 during the August peak.
And while accommodation at this price point is basic, most have everything you need and many are well-rated among previous guests.
Cheap apartments are also an option, and are available for a low price.
Starting from £12 a night for a one bedroom apartment with kitchenette, it may be worth the upgrade for those hoping to save cash by not eating out.
For example, a self serviced apartment at the centrally located Antalya Günlük Kiralık Daireler is £12 - £13 per night January through to April, rising to £21 in May and £34 in June and July. And this includes access to the on-site pool.
Even at the higher end of the accommodation scale, shop around and you'll find all-inclusive family rooms in a four star hotel with an in-house pool and kids club for a bargain price. For example, for a family of four at the Side La Grande Resort & Spa you can find all-inclusive standard double room with four beds starting at £21.
Flights
Flights there are likely to be your biggest expense.
According to Skyscanner, you can get a return from Manchester to Antalya for as little £82 per person - although this fluctuates throughout the year.
You're looking at between £128 - £156 return through Spring and £122 - £175 during the summer, although expect to pay more for direct flights.
For instance, if you travel midweek in June, book early enough and you can get a single fare for £47.99 with easyJet.
Flight prices increase steadily the closer you get to the summer months, so you are likely to get the cheapest deal if you travel earlier in the year.
Fastest ever trans-Atlantic flight launches from Manchester Airport this summer The new destinations you can fly to from Manchester Airport in 2020Airport Transfers
Getting from the airport to your accommodation is also cheap compared to other destinations. Antalya Airport serves the whole of the Turkish Riviera, and there's a range of options available to get you from the terminal to where you're staying.
Book ahead online and you can get transfers from around £4 per person one way in a shared shuttle, with the price depending on where you're heading.
Taxi rates from the airport are usually a fixed agreed fee depending on your destination.
For instance, if you're staying in the popular resort of Side, which is 47 miles from the airport, you'll pay around £50 for a private cab booked in advance, or £13 per person for a shared shuttle.
If you're staying in the city centre, there are even cheaper options available. The Havas shuttle bus service runs hourly and costs TL12 a ticket - roughly £1.55 per person.
Or catch the No. 600 public shuttle bus from the airport to Antalya bus terminal - which is about 2.5miles from the city centre - for around 60p.
Food and drink
Eating out: Antalya has some of the cheapest living costs in the world- which is a bonus for visitors in the area.
Stick to local cuisine and places that don't serve alcohol and you'll get some of the cheapest food and drink around, as European and International restaurants tend to charge slightly more. A meal in an inexpensive restaurant averages at about TL21 - £2.71 per person.
Or if you want a three course meal at a mid-range city centre establishment, you'll be looking at TL80 - £10.32.
A Big Mac meal at McDonald's costs an average of 20TL - £2.58 - while a cappuccino from a chain coffee shop costs around TL9.5 - £1.23.
Only bottled water should be drunk while in Turkey - and you're looking at about 18p per bottle.
Booze: Efes Pilsner is the flagship lager brand in Turkey.
You can look to pay around TL7-10 for a pint of domestic beer - roughly 90p.
Prices fluctuate depending on where you're drinking - expect to pay upwards of TL15-20 (£2 - £2.60) in trendy establishments.
Imported beer is slightly more expensive, with an average price of TL15 (£2) per bottle.
There are high taxes on wine in Turkey, due to the excise rate which sees it taxed according to alcohol strength, making it more expensive compared to other food and drink.
In shops expect to pay TL45 for a mid-range bottle (£6) and in the region of TL70-80 (£9-£10.30) for a bottle of table wine in a restaurant.
Cocktails in a downtown club are usually around TL27 - £3.50.
Entertainment and attractions
It's entirely possible to explore some of the best of Antalya without spending money.
Antalya is a sightseeing hotspot, with many of the top attractions free of charge. Whether it's experiencing Hadrian's Gate, which dates back to 130AD, or exploring Kaleiçi - Antalya's old town, which is home to many of the city's historic sites and a spectacular marina and waterfront.
Or head to the Duden Waterfalls, where you can experience the power of the falls as they cascade off the city cliffs into the sea with amazing views of the surrounding area. There are places to swim, take photos, or even take a hidden spiral staircase which leads to a cave behind the falls.
Not forgetting the magnificent turquoise coastline that stretches for miles, complete with white sands and crystal blue waters.
Travel
The cheapest and easiest way to get around in Antalya is by tram, which run every 30 minutes around Kaleici and the waterfront. The payment system is contactless via a pre-paid card that you can buy at pretty much every stop.
It costs TL 7.50 (£1) with a small amount of credit preloaded on a plastic card or you can use the mobile Antalyakart which is TL 5 (65p). You can use one card for all the people in your party if there is enough credit on it.
The cost of a single journey is around 40p one way per person - with children under four travelling free.
Medical care
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), is not valid in Turkey so it is important to have adequate travel health insurance while you are away. It pays to shop around when it comes to travel insurance, but always check the fine print and make sure you've got a decent level of cover when it comes to medical expenses. Although Turkey has some of the cheapest medical care available, good insurance is a must and you should aim for cover for around £5million in the event of a medical emergency.
Foreign Office Advice
According to official foreign travel advice from the FCO, British nationals made over 2.3 million visits to Turkey each year and most visits are trouble free.
However travellers to the area are warned that following the death of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in a US strike in Baghdad in January, the incident has led to increased tensions in the region. They have advised there is a possibility of an increased threat against Western interests and the security situation could worsen with little warning. Visitors to the region are advised to be vigilant, and that terrorists are 'very likely to try to carry out attacks in Turkey' - although most attacks have taken place in the south-east of the country, and in Ankara and Istanbul.
Travellers are also advised that many parts of the country are subject to earthquakes and any visitor should familiarise themselves with safety procedures in the event of an earthquake and follow the advice of the local authorities.