I have been taking a look at summer’s 50 most searched for holiday destinations and the results are so interesting! You can find the full ranking over at Holidu but I wanted to share the highlights with you.
It also details price per night for holiday rentals in those areas so that you know the kind of budget you need to plan for should you wish to go there.
If you’re wondering where most of the UK are dreaming of heading this summer, Spain is still the clear favourite. In fact, eight of the top 10 and almost half of the top 50 most searched destinations on Holidu.co.uk are in Spain.
Easy to get to, great food, culture, sandy beaches – there is everything to love.
Albufeira wins the no.1 spot!
Despite Spain’s dominance overall, it’s actually Albufeira in Portugal’s Algarve that’s stolen the top spot.
I have been there a few times and I can totally see why!
It attracted almost twice as many searches as Malaga, making it the UK’s most searched holiday destination for summer 2026.
A holiday rental here costs around £377 per night on average.
In fact Portugal and Spain completely dominate this year’s top five. Albufeira comes first, followed by Malaga (£246), Nerja (£194), Benidorm (£205) and Marbella (£297).
Whether you’re after sandy beaches, great food or guaranteed sunshine, it’s no surprise these destinations continue to top people’s wish lists. It’s also a quick flight and fo family holidaymakers this is a huge win.
Looking for somewhere cheaper?
If you’re hoping to keep costs down, there are still plenty of destinations where your money will go further. Murcia is the most affordable destination in the ranking, with holiday rentals averaging just £107 per night.Isn’t that incredible!
La Rochelle in France (£127), Torrevieja (£129), Paphos (£139) and Porto (£139) also offer great value for a summer escape.
Porto has been on my bucket list for ages!
How about a staycation?
While a staycation might save on flights, it doesn’t always save on accommodation.
Saundersfoot (£200) and nearby Tenby (£202) are the cheapest UK destinations in the ranking, but prices climb quickly elsewhere. St Ives averages £273 per night, London comes in at £291, and Edinburgh tops the entire list at £451 per night. That makes a summer stay in Edinburgh more expensive than Marbella, Palma and every Mediterranean destination included in this year’s rankings.
I’d head to Tenby if I was staycationing – it is absolutely stunning, there are loads of cool things to do nearby and I had one of my best family holidays ever there.
How the rankings were put together
The rankings are based on searches made by British travellers on Holidu.co.uk for holidays between 1 July and 31 August 2026. Prices reflect the median nightly cost of holiday rentals sleeping between two and eight people, with outliers removed. The data was collected in June 2026.
Over to you
Tell me where you are heading off to this summer and what made you decide?
