A basket of goods including a banana boat ride (£9.08), inflatable lilo (£2.02), child's sun hat (£2.04) and a bucket and spade (91p) in the port town is 14.9% cheaper for UK visitors than it was last year, Post Office Travel Money said.

An estimated 2.4 million British holidaymakers are set to head abroad for a holiday this weekend, which marks the start of the summer break for many schools in England and Wales.

Analysis of prices at 15 popular European beach resorts found Spain's Costa del Sol was the second cheapest, followed by Bulgaria's Sunny Beach and the Greek island of Crete.

Nice in the south of France was the most expensive location featured in the report, ahead of Sorrento, Italy, and the Spanish isle of Ibiza.

More than two-thirds (68%) of families who set a budget overspend by an average of nearly a quarter (23%), according to the research.

Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money, said: "The clear message is to plan ahead: pack what you can to avoid forking out cash on basics like sun cream and insect repellent and squeeze last year's beach gear for the kids into the suitcase.

"For those who haven't already booked, it is worth checking what late deals are available to the best value resorts in our survey.

Marmaris, Sunny Beach and the Costa del Sol all look good value and the general message is to head east for lower prices."

Here are the top five cheapest destinations for beach items, according to Post Office Travel Money:

1. Marmaris, Turkey.

2. Costa del Sol, Spain.

3. Sunny Beach, Bulgaria.

4. Crete, Greece.

5. Limassol, Cyprus.

Here are the top five most expensive destinations for beach items, according to Post Office Travel Money:

1. Nice, France.

2. Sorrento, Italy.

3. Ibiza, Spain.

4. Corfu, Greece.

5. Algarve, Portugal.