England’s early exit from the World cup has resulted in a surge of last minute holiday bookings. According to Lastminute.com, within a few hours of England’s elimination by Germany, bookings had risen by 25 per cent on the day before. Andy Washington, Lastminute’s head of travel, said that people seem to be booking a summer holiday as a way of getting over the soccer blues.

The fact that the pound is at the highest level against the euro at the moment compared to any time in the last 19 months is also a cause for celebration for the British holidaymaker.

Since this time a year ago, the euro has dropped in value against the pound by 11 per cent. The pound is currently worth 1.24 euros, and some experts believe that this could mean savings of up to £700 for an average family holidaying on the Mediterranean compared to this time last year.

British holidaymakers are in for a pleasant shock when they travel to some European countries and see just how far their spending money will go, according to a spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents. Because some European countries such as Spain and Greece are facing debt crises, there are numerous cut price deals to be had on the continent.

Outside the euro-zone, in countries such as Croatia and Bulgaria, the pound is also doing well, according to head of Post Office Travel Money, Sarah Munro. She added that prospects were definitely getting brighter for the British holidaymaker heading to Europe this summer.