For the third year running, travel experts at Omio have assessed the affordability of 75 popular beaches across Europe, releasing a comprehensive ranking of the continent’s most budget-friendly coastal spots for summer getaways.
With the summer holidays just around the corner, Omio, the leading platform for booking international trains, coaches, flights, and ferries, has released its annual ranking of Europe’s most affordable beaches. The 2025 edition showcases beach destinations offering the best balance of price and pleasure. At the top of the list is Playa de las Teresitas in Tenerife, with Gorleston-on-Sea named the best beach in the UK.
The study evaluates key factors such as visitor reviews, average summer temperatures, and the current prices of typical beach essentials — including sun lounger hire, a scoop of ice cream, a local beer, and for the first time, iced coffee and hotel stays. This year also introduces sea temperature data and a comprehensive AI-based beach assessment.
As another hot summer looms, Omio’s research offers a guide to destinations that are both affordable and refreshingly cool.
Table 1: Europe’s Top Beaches 2025 – Budget Highlights.
| Rank | Beach | Destination | Hotel | Sun lounger | Ice cream | Beer | Iced Coffee | Sea temperature |
| 1 | Playa de las Teresitas | Tenerife, Spain | £108 | n/a | £2.10 | £3.80 | £3.80 | 23°C |
| 2 | Playa de Las Canteras | Gran Canaria, Spain | £109 | £3 | £2.70 | £3.40 | £3.50 | 23°C |
| 3 | Kleopatra Beach | Alanya, Turkey | £78 | £6 | £1.70 | £2.80 | £1.70 | 28°C |
| 4 | Yahsi Beach | Bodrum, Turkey | £86 | £2 | £1.10 | £2.10 | £1.40 | 26°C |
| 5 | Playa de La Concha | Basque, Spain | £140 | £3 | £2.20 | £3.50 | £3.60 | 21°C |
| 6 | Spiaggia di Sansone | Elba, Italy | £127 | £17 | £2.40 | £5.90 | £2.50 | 25°C |
| 7 | Long Beach | Ulcinj, Montenegro | £64 | £8 | £2.80 | £4.20 | £2.80 | 25°C |
| 8 | Warnemünde | Warnemünde, Germany | £104 | £12 | £1.30 | £4.40 | £3.80 | 19°C |
| 9 | Falésia Beach | Algarve, Portugal | £112 | £8 | £2.40 | £2.90 | £2.90 | 21°C |
| 10 | Praia Grande de Porto Covo | Porto Covo, Portugal | £83 | n/a | £2.10 | £3.40 | £2.10 | 20°C |
Playa de las Teresitas: Europe’s No. 1 Beach
Located in the Canary Islands, Playa de las Teresitas is the ideal destination for sunseekers. With sea temperatures of 23°C and daytime highs around 21°C, it’s a perfect retreat from the heat. A last-minute hotel stay averages £108 per night, with a beer or iced coffee both costing around £3.80.
Even ChatGPT is a fan, awarding the beach 96 out of 100 points. The AI reviewed beaches based on family-friendliness, sand quality, wave conditions, and local amenities including restaurants, toilets, and parking.
Playa de Las Canteras on Gran Canaria, last year’s frontrunner, takes second place in 2025. The Canary Islands continue to stand out for their pleasantly mild summer climate and budget-friendly prices for beach essentials.
In third place is Kleopatra Beach in Alanya, Turkey, where a scoop of ice cream costs only about £1.70. Overnight stays are priced at around £78 per night, with even cheaper options in the popular resort town of Side, where rooms go for approximately £65.
The Best Beaches in the UK
British beaches continue to be firm favourites for summer holidays. Gorleston-on-Sea tops the UK list again, ranking 50th across Europe. Average hotel rates are around £104, a rate matched only by Fistral Beach in Newquay.
Hotel rates in Scotland and Wales tend to be slightly higher, with average nightly rates between £127 and £143. Air temperatures remain cool, averaging 13°C—ideal for those escaping the continental heat. However, sea temperatures between 14°C and 18°C may test the resolve of all but the hardiest swimmers.
ChatGPT rates British beaches quite positively, with Weymouth, Bournemouth, and Woolacombe all scoring 80 points or more. In fact, no UK beach received a score below 55, indicating a broadly favourable view of the nation’s coastal offerings. Interestingly, Ayr Beach was the AI’s least recommended UK location, highlighting regional variations in beach quality and overall appeal.
Beer prices in the UK have continued to rise. A pint now costs between £3.90 in Ayr and up to £6.40 near West Sands Beach. Despite the price increase, enjoying a cold beer by the seaside remains a cherished part of the British beach experience.
For travelers prioritizing budget and comfort, booking early or opting for less tourist-heavy locations can help keep costs down without sacrificing the charm of the British coast.
Table 2: Top Beaches in the UK
| Rank | Beach | Ice cream | Beer | Iced coffee | Hotel | AI rating |
| 50 | Gorleston-on-Sea Beach, Great Yarmouth | £2.50 | £5.00 | £3.80 | £104 | 76/100 |
| 52 | Weymouth Beach, Weymouth | £3.20 | £4.80 | £4.00 | £121 | 89/100 |
| 58 | Bournemouth Beach, Bournemouth | £3.90 | £5.90 | £4.20 | £112 | 87/100 |
| 65 | Woolacombe Beach, Woolacombe | £3.00 | £5.00 | £4.50 | £112 | 85/100 |
| 66 | Fistral Beach, Newquay | £3.60 | £4.80 | £3.50 | £105 | 60/100 |
| 67 | Barmouth Beach, Snowdonia | £3.30 | £4.80 | £3.10 | £127 | 65/100 |
| 73 | Ayr Beach, Ayr | £2.50 | £3.90 | £3.70 | £141 | 55/100 |
| 75 | West Sands Beach, St. Andrews | £2.70 | £6.40 | £4.20 | £143 | 69/100 |
Sun Loungers as Pricey as £51
Holidaymakers will find the priciest sun loungers at Croisette Beach in Cannes, France, where a shaded spot by the water costs around £51. A sharp imbalance between supply and demand has significantly drivenup prices. In contrast, far more affordable options are available at beaches in Turkey, Croatia, Spain, and Cyprus, where daily rental costs are typically under £3.
Ice Cream Prices Soar – Up 15% Across Europe
Budget-friendly scoops are still available in Bodrum from just £1.10, but the days of £1 ice cream are largely gone. In the Netherlands, the cost can reach £4.20 per scoop. Across Europe, the average cost of ice cream has risen by 15% compared to the previous year.
Iced coffee, an increasingly popular trend in European seaside towns, is widely available across the continent in forms such as Frappé and Caffè Freddo. The typical price for this espresso-based refreshment is approximately £3.50. In regions such as Sardinia and Fuerteventura, consumers may find prices around £2. However, in luxury destinations like Saint-Tropez, the price of iced coffee can reach up to £10.30.
Hotel Deals and Splurges
For those looking to escape the heat of the city, the Mediterranean coastlines of Morocco, Montenegro, and Turkey are full of great deals. Comfortable double rooms can often be found for less than £80. Mediterranean popular spots like Rimini and Ravenna in Italy, along with Crete and Porto Cove in Portugal, also offer budget-friendly hotel options.
Luxury travellers visiting the Amalfi Coast or Saint-Tropez can expect to pay as much as £334 per night for a premium stay.
ChatGPT’s Favorite Beach
For the first time, Omio asked ChatGPT to rate Europe’s beaches based on natural beauty, family-friendliness, and value for money. The AI was instructed to score each beach out of 100 points. Its winner: Cala Brandinchi in Sardinia, dubbed the “Caribbean of Europe”. At the bottom: Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France.
Coolcation. The Best Chilly Beaches to Escape the Heat
With the rise of the ‘coolcation’ trend, more holidaymakers are opting for cooler destinations as the ideal escape from the sweltering heat of the cities. Excellent options for a breezy beach getaway can be found in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
At beaches like Søndervig in Denmark, Varamobadet by Lake Vättern, and Tylösand on Sweden’s Öresund coast, holidaymakers can enjoy pleasantly mild summer temperatures averaging around 16°C. Even cooler is Scotland, where coastal temperatures average just 13°C, offering a truly refreshing alternative to the southern heat.
Please visit the following website for further details on this study, including results and methodology: omio.co.uk/c/best-beaches-in-europe
About Omio: Since its founding in 2013, Omio has been promoting new ways of traveling. As a comprehensive digital hub, Omio helps its customers explore Europe, the United States, and Canada by train, bus, flight, and ferry. Omio operates in 37 countries, allowing bookings in 21 languages and 26 currencies. Additionally, Omio maintains over 1,000 partnerships with transport providers and companies in the train, bus, flight, and ferry sectors. Over the past eight years, Omio has sold more than 33 million tickets and passes. Starting as a small startup with just a few employees, we now have a team of 300 individuals from more than 50 countries working in locations in Berlin, Prague, Melbourne, and London. We work daily toward the vision of enabling our customers to embark on journeys that propel them forward.
