Where Does the Pound Go Furthest Right Now? Faro, Orlando, Rome, Paris and London Compared

Short answer: As of Monday 24 August 2026, the pound held broadly steady against the euro over the weekend — still buying around €1.16–1.17 — but firmed further against the dollar, now trading close to $1.36, its strongest level in several weeks. That keeps the Algarve, Rome and Paris the strongest value on paper, nudges Orlando marginally further in UK travellers' favour than earlier this month, and leaves a London break the one place your Caxton card won't need to do any converting at all.

Here's how the five destinations Caxton customers are booking most right now actually stack up, day to day.

Quick comparison: daily budget per person, in pounds

Figures are per person, including accommodation, and converted at £1 = €1.167 / £1 = $1.364 (rates as of 24 August 2026). Exchange rates move daily — always check the live rate before you travel.

Faro & the Algarve: still the best-value eurozone break

At today's rate, £500 still converts to roughly €583 — a level that's held steady over the weekend and remains noticeably more than it would have bought a year ago. On the ground, that goes a long way: a prato do dia (dish of the day) at a local tasca typically runs €8–12, an espresso is about €1, and a draught beer is €2.50–3. Even a comfortable 3-star hotel in Faro averages around €74–112 a night, well below equivalent coastal spots in Italy or France.

Once you've checked in, the obvious pairing is a boat trip through the Ria Formosa Natural Park or out to the Benagil sea caves — both easy to book in advance through GetYourGuide or Musement, which also cover skip-the-queue tickets for Faro's Old Town walking tours if you'd rather not queue in the sun.

Rome: eating well costs less than you'd think

The euro rate applies here too, and it's barely moved since Friday, so that same £500 still stretches to roughly €583. Rome's real value is in the food: a plate of cacio e pepe in a Trastevere trattoria is €9–13, pizza by the slice is €3–5, and a coffee taken standing at the bar (the local way) is around €1.10. Budget travellers are managing on €80–120 a day; mid-range visitors, with a proper sit-down dinner most nights, are looking at €170–255.

For the big-ticket sights, skip-the-line access is worth paying for — the Colosseum and Roman Forum, and the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, both regularly sell out same-day tickets in peak season. GetYourGuide and Musement both offer timed-entry and guided options that avoid a multi-hour wait in the heat.

Paris: better value than its reputation suggests

Paris has a pricier reputation than Rome, but the numbers are closer than people expect — and it's still 25–30% cheaper than London overall on the same measures. Budget travellers can manage on €95–145 a day (hostel, bakery breakfasts, bistro lunches); mid-range visitors comfortably spend €215–330, covering a 3-star hotel, sit-down dinners and a museum pass. A café crème and croissant is about €4–5, a lunchtime formule (set menu) is €20–30, and the metro is a flat €2.55 a ride.

The Eiffel Tower and Louvre are the two attractions worth pre-booking without exception — both cap daily visitor numbers, and Louvre reservations are compulsory for every visitor through the summer. A Seine river cruise is the easiest low-effort addition, and all three are bookable through GetYourGuide or Musement alongside skip-the-line combo tickets.

Orlando: the rate helps, but it's still the most expensive stop

The pound has pushed even higher against the dollar over the past week and held that gain over the weekend — now trading around $1.36, its best level in several weeks — which softens Orlando's costs a little further still. Even so, it remains the priciest destination on this list: theme park food alone can run $15–25 per quick-service meal, and a family of four should budget £150–200 a day in spending money alone once park tickets and accommodation are accounted for separately. A 14-day Disney ticket currently runs £416–588 per adult; Universal's equivalent is a steadier £388–412.

Late August through September is the cheapest and quietest window to go, with hotel rates and ticket tiers both dropping. Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando (including the new Epic Universe) and a day trip to Kennedy Space Center are all bookable in advance through GetYourGuide or Musement — worth doing before you fly, since gate prices in dollars are rarely the best deal.

London: no exchange rate, but still worth budgeting for

There's no currency to chase here — a pound spent in London is worth exactly a pound. But it's consistently the most expensive city on this list: budget travellers need £54–95 a day, and mid-range visitors are looking at £160–275, mostly driven by accommodation. The upside is London's genuinely excellent free offering — the British Museum, Tate Modern and National Gallery cost nothing to enter — so a well-planned day trip or weekend can still be managed on a sensible budget if you lean on those and add one or two paid extras, like a London Eye ticket or a West End matinee, both easy to book ahead via GetYourGuide.

It's also a good reminder that "where the pound goes furthest" isn't only about exchange rates — it's about not losing money to your everyday bank account through card fees and blurred spending, wherever you're headed.

Keep your holiday money separate, wherever you're spending it

Whichever of these five you're booking next, the exchange rate is only half the story — what you lose to bank fees and poor card rates along the way is the other half. A Caxton card locks in your rate before you fly, keeps your holiday budget ring-fenced from your everyday account, and works the same way whether you're tapping in euros in Faro, dollars in Orlando, or pounds on the Tube. 

Sign up for a Caxton Travel Card today