Following the World Cup draw, travellers to the host nation next year are in for a treat as Thomas Cook Cash Passport research reveals that daily expenses in South Africa are much lower than in the UK. With a three course meal costing around just £13 and a bottle of beer in a bar just 99p, there will be plenty of rand left over for World Cup and South African souvenirs.

The Thomas Cook Cash Passport looked at the cost of 14 common holiday items that are purchased on a daily basis, which total less that £40 per day. When it comes to food, a Big Mac meal costs just £2.49 – a saving of more than £1 compared to home. Or, for those rushing to get to a match, lunch on the go consisting of a sandwich, crisps and a drink comes to around £2.

Being thirsty won’t be a problem either as drinks are fantastic value for money. A bottle of wine in a restaurant costs on average around £6.63. A pint of beer will set football fans back on average £1.24 in a bar, or for those who prefer a double spirit and mixer that will be around 60p more, at £1.82. Hot drinks are a bargain too, with a cup of coffee coming in at just 83p.

Ian Derbyshire, CEO at Thomas Cook UK & Ireland, said: “Football fans travelling out to South Africa for the World Cup will be relieved that daily costs will be a lot cheaper than the UK. This Thomas Cook Cash Passport research will help fans to plan a budget for their trip of a lifetime and instead of having to worry about how expensive food and drinks will be, they can just concern themselves with the final score.”

The best way to carry South African rand safely and securely is with a Thomas Cook Cash Passport prepaid card. Currency can be loaded on to the card at Thomas Cook stores or online, in one lump sum or in small amounts as many times as desired, so it is a great way to save up for a trip. The card is then simply used like a debit card in shops, restaurants and at ATMs. For information, visit www.thomascook.com/cashpassport. Currency and Cash Passports are available at Thomas Cook’s 800 foreign exchange bureaux nationwide and at Manchester and Heathrow T5 Airport bureaux.

For fans confident of England reaching the knock out stages of the tournament or just wanting to experience the latter stages of the World Cup, Thomas Cook Sport has ‘Football Experience’ packages which include tickets to see ‘Round of 16’ matches and Quarter finals based in Johannesburg, and matches up to the Semi-final based in Cape Town. The eight night five-match package in Johannesburg includes match tickets to three ‘Round of 16’ games and two Quarterfinals. Prices are from £3,590 per person based on two people sharing and including all flights and transfers.

Packages include direct return flights, accommodation at a three or four-star hotel and a minimum of one match ticket. Flights depart from London and Manchester and are available from Thomas Cook Sport at www.thomascooksport.com or by calling 020 8739 2360.

http://www.thomascook.com/money/

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Note to Editors

About Thomas Cook UK & Ireland:
Thomas Cook UK & Ireland is the second largest leisure travel group in the UK with around 19,000 employees. The company has a network of more than 800 high street stores (Thomas Cook and Going Places), leading websites (www.thomascook.com, www.directholidays.com and www.airtours.uk), and some of the world’s favourite travel brands.
These brands include Airtours, Club 18-30, Cresta, Cruise Thomas Cook, Direct Holidays, Elegant Resorts, Flexibletrips, flythomascook.com, Gold Medal, www.hotels4u.com, Manos, www.medhotels.com, Neilson, netflights.com, Panorama, Pure Luxury, Style Holidays, Sunset, Sunworld Holidays, Swiss Travel Service, Thomas Cook, Thomas Cook Signature and Thomas Cook Sport.
Thomas Cook Airlines operates a fleet of 44 aircraft from 19 regional airports to destinations worldwide.
Thomas Cook offers a range of financial services including foreign exchange, the Thomas Cook Credit Card, the Thomas Cook Cash Passport (the new generation of travellers’ cheques), and a wide range of travel insurance policies. It is FSA regulated for its travel insurance, which is underwritten by AXA. The company also owns White Horse Insurance Ireland Ltd.
Thomas Cook also has a leading publishing division offering a comprehensive portfolio of over 300 independently authored travel guidebooks to more than 150 destinations across the world.
Thomas Cook is an Official Supporter of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and the exclusive partner for UK short breaks and trips to the Games. Thomas Cook’s London 2012 packages will go on sale in 2011 and will include accommodation, transport and event tickets.
Thomas Cook UK & Ireland is part of Thomas Cook Group plc (www.thomascookgroup.com).