Released on: October 13, 2008, 4:21 am

Press Release Author: Hayley Fowell

Industry: Financial

Press Release Summary: Free entry for children at leading tourist attractions puts
Italy and Greece top of the family-friendly league for 'Sightseeing on a
Shoestring', according to a new survey by Post Office(r) Travel Services.

Press Release Body: Cash-strapped holidaymakers planning summer holiday visits to
Italy's most popular tourist attractions, led by Pompeii and Rome's Colosseum, will
find that 'kids go free' - so a family of four can enjoy a sightseeing day out for
under GBP20 (GBP18.58 for two adults and two children).

The same goes for Greece, where the Acropolis, Knossos and Mount Olympus are free
for under-19s, while Spain also emerges from the Post Office(r) survey as
child-friendly. Most of its heritage attractions are either free or low priced for
younger children.
However families should take care to research costs in France more carefully. The
Post Office(r) found that many of the country's attractions levy charges for children,
making a day out much more expensive. A visit to the Eiffel Tower, for example,
will set a family of four back GBP31.58 - a whopping 70 per cent more than a day at
Pompeii.

The Post Office(r) Sightseeing on a Shoestring survey investigated the cost of family
days out in 10 leading destinations featured in its recent Holiday Costs Barometer.
The best value long haul holiday destinations in that survey - Thailand and South
Africa - also proved cheapest for family sightseeing while Turkey was least
expensive in Europe.

Bangkok's Grand Palace was the lowest priced of the top tourist attractions, while a
cable car trip up Cape Town's Table Mountain during the summer is great value for
families as the normal child price is waived for the South African winter months.

Florida's most popular attraction - Walt Disney World(r) - was the most expensive in
the survey, weighing in at a hefty GBP148.72 for a family visit to the Magic Kingdom.
A cheaper option, the Post Office(r) found, would be a thrilling ride through the
alligator-infested waters of the Everglades - priced at just GBP36.64, less than one
quarter the cost.

Post Office(r) Travel Services not only looked at the costs of the best known
attractions, but also considered cheaper alternatives and found free sights for
families on a budget. These include one of France's top draws, Mont Saint Michel in
Normandy, and the Pantheon in Rome, just rated top free attraction in Europe by
TripAdvisor site visitors.

Helen Warburton, Post Office(r) head of travel, said: "The survey shows that it will
pay parents planning sightseeing trips to check out costs in advance to find the
best deals. We found a wide range of cost-cutting opportunities, which savvy
travellers can use to shave money off sightseeing trips. In Greece, for example, we
found that the top attractions are completely free on the second Sunday of the month
in July and August.

"Looking longer haul, cash-conscious families can get to see the Pyramids, one of
the great wonders of the world, by paying for entry to the Giza Plateau compound at
a third of the price it costs to enter inside the Great Pyramid."

Families on a tight budget can save money by picking up commission-free foreign
currency at a Post Office(r) bureau de change, rather than leaving it to the last
minute and paying more at an airport or overseas ATM. Another useful budgeting tool
is the Post Office(r) Travel Money Card, which can be loaded up with cash and used to
control spending. As cash can be added in small amounts rather than as a lump sum,
the card can be used to save holiday spending money monthly in advance.

And Kids Go Free with all Post Office(r) travel insurance policies, which
start from just GBP5.50 and offer single trip and annual cover for Europe and
worldwide.

The Post Office(r) Sightseeing on a Shoestring survey is available for holidaymakers
to view online at postoffice.co.uk/sightseeing.

ENDS

Note to Editors: The Post Office(r) Sightseeing on a Shoestring survey investigated
the cost of family days out in July and August 2008 at tourist attractions in 10
holiday destinations which feature in the Post Office(r) Holiday Costs Barometer.
Prices are based on a family of two adults and two children aged under ten years,
and were sourced from tourist offices, official tourist and attraction websites or
from the attractions themselves. Family ticket and special summer offers are used
wherever available.

For further information please contact:

CBPR
Christine Ball
01798 874177
cball@cballpr.co.uk

Post Office Ltd
Hayley Fowell
020 7250 2417
hayley.fowell@postoffice.co.uk

About Post Office (r) Travel Services
The Post Office(r) is the UK's largest bureau de change provider with a market share
of more than 25 per cent, offering over 70 different currencies with 0 per cent
commission on all foreign currency and travellers' cheques. The Post Office(r)
pre-paid Travel
Money Card offers customers a secure and convenient way to carry their holiday
money.

The Post Office(r) provides a range of great value travel services including
insurance, foreign currency, passport photos and Check & Send, international money
transfers, holiday phone cards, EHIC forms and Check & Send, plus huge savings on
car-hire and pre-booked holiday extras.

The Post Office(r) Credit Card charges 0 per cent commission for all purchases made
overseas and also offers customers the flexibility to pay for two large purchases at
any time at a discounted fixed rate - ideal for splashing out on holiday.

Post Office Ltd. Registered in England and Wales no: 2154540. Registered Office:
80-86 Old Street, London, EC1V 9NN.
The Post Office and the Post Office symbol are registered trade marks of Post Office
Ltd.

Post Office Ltd is an appointed representative of The Governor and Company of the
Bank of Ireland, which is authorised by the Irish Financial Regulator and the
Financial Services Authority; regulated by the Financial Services Authority for the
conduct of UK business. Bank of Ireland, incorporated in the Republic of Ireland
with limited liability. Registered in England and Wales with branch number
BR000459.

Card Account offered by J.P. Morgan Europe Ltd through Post Office Ltd. J.P. Morgan
Europe Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Registered in England and Wales No. 938937. Registered Office: 125 London Wall,
London, EC2Y 5AJ


Web Site: http://www.postoffice.co.uk/

Contact Details: London
Post Office Ltd
Hayley Fowell
020 7250 2417
hayley.fowell@postoffice.co.uk