TOURISTS looking to cut the cost of Christmas breaks in destinations such as Dorset will do better in rental accommodation than in hotels, according to a price-comparison survey.

In some areas, holidaymakers in big groups can save well over 50 per cent in two-bedroom rental accommodation than in staying in two rooms in a three-star hotel, the TripAdvisor survey found.

Seven nights in rental accommodation in Cumbria over the festive period – December 15 to January 5 – costs an average £526, while the stay in a hotel is 70 per cent more expensive.

In North Wales the comparison shows rental accommodation is 63 per cent cheaper, while it is 56 per cent cheaper in Dorset, 54 per cent cheaper in East Anglia and 53 per cent cheaper in Edinburgh.

Of UK regions, only London offers better festive value for money if a group stays in a hotel.