British holidaymakers are paying the price for the strong UK economy as their European counterparts can book identical breaks for up to a third less.

According to consumer watchdog Holiday Which?, some Britons are charged up to £237 more than German and Dutch sunseekers for exactly the same holiday.

The report by Which?, says that Tui – the German holiday operator which owns travel agents and tour operators across Europe – is charging £523 in the Netherlands, £575 in Germany and £760 in the UK for an identical stay in Gran Canaria.

Which? found that the holidays had the same departure date, same flight time, same hotel and same standard room. German holidaymakers even received a free return rail journey to the airport as part of their package.

Bob Tolliday from Holiday Which?, said: “If Tui can offer these prices to holiday-makers in Germany and Holland, they should be able to offer them to the Brits too.”

As well as paying more than the Germans, the British also have to deal with inferior brochures.

In the German version of the Tui guides, there are no complicated sums as every combination – such as under-occupancy – have their own pricing panels.

“Easy-to-follow brochures would make life much easier for those booking their holidays in Britain,” said Tolliday. “That, and Tui dropping the price of their UK packages, of course.” In the UK, Tui operates the Thomson group of travel agencies and the Britannia airline. Details: www.which.net/press