City break costs down in 60% of popular destinations, survey shows

Prices for tourists are down in more than half (60%) of popular city break destinations due to the improving strength of sterling and falls in accommodation costs, new data reveals.

A survey of short-break costs by Post Office Travel Money shows Vilnius, Lisbon, Lille, Krakow, Athens, Riga, Budapest, Bratislava, Prague and Warsaw as the best value cities.

The most expensive were Amsterdam, Belfast, Edinburgh, Helsinki, Venice, Dublin, Copenhagen, Oslo and Geneva.

The cost of a break in the capital of Lithuania came in at £236.51 compared with £669.40 in Amsterdam, based on the price of 12 typical items.  

The prices include two nights’ three-star weekend accommodation, a three-course meal for two with a bottle of house wine, cup of coffee, bottle of beer and cola, glass of wine, return airport transfers, 48-hour travel card, sightseeing bus tour, top heritage attraction, top museum and art gallery  

Vilnius overtook last year’s winner, Lisbon, to rate as best value for the fourth time and is one of seven eastern European cities to dominate the top 10 of 37 surveyed for the 17th annual cost comparison.  

The Post Office reported that the pound is stronger than a year ago against every European currency except the Polish zloty, helping to reduce the price of city breaks in many countries.  

Consumer research among 2,067 UK adults carried out in April found that 42% of those planning holidays abroad said they will take a city break.  

Post Office head of travel money Laura Plunkett said: “It’s important to remember that the cost of meals and drinks need to be added to the spending budget as city break holidays rarely include these items.  

“Over the course of two or three days, these can make a big difference to holiday costs and the low prices we found for meals and drinks in Lisbon and Athens make these cities strong contenders for a bargain break.   

“More generally, it’s a win-win situation for British holidaymakers this year because prices are down in many of the European cities we surveyed, thanks to the strength of sterling and some welcome falls in accommodation charges.  

“However, prices vary significantly across Europe, so it will make sense to do some holiday homework before booking a capital break.”