European city breaks on a budget
European city breaks on a budget. Travelling to cities during autumn is one of the best times. The fact that the prices have remained within limits in some European cities, despite the escalating inflation, is welcome info.
During autumn, Europe’s metropolises are bathed in the most beautiful colours. There is, however, a certain level of nervousness among city travellers due to rising prices throughout Europe. Fortunately, not every city has the same price tag.
In the autumn of each year, the Post Office Travel Money company, a subsidiary of the British Post Office, publishes a travel expense barometer with 20 popular European cities. Based on this, it is possible to identify the cheapest and most expensive city destinations.
The barometer gives an idea for accommodation during a weekend in a three-star hotel for two people. Additionally, travellers typically spend money on eleven expenses, including coffee, beer, a three-course dinner for two with house wine, museum visits, airport transfers, sightseeing buses, and public transportation.
Athens marked as cheeses in Europe
In this study, Athens came first with 240 euros, followed by Lisbon with 253 euros. For the first time since the study began, Eastern European cities did not occupy the top spots. Although hotel rates in the Greek capital rose by 21% between September 2021 and September 2022, they remain lower than in Lisabon.
Next come Kraków, Riga, and Budapest with no more than 256 euros for weekend expenses. In addition to Prague, Madrid, Berlin, Dubrovnik, and Rome, expenses range between 288 and 402 euros. With 365 euros, Berlin is ranked eighth.
Amsterdam is currently the most expensive city destination at 682 euros for two days. With 525 euros, Venice is far behind in second place. On the barometer, Copenhagen, Dublin, and Paris have a slight cost difference.
The cost of accommodation is rising
Accommodations are a significant price driver. According to Post Office Travel Money analysts, overnight accommodation prices have increased by 20% in 15 of the 20 cities in the travel barometer. However, there were extreme outliers, such as Amsterdam’s 104% increase, Barcelona’s 67% and Paris’ 62 %.
At the moment, there is no consistent trend when it comes to meals. The cost of a three-course meal with house wine for two has remained the same in all cities, despite rising energy prices and supply bottlenecks. Athens offers it for 45 euros. On the other hand, it costs 161 euros in Stockholm. In Lisbon and Budapest, eating out is not expensive, while the cost of food in Copenhagen is almost the same as in Stockholm.
Check all the items calculated in the barometer, and decide where your next short city break will be.
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And if your choice is Switzerland, for the most colourful season of the year, check out some of our clients; you may find what you are looking for.
Photo by Sander Crombach on Unsplash
