The European cities with the best value for money for Brits have been revealed – and the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius is the cheapest.
The second place in the ranking is occupied by Lisbon in Portugal, while the underrated Lille in France is in third place.
The most expensive destination is one of the most popular on weekends. Amsterdam languishes at the bottom, in 37th place. Second from bottom is Belfast, where a dinner for two costs £109, while in third place, Edinburgh, visitors have to pay £5.25 for a bottle of beer.
The findings come courtesy of the Post Office’s 17th annual Travel Cost Barometer and are based on the costs of 12 “tourism items” in 37 cities. They include two nights in three-star accommodation, return airport transfers, a world-class museum and a cup of coffee.
In Vilnius, this basket of products amounts to £237. Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, tourists planning a trip to Amsterdam won’t get much change from £669.
The best value urban areas in Europe have been revealed and it is Vilnius in Lithuania (above) number one in the ranking. The findings come courtesy of the Post Office’s 17th annual Travel Cost Barometer and are based on the costs of 12 “tourism items” in 37 cities.
Above is the ranking of the ten cheapest European holiday destinations, which shows that the cost of coffee in Vilnius is only £1.82
The most expensive city in Europe is Amsterdam, which is at the bottom of the table in 37th place.
The same basket of goods is priced at £263 in second-place Lisbon, last year’s number one city and the cheapest in Western Europe. A 26 per cent increase in the average cost of three-star accommodation in Lisbon (£152 for two nights compared to £121 in June 2023) explains the barometer’s higher cost this year.
However, prices for food, drinks and other tourist products remain good, according to Post Office Travel Money.
Third-place Lille in France, which has a charming old town of cobbled streets and colorful buildings, has risen seven places in the top ten due to a drop in accommodation prices – now £131 compared to £186 in June 2023.
Last year’s winner Lisbon comes in second and still offers the best value for money in Western Europe at £263.
Lille comes in third and has a charming old town of cobblestone streets and colorful buildings.
The Greek capital Athens, with its iconic Acropolis (above), takes fifth place. The basket of products here amounts to £289.
The compared basket includes a three-course meal for two, a glass of wine and top museums.
Eastern European cities do well in the ranking, with seven of them in the top ten along with Vilnius, which is less than half the price of 18 other cities.
In fourth place comes charming Krakow (£278), overtaking classic Athens (fifth, £289) before Eastern European cities take firm control of the rest of the top spots with Riga (sixth, £297) and Budapest (seventh, £310). .
Price drops in both Bratislava (5.7 per cent, eighth, £316) and Prague (12.5 per cent, ninth, £318), have ensured its entry into the upper echelons.
Finally, in tenth place is the capital of Poland, Warsaw, with goods totaling £319.
Krakow, Poland comes in at number four and is one of several Eastern European cities to appear in the top ten.
Prices in London have fallen 6.5 per cent since last year, putting it at 25th on the list.
Cardiff ranks 16th in the overall barometer, but it is the UK capital with the best value for money
This year, the barometer confirms that prices have fallen in 21 of the cities surveyed
The cheapest of the four UK capitals is Cardiff, which comes in 16th place (£409). It is more than a third cheaper than Belfast (36th, £629), the most expensive Irish city this year, and overtakes Dublin (32nd, £578).
Edinburgh is in the same ballpark (35th) with a total basket of £602 thanks to price increases of 12 per cent. Surprisingly, prices in London have fallen by 6.5 per cent (£524), placing it at 25th on the list.
This year, prices have fallen in 21 of the cities surveyed.
Paris (24th) saw a 24.9 per cent reduction (£287 compared to £382 last year), Venice (33rd) was down 21.9 per cent (£375 from £480) and Prague was down 21, 4 per cent (£196 to £154).
The biggest drop in accommodation prices came in Lille, where prices fell by 30 per cent, from £186 to £131. Previous winner Athens recorded an accommodation cost of £289, while the most expensive is Amsterdam with £462.
Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at the Post Office, said: “It is important to remember that the cost of food and drink should be added to the spending budget as city holidays rarely include these items.”
Over the course of two or three days, this can make a big difference to the costs of the holiday and the low prices found on food and drink in Lisbon and Athens make these cities strong contenders for a bargain getaway.” .
