Want the cheapest European city break? Go west!

East is knocked off top spot in value-for-money table

THE cheapest city breaks have long been found in Eastern Europe.

But now, for the first time, those after a bargain might do better in western capitals.

For Athens has emerged in a new survey as the cheapest city in Europe for a holiday this autumn, followed by Lisbon in Portugal.

Krakow in Poland and Riga in Latvia, both long-standing cheap destinations, came in at third and fourth respectively, followed by Budapest in Hungary and Prague in the Czech Republic.

The annual Post Office Travel Money City Costs Barometer report compares a total of 12 tourist costs in 20 of the most popular European cities.

These include two nights’ threestar accommodation, an evening meal for two with wine, sightseeing, museums and art galleries, a cup of coffee and city transport.

This is the first time in the survey’s 15 years that a Western European city has been ranked cheaper than one in Eastern Europe.

This is thought to be due to a shortage of mid-range hotels in Eastern European cities, leading to rises in accommodation prices.

Nick Boden, head of Post Office Travel Money, said: ‘Athens and Lisbon have been the best value Western European cities in the barometer over the past decade but this year they have leapfrogged cities like Riga, Budapest and Krakow because of big rises in accommodation costs in the east.

‘A reduction in the number of beds available in Eastern European cities has resulted in less competition, especially in midmarket tourist hotels, and prices have risen significantly as a result.

‘By contrast, there seems to be a glut of three-star hotel accommodation in Athens and this has resulted in lower prices for British visitors this year.’

The 12 items on the list of tourist costs came in at £207 in Athens, compared with almost £593 in Amsterdam – the most expensive destination for a city break where the cost of accommodation has doubled in the past year.

Venice is the second most expensive at £457, with accommodation costs rising by a third, and an overall barometer increase of 20 per cent. Paris was also among the most expensive, with overall tourist costs coming in at £423.

Accommodation prices have risen by more than 20 per cent year-onyear in 15 of the 20 cities surveyed.

Mr Boden said city break favourites such as Paris, Amsterdam and Venice ‘are also expensive places to visit and people who are prepared to swap to a city with a lower cost of living can make their pounds stretch much further’.