If you're planning a budget-friendly getaway this spring, listen up. Vilnius has been named the best value city for a mini-break in the Post Office's annual City Costs Barometer.
The report compares the average prices that holidaymakers will have to pay for 12 essential holiday items in 48 European destinations. The items include a range of drinks, an evening meal for two with wine, two nights' three-star accommodation for two adults, sightseeing plus city transport.
In Lithuania's capital, the total cost for these items came to £147.35. The accommodation here was also found to be among the cheapest at £70 for the two-night stay.
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Belgrade came in second place, with a total cost of £172. Warsaw was found to be the third cheapest at £160.35, and Krakow, last year’s cheapest city, fell to 13th in the overall ranking at just over £200.
The most expensive city surveyed was Reykjavik, where a city break was priced at £462.61. An evening meal with wine in the Icelandic capital also came to a costly total of £123.77.
Closer to home, Edinburgh was ranked in 30th place (£295.25), with London at the high-priced end of the scale. Ranked at number 40, the total cost of a short break in the capital came in at £364.07.
“Sterling is currently stronger than a year ago against every European currency but that could change so holidaymakers would be wise to consider both exchange rates and the underlying costs they will incur on a city break before booking,” Andrew Brown from Post Office Travel Money advises.
“Canny travellers can save hundreds of pounds by comparing the cost of accommodation and picking a city where hotel prices are low and where meals, drinks and sightseeing prices are also cheap. This applies to most cities in Eastern Europe but also to Porto, Athens and Lisbon.”
Ready for a weekend away? Here are the top 10 cheapest cities to visit, according to the Post Office report:
1. Vilnius, Lithuania - £147.35
2. Belgrade, Serbia - £151.57
3. Warsaw, Poland - £160.35
4. Istanbul, Turkey, £166.83
5. Bucharest, Romania - £167.74
6. Porto, Portugal - £172.60
7. Riga, Latvia - £178.60
8. Bratislava, Slovakia - £182.02
9. Moscow, Russia - £186.87
10. Prague, Czech Republic - £190.19
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