These are the cheapest cities for an autumn trip
Many use the autumn for a short trip to one of the European metropolises. Although inflation is felt everywhere, there are differences in the rise in prices. A study has identified the cheapest travel destinations – with surprising results.
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Dhe summer is over, the autumn holidays are just around the corner. Many like to use this time for a trip to one of the European metropolises. When looking for a destination, however, one finds that prices are rising rapidly across the continent. Luckily, not all cities are equally expensive.
For the past 15 years, the Post Office Travel Money company, a subsidiary of the British Post Office, has been publishing a travel expense barometer with 20 popular European cities in the autumn. From this, the cheapest, but of course also the most expensive, city destinations can be identified.
The expenses for two weekend nights in a three-star hotel for two people are calculated. There are also 11 items that travelers typically spend money on, including a cup of coffee, a bottle of beer, three-course dinner for two including a bottle of house wine, museum visits, airport transfers, sightseeing buses and public transport.
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Athens is at the top of the list of cities
The result surprised even the analysts this time: For the first time since the study began, Eastern European cities did not occupy the top spots in the cheapest city destinations, but Athens came first with an average of 240 euros, followed by Lisbon with 253 euros. While prices in the Greek capital fell by 15 percent, they remain cheap in Lisbon, despite a sharp 21 percent increase in hotel rates compared to September 2021, from €84.57 to €129.75.
If you travel to Athens, you’re in luck: the city is relatively cheap compared to other European metropolises
Source: Getty Images/Iulia Bondar
Only then do Kraków, Riga and Budapest follow with pleasingly low expenses of up to a maximum of 256 euros for a weekend. The affordable cities also include Prague, Madrid, Berlin, Dubrovnik and Rome with expenses between 288 and 402 euros. Berlin is in eighth place with 365 euros.
The most expensive city destination is currently Amsterdam at 682 euros for two days. Venice is a long way behind in second place with 525 euros. This is followed by Copenhagen, Dublin and Paris with small cost differences on the barometer. Around 500 euros have to be calculated for a trip here.
The main price drivers are the accommodations. According to the analysts at Post Office Travel Money, overnight accommodation prices in 15 of the 20 cities in the travel barometer have increased by 20 percent compared to the previous year. Extreme outliers are Amsterdam with an increase of 104 percent, Barcelona with 67 percent and Paris with 62 percent.
Art and culture are cheap in Dublin and Berlin
As far as meals go, there is no consistent trend, at least for now. Although all signs point to rising prices due to energy prices and supply bottlenecks, the cost of a three-course meal with house wine for two has not risen in all cities. It comes in Athens for cheap 45 euros. In Stockholm, on the other hand, it is 161 euros. Eating out is not expensive in Lisbon and Budapest either, while the price of food in Copenhagen is almost the same as in Stockholm.
Art and culture are an important reason why metropolises are so attractive. And here’s a surprise, because a fairly expensive city turns out to be cheap at this expense item. Dublin, for example, is in the upper price league with 502 euros, but when it comes to visiting cultural sites, it only costs 8 euros. In fact, many museums and historical sites in Ireland’s capital do not charge admission. Berlin is also to be commended, which at a moderate 18 euros is not considered expensive in this area.
Conversely, when it comes to travel expenses, Dubrovnik is in the affordable midfield. But not when it comes to admissions to museums and cultural sites. The pretty little town is a real hit with 65 euros and is ahead of the expensive capitals of Amsterdam and Vienna.
Prices have been converted from pounds to euros and rounded up or down. Rate: 1 pound = 1.15 euros
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