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Time Out
20-05-2025
- Time Out
The underrated Baltic capital just named Europe's best-value city break
Travelling is more costly than ever, so minimising your spending wherever you can is always handy. A solid way to do that is to pick a budget destination, and handily, we've got a brilliant list of Europe's best-value destinations right here. But you can never have too much inspiration, can you? Post Office Travel Money has just released their own ranking of Europe's cheapest (and most expensive) places, analysing 12 common costs in 38 different countries to produce its annual City Costs Barometer. (It's worth noting all of this is based on travellers from the UK). Topping the ranks is Riga, the charming Latvian capital where a trip (which includes two nights' three-star weekend accommodation, a three-course meal for two with a bottle of house wine, return airport transfers, a 48-hour travel card, sightseeing bus tour, top heritage attractions, as well as some other factors) costs a mere £252.63. So, what is there to get stuck into in Riga? Well, the city is brimming with culture – check out the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, which are both housed in a dazzling neoclassical building, or have a wander around the city's lovely, UNESCO-protected Old Town. Once you've soaked all that up, head to Rozengrals for an authentic medieval meal, and then stop by the quirky Black Magic Bar for some wacky concoctions, or Skyline Bar for a stunning city view. However, Riga was far from the only eastern European city to be spot-lit. In fact, the region dominates this list, with Vilnius and Warsaw following close behind as Europe's cheapest city breaks right now. Read on for the top 10 best-value cities in Europe and have a look at the report in more detail here. These are Europe's best-value city breaks, according to the Post Office Riga, Latvia Vilnius, Lithuania Warsaw, Poland Podgorica, Montenegro Lisbon, Portugal Lille, France Gdansk, Poland Krakow, Poland Porto, Portugal Zagreb, Croatia
Euronews
20-05-2025
- Euronews
Europe's best city breaks for budget travellers this summer
If you are looking for a city break on a budget this summer, consider some of Eastern Europe's culture-rich capitals. A new report by the UK's Post Office has ranked the top 10 cities in Europe where you could save money on a holiday. The City Costs Barometer found that prices have fallen in half the cities surveyed. Seven out of 10 destinations are in Eastern Europe, including the top spot. The analysis calculated the costs of 12 common tourist items in 38 cities in Europe. These included consumables like a cup of coffee, a bottle of beer, a can of Coca-Cola or Pepsi, a glass of wine, and a three-course evening meal for two with house wine. Transport costs were also incorporated, such as a return airport bus or train transfer, and a 48-hour travel card. It included the price of a sightseeing city bus tour, a top tourist heritage attraction, a top museum, and a top art gallery. Finally, it added the cost of two nights' accommodation in a three-star hotel for two people. The Latvian capital, Riga, has regained its position as Europe's best value city for a short break for the first time in over a decade. The UNESCO-designated old town is a flourish of carved medieval buildings and pastel townhouses, but you don't have to battle crowds to visit the famous sites. At €300 for 12 tourist items, the city has risen from sixth place last year to top the chart for the first time since 2012. This is because prices in Riga are down 15 per cent year-on-year compared with those in runner-up city, Vilnius, where the total cost of an average break rose 7.5 per cent to €302. The rising cost of accommodation in the Lithuanian capital is the key factor. Prices in the two Baltic states are around 60 per cent lower than in Oslo (€755) and Copenhagen (€747), the most expensive cities surveyed. Poland boasts three cities in this year's city breaks top 10. Warsaw (€329) has moved up from 10th to third place with a price fall of 13.2 per cent, mainly as a result of a €46 fall in accommodation costs (€155 for two nights compared with €201 a year ago). Kraków (€356) again makes the top 10 but has dropped from fourth to eighth place because of a 7.7 per cent price increase. One place higher in seventh position Gdansk, surveyed for the first time this year, costs a total of €352 for the barometer items. From the enormous brick St Mark's Church, whose spires seem to pierce the clouds, to the slender gabled houses lining Long Market, many of the Polish city's attractions don't cost a penny to admire. Also new for 2025, Montenegro's capital, Podgorica, has shot into the top 10 in fourth place. Its overall cost of €335 is 29 per cent lower than Dubrovnik in neighbouring Croatia. Podgorica has an ultra-trendy cafè scene, a historic village-in-the-city neighbourhood and vestiges of its ancient Ottoman past to discover. Rising from 11th last year to 10th position in the new survey, Zagreb (€369) is the fourth new entrant to the best value top 10, gaining its place because of a 4.4 per cent fall in barometer prices. Portugal's two major cities both feature in the ranking. Although prices are up 10.8 per cent in Lisbon (5th, €347), the Portuguese capital remains the highest placed Western European city. Porto (9th, €362) has moved back into the leading 10 cities from 13th place last year after registering an overall price fall of 15.5 per cent, thanks to better hotel availability. Lille, a delight of handsome buildings and heavyweight museums in northern France, comes in 6th place at €348 to complete the top 10 line-up. Post Office researchers found that costs for tourist items have fallen in half of the surveyed cities compared to a year ago. The biggest drop has been in Helsinki, the lowest-priced Scandinavian city in this year's barometer. At €556, prices have plummeted by over 20 per cent to take the Finnish capital to 21st place from 34th last year. Conversely, barometer prices have risen significantly in Berlin, where a 20 per cent increase in tourist costs has seen the city fall from 21st to 34th place with a barometer total of €698. All prices have been converted from Sterling to Euro at the current conversion rate of £1 = €1.19. Bukhara, a historic Silk Road city in Uzbekistan, has thrived for centuries thanks to ingenious water systems. From ancient canals and reservoirs to underground karez tunnels, water was central to life here. Sites like Lyabi Hauz and Chashma Ayub still reflect this deep Bukhara faces new climate challenges, but local initiatives are modernising school infrastructure to ensure clean water access. Teachers and students say the change is transformative. As historian Anvar Tullayev explains, Bukhara's survival has always depended on water — and its legacy of resilience continues to guide efforts to secure a sustainable future.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Daily Mail
The best value European cities revealed - as stag do favourite tops the list
Travellers looking for a bargain city break in Europe should look east, according to the latest Post Office Travel Report. The research found that Latvian capital Riga ranked as the best value destination for Brits, but also revealed that despite the pound being dicey, there's still plenty of places where you'll get a decent bang for your buck. Of 38 European cities that feature in the annual City Costs Barometer, Riga topped the list, with another Baltic States destination, Vilnius, coming second and Warsaw taking the third spot. Aside from two Portuguese cities, Lisbon, which ranked fifth, and Porto, which came ninth, and French hotspot Lille, sixth, all of the other destinations were in Eastern Europe. Podgorica in Montenegro came fourth, while Polish cities Gdansk and Krakow placed seventh and eighth, with Croatian capital Zagreb in tenth. It's the first time in a decade that Riga has taken the top spot - it came sixth in 2024, with the Post Office barometer finding that prices have fallen in half of the cities surveyed. The study found that, based on the cost of 12 tourist items including accommodation, meals and drinks, city transport and entry to cultural attractions, Riga proved the best value, with the price at £253 - 15 per cent down on the same costs last year. How do prices in Riga and runner-up Vilnius compare to those in more expensive destinations? In Western Europe, Lisbon (pictured) and Porto were deemed the cheapest cities for a holiday by the annual report, which looks at the cost of 12 tourist items on its barometer Costs are 60 per cent lower than in Oslo (£636) and Copenhagen (£629), which were the most expensive cities surveyed. Also worth considering for a break that won't burn a hole in your wallet is Poland, which had three cities in this year's top 10. Costs in Warsaw were £277, which saw the Polish capital move up from 10th to third place with a price fall of 13.2 per cent, mainly as a result of a £39 fall in accommodation costs (£131 for two nights compared with £170 a year ago). Meanwhile, tourist favourite Krakow fared a little worse, but still made the top ten, dropping from fourth to eighth place because of a 7.7 per cent price increase, with costs at £300. In seventh position was Gdansk, which featured in the barometer for the first time, and was found to have a £297 cost for the barometer items. If sun is high on your wish-list, then heading to Portugal is wise move, with costs also lower than in many warmer counterpart cities. Although prices are up 10.8 per cent in Lisbon - the capital of Portugal had costs of £292, it's still the highest ranking city in Western Europe when it comes to value. Laura Plunkett, Head of Travel Money at Post Office, said of the latest findings: 'Although city break holidaymakers need to keep a watchful eye on exchange rates, the real challenge will be the cost of accommodation in the cities Britons are considering. Europe's lowest-priced cities Cost of 12 tourist items, including accommodation, food and drink, cultural items and transport costs 1. Riga £252.63 2. Vilnius £254.32 3. Warsaw £277.39 4. Podgorica £281.70 5. Lisbon £292.27 6. Lille £293.26 7. Gdansk £297.08 8. Krakow £300.24 9. Porto £304.66 'Successive City Costs Barometers have found big swings in hotel costs depending on how many rooms are available in peak months. This year is no different and rising – or falling – hotel prices can have a big impact on city break costs. 'For example, Vilnius lost its top spot in the latest chart because the cost of accommodation has risen by over nine per cent since last year, while it has fallen over 20 per cent in Riga in the same period. When the cost of two nights' accommodation is excluded, Vilnius remains cheaper for British visitors at around £111 compared with nearly £130 in Riga.' How do closer-to-home cities fare on the list? Welsh capital Cardiff came in at 17, with £375 costs, while London was 26th at £523 and Edinburgh 36th with £602 for the items.
Scottish Sun
16-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
From Balkans to Baltics – Europe's ten cheapest city breaks for 2025 revealed
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EASTERN European cities will bag you more bang for your buck this year, according to the Post Office Travel Money. Its annual City Costs Barometer report has revealed that Riga is officially the most wallet-friendly holiday destination on the continent for 2025, soaring to top place for the first time in over a decade. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Latvian capital Riga was the ultimate bargain city break with cheap accommodation, food and drink Credit: Getty 3 The cheapest cities for hotels, beer and a meal with wine can be revealed The Latvian capital beat 38 other European cities, primarily thanks to cheap accommodation and affordable food and drink, with a two-night stay in a 3H hotel costing an average of £123 for two people, which was cheaper than most other cities. The research looked at the average cost of 12 city break essentials in 38 European cities to calculate affordability. These included: a cup of coffee, a bottle of beer, a Coca-Cola or Pepsi, a glass of wine, a three-course dinner for two including wine, return airport transfers, a 48-hour travel card, a sightseeing bus tour, three top attractions (heritage sites, museum and art gallery) and weekend-long accommodation in a 3H hotel. The total cost of all 12 holiday essentials came to £252.63 in Riga, only slightly cheaper than runner-up, Vilnius in Lithuania, where all 12 holiday items cost an average £254.32. According to the data, prices in Riga, a charming city overlooking the Baltic Sea, are down 15 per cent year-on-year compared with Vilnius, where the barometer total rose by 7.5 per cent this year. Rising accommodation costs will be the 'real challenge' when it comes to finding an affordable city break this year, Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at Post Office revealed. She said: 'Successive City Costs Barometers have found big swings in hotel costs depending on how many rooms are available in peak months. 'This year is no different and rising — or falling — hotel prices can have a big impact on city break costs. 'For example, Vilnius lost its top spot in the latest chart because the cost of accommodation has risen by over nine per cent since last year, while it has fallen over 20 per cent in Riga in the same period.' Overall costs seem to be much lower in Eastern European cities this year, regardless of varying accommodation costs. Traveller has great money saving hack that also allows you to experience destinations better A whopping three cities in Poland were among the top ten cheapest spots with Warsaw coming in third place. The capital city proved cheap to travel around with return train or bus transfers from the airport costing an average of £1.87pp, while a 48-hour travel card cost only £3.18pp — less than half the cost of a travel card in Riga or Vilnius. Warsaw has seen a fall of 13.2 per cent in the overall price since last year as a result of cheaper accommodation which now costs an average of £131 for two nights, compared with £170 a year ago. Free to visit If it is culture you are after, though, Podgorica is the city for you. A newcomer to the budget list, the capital of Montenegro came in fourth place this year with total barometer costs of £281.70. The capital city, famed for its brutalist architecture and winding rivers, has many low-cost attractions and its top heritage attraction, top museum and top art gallery are all free to visit. Better still, soft drinks like coffee and coke are also a bargain, costing under two quid a pop. For cheap booze and grub, however, the lively city of Lisbon, on Portugal's western coast, takes the cake. A three-course meal for two people, with wine, costs less here than any other city in the report, reaching £46.68 on average. 3 Vilnius in Lithuania came second for value, where all 12 holiday items cost an average £254.32 Credit: Getty This is significantly less than the top budget spot Riga where dinner costs an average of £65.95 for two. It's cheaper to knock back a beer than a coke or Pepsi here, too, with a bottle of ale or lager costing £1.93 on average, the same as a glass of wine. Other budget city breaks for 2025 include Lille in France, as well as Gdansk and Krakow in Poland, which came in sixth, seventh and eighth place on the barometer chart respectively. At the opposite end of the scale, those looking to save the pennies should steer clear of Oslo in Norway, which was shown to be the priciest of all 38 European destinations. Barometer costs amounted to an eye-watering £636.20, well over double the cost of Riga, the cheapest city. The notoriously pricey Copenhagen in Denmark was not too far behind this price — total barometer costs £628.64 — while Scotland's Edinburgh followed with total costs of £601.50.
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
From Balkans to Baltics – Europe's ten cheapest city breaks for 2025 revealed
EASTERN European cities will bag you more bang for your buck this year, according to the Post Office Travel Money. Its annual City Costs Barometer report has revealed that Riga is officially the most wallet-friendly holiday destination on the continent for 2025, soaring to top place for the first time in over a decade. 3 Latvian capital Riga was the ultimate bargain city break with cheap accommodation, food and drink Credit: Getty 3 The cheapest cities for hotels, beer and a meal with wine can be revealed The Latvian capital beat 38 other European cities, primarily thanks to cheap accommodation and affordable food and drink, with a two-night stay in a 3H hotel costing an average of £123 for two people, which was cheaper than most other cities. The research looked at the average cost of 12 city break essentials in 38 European cities to calculate affordability. These included: a cup of coffee, a bottle of beer, a Coca-Cola or Pepsi, a glass of wine, a three-course dinner for two including wine, return airport transfers, a 48-hour travel card, a sightseeing bus tour, three top attractions (heritage sites, museum and art gallery) and weekend-long accommodation in a 3H hotel. The total cost of all 12 holiday essentials came to £252.63 in Riga, only slightly cheaper than runner-up, Vilnius in Lithuania, where all 12 holiday items cost an average £254.32. READ MORE ON CITY BREAKS According to the data, prices in Riga, a charming city overlooking the Baltic Sea, are down 15 per cent year-on-year compared with Vilnius, where the barometer total rose by 7.5 per cent this year. Rising accommodation costs will be the 'real challenge' when it comes to finding an affordable city break this year, Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at Post Office revealed. She said: 'Successive City Costs Barometers have found big swings in hotel costs depending on how many rooms are available in peak months. 'This year is no different and rising — or falling — hotel prices can have a big impact on city break costs. Most read in Travel 'For example, Vilnius lost its top spot in the latest chart because the cost of accommodation has risen by over nine per cent since last year, while it has fallen over 20 per cent in Riga in the same period.' Overall costs seem to be much lower in Eastern European cities this year, regardless of varying accommodation costs. Traveller has great money saving hack that also allows you to experience destinations better A whopping three cities in Poland were among the top ten cheapest spots with Warsaw coming in third place. The capital city proved cheap to travel around with return train or bus transfers from the airport costing an average of £1.87pp, while a 48-hour travel card cost only £3.18pp — less than half the cost of a travel card in Riga or Vilnius. Warsaw has seen a fall of 13.2 per cent in the overall price since last year as a result of cheaper accommodation which now costs an average of £131 for two nights, compared with £170 a year ago. Free to visit If it is culture you are after, though, Podgorica is the city for you. A newcomer to the budget list, the capital of Montenegro came in fourth place this year with total barometer costs of £281.70. The capital city, famed for its brutalist architecture and winding rivers, has many low-cost attractions and its top heritage attraction, top museum and top art gallery are all free to visit. Better still, soft drinks like coffee and coke are also a bargain, costing under two quid a pop. For cheap booze and grub, however, the lively city of Lisbon, on Portugal's western coast, takes the cake. A three-course meal for two people, with wine, costs less here than any other city in the report, reaching £46.68 on average. 3 Vilnius in Lithuania came second for value, where all 12 holiday items cost an average £254.32 Credit: Getty This is significantly less than the top budget spot Riga where dinner costs an average of £65.95 for two. It's cheaper to knock back a beer than a coke or Pepsi here, too, with a bottle of ale or lager costing £1.93 on average, the same as a glass of wine. Other budget city breaks for 2025 include Lille in France, as well as Gdansk and Krakow in Poland, which came in sixth, seventh and eighth place on the barometer chart respectively. At the opposite end of the scale, those looking to save the pennies should steer clear of Oslo in Norway, which was shown to be the priciest of all 38 European destinations. Barometer costs amounted to an eye-watering £636.20, well over double the cost of Riga, the cheapest city. The notoriously pricey Copenhagen in
