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Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Europe's 'best value city' is stag and hen do hotspot with £22 Ryanair flights
Europe's best value cities have been revealed for 2025 and there's one that you'll definitely want on your radar for a city break packed with culture, great food and bargain prices Brits looking for a bargain break are in luck, as Europe's best value city breaks for 2025 have just been revealed. Topping the list is stag do and hen do favourite Riga, which had the cheapest overall cost for food, accommodation and sightseeing at 12 attractions, with a weekend break coming in at £252.63 according to research from Post Office Travel Money. The Latvian capital beat out 38 cities, with prices down 15 per cent year on year. In fact that means you could snap up a two-night weekend break at 3* accommodation for £123, and enjoy a three-course evening meal for £65.95. Although the research doesn't take into account the cost of flights, there are ways to add in your travel without having to make a big dent in your budget - in fact, you can find direct flights from the UK with Ryanair from £21.99 each way (although take note that this won't include an extra cabin bag, you'll need to pay extra). Riga has already long been a firm favourite with Brits after a fun city break where you can get plenty of bang for your buck. Throw in the countless bars, restaurants and clubs that make up its brilliant nightlife, and it's not difficult to see why this is such a hit with stag and hen parties. For those who want a dose of culture, the city delivers. Spend your days sightseeing at landmarks such as the iconic House of the Blackheads, wander through St Peter's Church, and while away a few hours on the cobbled streets that make up the picture-perfect Old Town. According to the Post Office research, a sightseeing bus tour will set you back £21.90, or you can opt for a 48-hour travel card for £7.01 to use public transport and do your own exploring. Foodies won't be disappointed in the city either; Riga Central Market is full of local vendors serving up classic Latvian cuisine, not to mention it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site if you're looking to tick some off the bucket list. For those who want a tipple after a day of exploring, a bottle of beer comes in at an average of £3.50, while a 175ml glass of wine will set you back £4.38. Europe's top 10 best value cities Riga, Latvia Vilnius, Lithuania Warsaw, Poland Podgorica, Montenegro Lisbon, Portugal Lille, France Gdansk, Poland Krakow, Poland Porto, Portugal Zagreb, Croatia Laura Plunkett, Head of Travel Money at Post Office, said: "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. 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."
Scottish Sun
16-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Pretty and historic city named cheapest place for a weekend break – thanks to budget bars and restaurants
THE capital of Latvia - Riga - has been named as Europe's best value city for a short break. According to the Post Office Travel Money City Costs Barometer, which features 38 cities, a weekend away to historic city of Riga is the costs just £253, for two people. 4 Riga was named the cheapest place for a weekend city break Credit: Getty 4 Tourist activities in the city are relatively affordable Credit: Getty 4 The city is home to a lot of history and beautiful buildings Credit: Getty The price includes 12 tourist items including accommodation, meals and drinks, city transport and entry to cultural attractions, Riga has risen from sixth place last year to top the chart for the first time since 2012. According to the Post Office, this is because prices in the city have fallen by 15 per cent year-on-year compared to Vilnius in Lithuania - the runner-up city. On average, a cup of coffee in Riga was found to cost £2.80 and beer was found to cost £3.50. Return airport or bus transfers were relatively cheap, costing £3.50 on average. Tourist-based activities were also affordable, with a 48-hour travel card costing £7.01, a sightseeing bus tour costing £21.90, entrance to a top heritage attraction costing £7.01, museum entry costing £4.38 and entrance to a gallery costing £7.01. Riga is known for having beautiful buildings, a pretty cobbled Old Town and a number of spires littered across the skyline. The city is relatively easy to get around due to having no hills. One particularly popular spot that does require a steep climb though is the 13th-century St Peter's church. The church features a 400ft spire, which is Riga's highest point and boasts panoramic views of the city below. Another iconic spot in the city is Riga Central Market - a large marketplace which is home to five pavilions. The Sun's Travel Editor Lisa Minot shares her favourite destination dupes The marketplace is known for its fresh produce, including dairy, meat, fish and other Latvian delicacies. Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at Post Office, the UK's largest provider of foreign currency, said: "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. "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." The European city also got more British Airways flights last year. Plus, one of Europe's last remaining city break travel secrets – under two hours from the UK.
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Pretty and historic city named cheapest place for a weekend break – thanks to budget bars and restaurants
THE capital of Latvia - Riga - has been named as Europe's best value city for a short break. According to the features 38 cities, a weekend away to historic city of Riga is the costs just £253, for two people. 4 Riga was named the cheapest place for a weekend city break Credit: Getty 4 Tourist activities in the city are relatively affordable Credit: Getty 4 The city is home to a lot of history and beautiful buildings Credit: Getty The price includes 12 tourist items including accommodation, meals and drinks, city transport and entry to cultural attractions, Riga has risen from sixth place last year to top the chart for the first time since 2012. According to the Post Office , this is because prices in the city have fallen by 15 per cent year-on-year compared to Vilnius in Lithuania - the runner-up city. On average, a cup of coffee in Riga was found to cost £2.80 and beer was found to cost £3.50. Return airport or bus transfers were relatively cheap, costing £3.50 on average. Read more on city breaks Tourist-based activities were also affordable, with a 48-hour travel card costing £7.01, a sightseeing bus tour costing £21.90, entrance to a top heritage attraction costing £7.01, museum entry costing £4.38 and entrance to a gallery costing £7.01. Riga is known for having beautiful buildings, a pretty cobbled Old Town and a number of spires littered across the skyline. The city is relatively easy to get around due to having no hills. One particularly popular spot that does require a steep climb though is the 13th-century St Peter's church. Most read in News Travel The church features a 400ft spire, which is Riga's highest point and boasts Another iconic spot in the city is Riga Central Market - a large marketplace which is home to five pavilions. The Sun's Travel Editor Lisa Minot shares her favourite destination dupes The marketplace is known for its fresh produce, including dairy, meat, fish and other Latvian delicacies. Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at Post Office, the UK's largest provider of foreign currency, said: "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. "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 – "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." The Plus, 4 The city is also home to a church, with a spire that climbs 400ft into the sky Credit: Getty
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
