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Wales Online
3 days ago
- Wales Online
Tourists' 'most expensive' currency mistakes abroad - including £30 can of Coke
Tourists' 'most expensive' currency mistakes abroad - including £30 can of Coke A survey of 2,000 holidaymakers has revealed some of the priciest purchases people have made while abroad, after getting muddled about currency conversion rates Some get mixed up about the value of money 'in pounds' when abroad (Image: Getty Images ) Holidaymakers have revealed some of the most expensive purchases they've unwittingly made whilst on their travels. A poll of 2,000 globetrotters found that nearly a third felt they were often overcharged for goods due to being tourists. One unfortunate traveller forked out £30 for a single glass of Coca-Cola in Rome, while another unsuspectingly splashed out £80 on a T-shirt, thinking it was only £10. Other unexpected costs reported by participants included coughing up an eye-watering £48 for a single shot of whiskey. Another individual paid £25 for a taxi journey in Amsterdam, only to find out their destination was less than a mile away. The research, carried out by the Post Office, suggested that holidaymakers often grapple with 'currency confusion' - getting mixed up about the value of money 'in pounds' when abroad. This has led to a quarter of people paying more than they expected for an item. Some think they have overpaid simply because they're a tourist (Image: Getty Images ) The most common currency conversion for Brits, changing to euros, also left respondents puzzled, with almost a third unsure of how much £5 would be in Euros. Furthermore, 40 per cent were clueless about the exchange rate for dollars. Article continues below According to the study, four in ten attempt to work out local currency rates in their heads, while 6 per cent will ask a nearby person and then take their word for it. Laura Plunkett, the head of travel money at Post Office, said: "Our research reveals many travellers overestimate their ability to mentally convert currencies on the go, and that can lead to overspending. "We wanted to highlight how easily confusion around exchange rates can impact holiday budgets - no one wants to waste time abroad worrying about money." The study was commissioned to promote the Post Office's Travel Money Card, as well as their Travel App which allows holidaymakers to check exchange rates and monitor spending in real time. "It's surprising that only 19% of travellers use a prepaid travel card for their spending abroad when it can allow travellers to lock in a good rate before travelling," Laura expressed. Article continues below In contrast, nearly half of the travellers prefer to use a separate card not linked to their main bank account when spending overseas, aiming to protect their principal money from thieves. Laura went on to say: "Nothing disrupts a holiday like a financial mishap. Keeping your travel money separate from your main account is a smart move to give you greater control, clearer visibility of what you're spending." She added: "Whether you're budgeting carefully or just want to avoid mixing travel purchases with everyday costs, this small step can make a big difference to your trip."
The Sun
16-05-2025
- The 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 4 4 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. 4
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Business
- The 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 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 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.
