Athens named best city break on a budget
Athens has been named as the best place to take a budget city break on the continent, with prices dropping 15% since last year. Analysis of 20 cities by Post Office Travel Money showed the Greek capital beating more traditional lower cost destinations in Eastern Europe on a range of typical tourist expenses.
The total bill for a break, with the likes of meals, hotel accommodation, attraction tickets and local transport fares included, was £207, compared to £218 for Lisbon, Portugal, which came in second place.Low prices in Athens include £38.96 for an evening meal for two with wine, £89 for two nights’ accommodation in a three-star hotel and £7.79 for a 48-hour public transport pass.The next three cheapest spots were taken by Krakow in Poland at £219, Riga in Latvia at £220, and Budapest in Hungary at £221.
On the other end of the spectrum, six cities fared at least twice the cost of an Athens trip, with Amsterdam in the Netherlands costing £593.That was followed by Venice, Italy for £457, Copenhagen, Denmark for £456, Dublin, Ireland for £436, Paris, France for £423, and Stockholm, Sweden, for £421.Nick Boden, head of Post Office Travel Money, said two in five of those planning trips abroad this year will go for a city break, making it the most popular type of holiday to take, so he advised travellers to “do their homework and check prices before booking”.”Established favourites like Paris, Amsterdam and Venice may be top choices among the holidaymakers we surveyed, but they are also expensive places to visit, and people who are prepared to swap to a city with a lower cost of living can make their pounds stretch much further,” he added.
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“Athens and Lisbon are half the price and offer a sunny autumn climate as well as low prices.”
Athens has been named as the best place to take a budget city break on the continent, with prices dropping 15% since last year.
Analysis of 20 cities by Post Office Travel Money showed the Greek capital beating more traditional lower cost destinations in Eastern Europe on a range of typical tourist expenses.
The total bill for a break, with the likes of meals, hotel accommodation, attraction tickets and local transport fares included, was £207, compared to £218 for Lisbon, Portugal, which came in second place.
Low prices in Athens include £38.96 for an evening meal for two with wine, £89 for two nights’ accommodation in a three-star hotel and £7.79 for a 48-hour public transport pass.
The next three cheapest spots were taken by Krakow in Poland at £219, Riga in Latvia at £220, and Budapest in Hungary at £221.
On the other end of the spectrum, six cities fared at least twice the cost of an Athens trip, with Amsterdam in the Netherlands costing £593.
That was followed by Venice, Italy for £457, Copenhagen, Denmark for £456, Dublin, Ireland for £436, Paris, France for £423, and Stockholm, Sweden, for £421.
Nick Boden, head of Post Office Travel Money, said two in five of those planning trips abroad this year will go for a city break, making it the most popular type of holiday to take, so he advised travellers to “do their homework and check prices before booking”.
“Established favourites like Paris, Amsterdam and Venice may be top choices among the holidaymakers we surveyed, but they are also expensive places to visit, and people who are prepared to swap to a city with a lower cost of living can make their pounds stretch much further,” he added.
“Athens and Lisbon are half the price and offer a sunny autumn climate as well as low prices.”
