The top 10 city breaks that won’t break the bank
Cheap and cheerful doesn’t mean free from fun so check out these value-packed destinations for a standout spring trip
WOULD you choose your city break based on the price of a beer?
It might not be a bad idea.
The Post Office has worked out the average cost of tourist staples in European cities, with surprising results.
Think Paris is pricey? It is for a glass of wine – £4.73 – but a coffee sets you back only 95p.
Overwhelmingly, the best value is in the East: Warsaw, Vilnius and Budapest are the cheapest three.
Here are our top picks for a value-packed spring trip.
1. Athens
IT has been unfairly overlooked since last year’s financial crisis, but Athens is safe, fully functional and woefully underrated.
Go for the culture – and history – while the spring weather is lovely and mild.
WHAT’S CHEAP: Cabs are plentiful and cost little.
WHAT ISN’T: Breakfast. Yoghurt and honey with fruit near the Acropolis costs around £20 for four.
BOOK IT: Two nights’ room-only at the 3 star Best Western Museum Hotel is from £169 per person with Heathrow flights on selected dates in April. See or call 0344 493 0125.
2. Rome
THERE is nothing to say about Italy’s Eternal City that has not been said before – so we won’t.
Except that . . .
WHAT’S CHEAP: Food. A three-course meal for two with a bottle of house wine works out at around £45, which is good compared with some of the other European capitals.
WHAT ISN’T: Ice cream! Remember the story of the American tourists charged £33 for three gelato and a bottle of water? Yep, that.
BOOK IT: Two nights’ B&B at the 3H Hotel Patria is £249, leaving Gatwick on July 11. See or call 01293 765066.
3. Lisbon
THE jumping-off point for 16th-century explorers is the jumping-in point for 21st-century bargain hunters.
Lisbon is the cheapest city in western Europe, the Post Office says. Prices are far less than those in Paris, Venice, Amsterdam and Dublin.
WHAT’S CHEAP: Almost everything. A beer is £1 and a coffee just 55p.
WHAT ISN’T: A weekend travelcard is more than some at £9.46.
BOOK IT: Two nights’ B&B at the 5 star Real Palacio Hotel in May is £143. Fly from Stansted on May 3. See or call 0800 111 6292.
4. Dublin
THE Irish capital is pricier than London, Paris and Amsterdam – but there are ways to save.
WHAT’S CHEAP: Culture. Free entry at the National Gallery and National Museum of Ireland.
WHAT ISN’T: Dining. A three-course meal for two tops £50.
BOOK IT: Homestay hosts can advise you where to go to avoid tourist traps. Dubliners Mick and Liz let cosy single rooms in their Leopardstown house, to the south of the city, from £14. See .
Ryanair flies from £15 each way next month. See .
5. Paris
THE Mona Lisa and the sunset on the Seine are priceless. But booze is not.
WHAT’S CHEAP: Getting there. Eurostar has deals leaving St Pancras from less than £60 return.
WHAT ISN’T: Beer. Wine is creeping up too but the quality is high. House wine is always decent.
BOOK IT: Stay in a comfy university room (£133 for a two-night stay;).
Or push the boat out – Orient Express has two-night packages on the legendary train from £1,150, staying at the 4 star Hotel Le Marianne. See or call 01347 808534.
6. Prague
THE Czech capital kicked off the Nineties boom in eastern Europe – and it is still lovely.
WHAT’S CHEAP: Eating out. Prague combines Paris-like grandeur with bargain prices. Get a three-course evening meal for two with a bottle of wine for just £27, says the Post Office.
WHAT ISN’T: Museums. It is £10 for the castle, £6 for the Museum of Communism. What would Marx say?
BOOK IT: Three nights’ B&B at the 4 star Belvedere Hotel is from £401, flying from Bristol on March 25. See .
7. Warsaw
THE Polish capital cannot match Prague for prettiness, but the old town tells a touching story – patriotic Poles rebuilt it from scratch after it was destroyed in World War Two.
WHAT’S CHEAP: Everything! Warsaw topped, or rather bottomed, the Post Office’s list on prices overall.
WHAT ISN’T: Fines! Always validate travelcards as plain-clothes inspectors are everywhere.
BOOK IT: Two nights’ room-only at the 4 star Polonia Palace is from £127. Fly from Stansted on April 25. See or call 0800 111 6292.
8. Vilnius
THE Lithuanian capital is second only to Warsaw for low prices.
WHAT’S CHEAP: Culture is good value. Entry to the National Gallery is £1.40 and several top attractions are free. It costs around £50 for two nights’ B&B. A beer is £1.40.
WHAT ISN’T: Eating out is more expensive than other eastern European cities at £39 for two on average.
BOOK IT: Two nights’ room-only at the eLoftHotel in Vilnius is from £83 per person including flights from Luton with Ryanair on April 28. See.
9. Krakow
SMALL enough to be overlooked for much of the past century, the lovely Old Town and its cloth traders’ hall have emerged unscathed from war. Oskar Schindler’s factory, now a museum, recalls the darkest times.
WHAT’S CHEAP: Coffee is only 95p for a quality jolt. The majority of costs are fine, especially food and drink.
WHAT ISN’T: Most attractions in this Polish city have an entry fee.
BOOK IT: Three nights’ B&B at the 3 star Best Western Hotel Galicya is from £171 next month with easyJet Holidays (, 020 3499 5232).
10. Madrid
IT came out £100 cheaper than Barcelona, where prices are up 15 per cent in a year.
WHAT’S CHEAP: Eating out. Avoid the Plaza Mayor if you want bargains. A few streets away, food is half the price.
WHAT ISN’T: Museums and galleries. The Prado is £11 and the Thyssen £9 – but they are among the world’s best, with collections built over centuries.
BOOK IT: Three nights’ room-only at the 4 star Ilunion Alcala Norte is from £169 with BA Holidays. See or call 0344 493 0125.
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