There are two types of holidays: The laidback, lie-on-a-beach-for-a-week getaway and the fast-paced, squeeze-as-much-in-as-you-can city break. There’s always room for both, but city breaks in Europe are often the quickest route to getting to know a country’s food, culture and people. The only problem is that they can be a little expensive!
That’s why the Post Office Travel Money has compared the costs of short breaks in cities across Europe to see where UK holidaymakers can find the best deals. We’re not just talking cheap £10 flights only to find out you’re paying through the nose for everything else either. They’ve taken into account 12 typical tourist costs in 37 cities – including accommodation, food and cultural attractions – to determine the cheapest city breaks in Europe.
Where’s the cheapest European city you can easily get to from Bristol?
The Post Office Travel Money’s best-value destination for 2024 is Vilnius in Lithuania, where costs are more than 10% lower than the runner-up and less than half those of 18 other cities. Unfortunately, there aren’t any direct flights from Bristol to the Lithuanian capital. But there are regular flights from Bristol Airport to the second cheapest city break in Europe.
You might be surprised to know that Lisbon is an incredibly cheap city to visit. It’s by far the best spot if want to stay in the Western half of Europe too. “Despite a 26% rise in the average cost of three-star accommodation,” prices in the Portuguese capital remain very low everywhere else – including food, drink and other products.
One of the biggest costs is always eating out and Lisbon is incredibly cheap compared to everywhere else. In fact, it’s the cheapest city to dine out in Europe. A three-course meal for two with a bottle of house wine ranges will set you back £36.60 in Lisbon, over four times less than in Norway’s Oslo (£149.77). When the runner-up, Athens, still costs £50, you know you’ve got a good deal.
Why else go to Lisbon?
We get it, money isn’t everything! But between its colourfully tiled houses (azulejos), breathtaking architecture, incredible street food and warm weather (the temperature rarely drops below 15°C), there’s a million and one things to see and do in Lisbon. If you’re only going for a short city break, however, here’s where we suggest you get started.
The legend goes that Lisbon was built on seven hills (yes, like Rome), which can make getting around either an exciting challenge or a bit of a chore. Jumping on the historic tram opens up the whole city to you. Two of Lisbon’s most beautiful architectural wonders are quite close together – Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is a UNESCO-listed monastery, while the Torre de Belém offers incredible views over the Tagus river.
Having appeared on Somebody Feed Phil and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, Cervejaria Ramiro is easily Lisbon’s most famous eatery – where you’ll want to stop by if you love either beer and/or tiger prawns. Make sure to head to Pastéis de Belém to try the original pastel de nata. While Lisbon’s former textile factories, LX Factory, is now one of its coolest places to eat out.
Lisbon is also loved for its nightlife with bars often open late into the wee small hours – we’d recommend heading to Rua Nova do Carvalho aka ‘Pink Street’, Bairro Alto or Principe Real. Other bits to check out include Portugal’s answer to the Louvre, the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga; the historic neighbourhood of Alfama; and the Moorish era São Jorge Castle.
The cheapest city breaks in Europe (Barometer costs total):
- Vilnius, Lithuania (£236.51)
- Lisbon, Portugal (£263.75)
- Lille, France (£278.28)
- Krakow, Poland (£278.87)
- Athens, Greece (£289.40)
- Riga, Latvia (£297.20)
- Budapest, Hungary (£310.87)
- Bratislava, Slovakia (£315.57)
- Prague, Czech Republic (£318.43)
- Warsaw, Poland (£319.42)
You can also easily fly from Bristol Airport to Krakow, Athens, Budapest, and Prague. To learn more about Post Office Travel Money’s best-value European city breaks study then head here.