A continental price check shows surprising value in some French cities and names the eastern destinations that offer the lowest costs for short breaks
The latest analysis by Post Office Travel Money casts new light on where British travellers get the most for their cash on short European trips. The study, which examined a range of typical tourist expenses such as hotel rooms, meals, transport and attraction fees across 50 cities, places Edinburgh near the top of the list of costly options.
Only Oslo and Copenhagen ranked as more expensive, making Scotland’s capital the third priciest destination in the comparison.
At the opposite end of the spectrum the report identifies cities that deliver strong value on a weekend away. In western Europe, Lille and Strasbourg emerge as particularly economical choices for short stays, with examples cited such as a two-night stay in a three-star room for two costing roughly £140 in Lille, and free access to a major heritage site in Strasbourg.
The analysis deliberately excludes the cost of getting to each city so it focuses on what visitors spend while they are there.
How the ranking was put together
The report compiled a basket of common travel items to compare living and leisure costs for travellers.
Items included accommodation, dining, local transport and entry fees to attractions, all aggregated to produce a per-city score. This method gives a snapshot of on-the-ground spending rather than transport costs, so the figures are most useful for assessing in-destination value. Post Office Travel Money also highlighted changes year-on-year for cities that were surveyed in both rounds, showing where prices have shifted significantly due to demand or supply factors.
Definitions and methodology
For clarity the study treats a city-break as a short stay focused on leisure and sightseeing, typically over a weekend. The research looks at prices you would normally encounter as a tourist rather than business rates. That means the emphasis is on typical three-star hotel rates, mid-range meals and standard attraction tickets. The report uses local prices converted into pounds, with Eurostar and rail links described where they are relevant to convenience rather than included in the cost tally.
Which cities offer the best value and which do not
Western Europe’s standouts for affordability were Lille and Strasbourg, where everyday tourist spending was notably lower than in many rival cities. The ease of reaching them by rail was flagged as an extra practical advantage: direct Eurostar services run to Lille from London and onward connections link to Strasbourg via high-speed trains. By contrast, the survey lists Oslo as the most expensive city for a short break, followed by Copenhagen and Edinburgh, underlining how northern capitals tend to command premium prices for accommodation and dining.
Europe’s cheapest options
The cheapest places overall were concentrated in eastern Europe, where five cities came out top for low visitor costs: Sarajevo, Bucharest, Tirana, Belgrade and Trencin. These destinations offer lower average prices for hotels, food and attractions, making them attractive if budget is a priority. The findings suggest that beyond the familiar western hotspots there are many options where a short break can stretch a holiday budget further without compromising on interest or cultural variety.
Price trends and practical advice for travellers
The study also tracked changes from previous data and found several cities where costs have risen by more than 20% year-on-year, mainly driven by higher hotel rates as demand has outstripped supply. Notable examples with significant increases include Gdansk, Warsaw, Helsinki, Lisbon, Porto, Ljubljana and Prague. Conversely, some popular destinations became cheaper, including Florence, Rome, Venice, Nice, Salzburg, and Stockholm, while Lille remained among the more affordable western options.
Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at Post Office, encourages travellers to weigh up both price lists and travel choices: choosing surface travel like rail can be appealing and often connects you to the most affordable cities directly. She advises that sterling’s relative strength can help but careful planning is still important to find the best-value short breaks. In short, shoppers of short-haul breaks should compare in-destination costs as well as transport options to make their pounds go further.
