Lisbon, Porto and Budapest set to be cheapest city breaks for Brits this summer

12 May 2023 , 23:01

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Lisbon has been named the best value city for a break in Europe (Image: Getty Images)

The best value city breaks for Brits have been revealed, with some popular hotspots such as Lisbon, Athens and Porto making the cut.

Cities were ranked on a number of factors including a meal for two people, drinks, sightseeing, transport and accommodation in the The Post Office Travel Money's annual City Costs Barometer.

The research found that the weaker pound and surging hotel prices mean British tourists planning a city holiday will need to choose their destinations carefully or face paying up to 76% more than last year.

The best value destination this year in Lisbon in Portugal, which was just 2% higher than last summer, with a weekend minibreak costing £225.

Two nights in a three-star hotel averaged £121, only 5.2% up on 2022, compared with rises of over 30% in every other city surveyed. At the same time, the cost of 11 other typical city break items (a meal for two, range of drinks, sightseeing and transport) was 1.5% lower than last year.

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The cost of a break in Lisbon has hardly changed over the past year (Getty Images)

Prices in the Portuguese capital were less than a third of those in Europe’s most expensive cities, Venice (£687) and Amsterdam (£727).

Of course the city is already a firm favourite with Brits, thanks to the plethora of things to see and do in Lisbon, from the beautiful hikes and views to be found, to the brilliant nightlife.

Often referred to as ‘the city of seven hills’, the Portuguese capital is perched somewhat haphazardly across bumpy landscape on the country’s western coastline.

It’s said to be one of the oldest cities in the world and according to legend Lisbon was founded by Ulysses on his journey back from the Trojan War.

Visitors will fall in love with the views from the picturesque harbour and happily lose themselves in the maze of pastel-washed streets.

Amsterdam topped the list of priecest cities (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The working city is bustling with life, yet still manages to have an uncrowded feel. If you’re looking for an affordable weekend of fascinating culture, tasty cuisine, a Mediterranean climate and therapeutic sea air, leap over to Lisbon.

Brits looking for cheap holidays may also want to check out the likes of the Baltic Republics, Poland or Greece, which also made the top 10 in the study.

It's worth noting that costs have still risen in all of the destinations surveyed, but these were the city breaks deemed to be where you can get the most bang for your buck.

Vilnius was the second most affordable city on the list (Getty Images/Westend61)

Two-night hotel stays have increased by over 50% in 27 of the 35 cities 6 – with the biggest rises since summer 2022 in Madrid, up 139% from £161 to £385 – and Berlin, up 121% from £168 to £372.

By comparison, price rises for meals, drinks, transport and sightseeing are far lower than those for hotel stays.

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You can check out the top 10 cheapest city breaks below.

Cheapest city breaks for Brits

Krakow is another great place for a budget break (Sunday Mirror)

1. Lisbon £224.76
2. Vilnius £225.01
3. Krakow £250.91
4. Athens £262.22
5. Riga £284.99
6. Porto £325.30
7. Zagreb £329.72
8. Budapest £330.53
9. Warsaw £330.95
10. Lille £332.11

Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at Post Office said: "This year’s rise in prices makes it even more important for holidaymakers to do their homework before booking a city break.

"The increased price of accommodation could add hundreds of pounds to the overall cost of a holiday so travellers need to budget carefully for this. We also advise checking costs for meals, drinks and sightseeing before booking, as these are items that most city break tourists will incur.

"As this year’s barometer shows, there are wide variations in costs between cities and people who are prepared to swap destination can make their pounds stretch much further by choosing a cheaper capital like Lisbon or Vilnius."

You can find out more on postoffice.co.uk.

Milo Boyd