Prague is cheapest for European short breaks

A Travelcare survey of the top 10 best selling European cities has found that Prague is the cheapest and Paris the most expensive.

Based on the costs involved in a short break away, including a four-star hotel stay, a cup of coffee, museum entry and a three-course hotel meal, Prague costs just £203.89 compared to Paris at £577.25.

Budapest comes in second at £207.20 with London third at £266.99, beating cities such as Copenhagen, Dublin and New York.

The study also found it’s cheaper to buy a pint of Guinness in Prague than in Dublin, Budapest is the place to go for a bargain Big Mac (just £1.46 against London’s £1.99 and Rome’s £3.55), and a medium cappuccino could cost you almost four times as much in Rome as in Prague.

Although London fares well in arts and culture, because many museums are free, it is let down by the relatively expensive public transport and a whopping £48 for the cost of a taxi ride from Heathrow to the city centre.

Paul Kendrick, from Travelcare, part of The Co-operative Group, commented: “This study indicates why cities in Eastern Europe have grown quickly in popularity with UK tourists – not only is there plenty to see but prices are keen.

“Contrary to what some people may believe, London actually looks pretty competitive, particularly if you’re visiting from other parts of the UK. Of course there are deals to be had to all weekend break destinations, and travel agents will help find them, but daily costs during a stay do vary widely.

“We’ve seen an increase of more than 65% in city break passengers over the last 12 months and, on this evidence, the European newcomers are set fair for a growing influx of tourists, not just from the UK but from other parts of the world.”

The full city cost chart is as follows:
1 Prague £203.89
2 Budapest £207.20
3 London £266.99
4 Barcelona £271.51
5 Rome £323.71
6 Copenhagen £380.39
7 Dublin £385.76
8 Amsterdam £401.36
9 New York £546.41
10 Paris £577.25

Costs were made up of: a double room for two people at a four-star hotel for a two night weekend break; taxi from the airport to the city centre; a sightseeing bus tour; one-day city transport pass; entrance to a major museum/art gallery; a medium cappuccino; a pint of Guinness; a McDonald’s Big Mac; a three-course hotel meal.

Prices are based on exchange rates as of March 19 2007.

By Bev Fearis