2015 seems to be better to travel to European destinations like Istanbul and Bucharest, according to a TripAdvisor/ TripIndex Europe release. The two destinations rank first in a survey released recently by the world’s largest travel site. To identify the best bargain destinations of the year, TripIndex Europe looked at traffic on TripAdvisor from U.S. travelers, limited to one per country. 25 top European destinations were identified, with many Eastern European cities ranking high in the charts.
In the table above, hotel prices included reflect the average cost of a seven night stay in a hotel bookable on TripAdvisor, for the travel period of June 1, 2015 – August 31, 2015. Flight prices reflect the average round-trip airfare from the continental U.S. to each destination’s main airport.
Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications for TripAdvisor, explained the need of information on the best budget destinations this summer:
According to a recent TripAdvisor survey, nearly one-third of U.S. respondents plan to travel abroad this summer to take advantage of the strong U.S. dollar. For those looking to save, Europe is a great option. Compared to last summer, Americans can expect to pay about 20 percent less on hotels in Europe when booking on TripAdvisor, and eight percent less on roundtrip airfare.
Istanbul, the most affordable destination, saw the largest year-over-year decrease in flight prices, -24%. Although Bucharest ranks second, with a significant year-over-year decrease in flight prices, -16%, Stockholm, which ranks 10th, had a larger year-over-year decrease in flight prices:- 23%.
Krakow, Budapest and Prague, in this order, rank immediately after Istanbul and Bucharest. At $3,236, Zurich is the most expensive destination; however, it still offers a relative value as prices have fallen 9% since last summer. At $66.94 average nightly rate for a hotel, Bucharest is also the most affordable place to stay this Summer. While Reykjavik has the most expensive hotels, it boasts the most affordable airfare at $1,086.
This is perhaps one of the best times for US travelers to visit Bucharest, and other European destinations that are usually not enough advertised, and offer interesting attractions, lifestyle and culture.