Budapest Is the Cheapest European City Break Destination

In a list of cheap city break destinations compiled by holiday rental website HouseTrip.com, Budapest ranked number one, with holidaymakers paying as little as £139 per person for a two night European getaway in Hungary’s capital. The top took in consideration three main factors: the average flight prices from London, a string of traditional holiday expenses such as popular museum tickets, grocery shopping, travel on public transport and restaurant meals, and the cost of a centrally located, one bedroom apartment.

Croatia was found to be the most expensive destination, with a city break to Split or Dubrovnik costing on average £286 and £327 respectively. HouseTrip.com discovered that Istanbul tops the list in terms of internal transport on metros and trams with a one-way ticket cost of just 63p (though overall this is a pricy getaway due to high prices on alcohol and flights), and that the cheapest flights are to Brussels and Amsterdam, with £69 each for a return from London. However, these last two destinations are the most expensive ones on special occasions such as the Valentine’s Day.

“Holidaymakers sometimes don’t take into account all the expenses involved when choosing
a holiday destination, instead they tend to focus on one particular element that they perceive to be a bargain, such as the low cost of living in a location, or the currency exchange and they
base their holiday around that. You may think that flight bargain is too good to be true – and it just might be once you land and find yourself facing massive costs,” said Arnaud Bertrand, Founder and CEO of HouseTrip.com.

“At HouseTrip, we understand that one of the major benefits of renting a holiday home is cost
savings. From the per night rental rate, to the fact that you can cook meals at home, holiday rentals offer incredible value, meaning that British travellers have more opportunities to get away and explore – even if budgets are tight.”

The research also revealed that the British holidaymakers could choose a city break to Paris, Barcelona or Nice at a total cost of less than half then a trip to Dubrovnik (£165, £150, and £162 respectively).

On New Year’s Berlin and Barcelona are the best destinations for British travelers, as the prices in Budapest soar in this period of the year.

A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs as little as £3.27 in Prague, so you could take this destination into account for a city break in Europe too. In terms of prices for museum tickets, the holiday rental website discovered that the cheapest price is charged by Istanbul’s Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art (£3.29 for an adult) which a whole lot less than other famous places like The Doge’s Palace in Venice and The Vatican Museums in Rome which charge £13.64 each.

So where are you planning to go this season?