Crunch time for city breaks as eastern European prices undercut Eurozone
April 9th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Package Holidays, The Post Office, Travel, Travel Insurance- New Post Office® City Costs Barometer makes Budapest a best buy
- Sterling still strong in Turkey and Poland, as well as Hungary
Eastern European cities outside the eurozone are the places to head off for a bargain break this spring, according to the new City Costs Barometer from Post Office® Travel Services (postoffice.co.uk/).
As the euro continues to fly high against sterling, the Post Office report into non-euro city destinations shows that Budapest, followed closely by Warsaw and Prague, are the cities where thrifty tourists will get more for their money.¹
The three eastern European capitals emerge as cheapest of 10 ‘alternative’ cities outside the eurozone where UK tourists, daunted by the idea of sky high prices in traditional favourites like Paris, Amsterdam and Barcelona, can bag a bargain break.
And, despite the bad press for sterling, UK tourists will actually get more for their money than a year ago in three of the cities surveyed – Warsaw, Budapest and Istanbul – as sterling has strengthened against their currencies.² In the case of the Polish zloty, the UK pound is over 10 per cent stronger, making city breaks to Warsaw and to Krakow much cheaper than in 2008.
The Post Office City Costs Barometer examined the price of typical tourist items like drinks and meals out, together with three-star city centre hotel accommodation, airport transfers and sightseeing costs. It found that all five eastern European cities surveyed – including the Baltic duo of Tallinn and Riga – are much less expensive than those in Scandinavia.
Individually, Warsaw rates as cheapest for weekend accommodation – so independent travellers can expect a great deal if they travel while the Polish zloty remains weak. Budapest and Prague are best value for eating out, while return transfers between airport and city centre, a cost that tourists cannot avoid, is cheapest in Riga.
The Post Office also surveyed the costs of visits to art galleries and top heritage attractions, finding that culture comes cheap in Warsaw, Tallinn and Budapest – but costs nothing at all in Oslo, where the key visitor attractions are free.³
However, while costs on the ground may be significantly cheaper in eastern Europe – at under £130 for 11 items, the Budapest shopping basket weighed in almost half the price in Copenhagen – the Post Office report also established that flight costs to Scandinavia could be significantly cheaper than elsewhere in Europe.
Andrew Spice of Post Office Travel Services said: “There are lots of factors for consumers to consider when booking a city break, including the cost of getting to a destination. Our ’snapshot’ of flights available in late April4 showed that Copenhagen actually had the cheapest weekend price of just £41.98, so there are definite benefits to considering a Scandinavian break.
“The exchange rate is another crucial factor. With sterling’s continuing weakness against the euro, doubts have been expressed as to whether the traditional spring getaway to popular cities in the eurozone will survive this year. However sterling is holding up well against several European currencies and our costs barometer of non-euro cities shows that there is great value to be had for UK holidaymakers.
“Capitals like Budapest and Warsaw are extremely cheap places to visit at the moment and have attractions to rival those of the traditional city break favourites.”
Over 1,600 Post Office bureau de change branches offer the most widely requested European currencies on demand, including all those featured in the Post Office City Costs Barometer, except the Hungarian forint and Estonian kroon, which can be pre-ordered.
All currencies can be pre-ordered for next day branch collection at all 11,500 Post Office outlets or online at postoffice.co.uk. Home delivery can also be requested online. Travellers to the eurozone can obtain euro currency over the counter at more than 8,000 Post Office branches.
The full results of the Post Office City Costs Barometer can be viewed online at: postoffice.co.uk/citybreaksreport.
Ends
CBPR Post Office Press Office
Christine Ball Hayley Fowell
01798 874177 020 7250 2417
cball@cballpr.co.uk hayley.fowell@royalmail.com
Notes to Editors:
¹ Post Office City Costs Barometer 2009 of cities outside the eurozone. Prices supplied by tourist offices of participating countries. Hotel prices were researched independently and are based on two adults sharing a double/twin room in a three-star city centre hotel over a weekend. Where possible, these were verified by tourist offices.
POST OFFICE CITY COSTS BAROMETER 2009: NON-EUROZONE CITIES
| Items | Budapest
Hungary |
Warsaw
Poland |
Prague
Czech Republic |
Tallinn
Estonia |
Riga
Latvia |
| Cup of coffeeBar/café | £1.00 | £2.20 | £1.68 | £1.29 | £2.66 |
| Bottle of lagerBar/café | £1.67 | £2.20 | £2.80 | £2.57 | £2.66 |
| Bottle/can of Coca-ColaBar/café | £0.83 | £1.10 | £2.24 | £1.61 | £0.87 |
| Bottle of still mineral waterSupermarket | £0.33 | £0.51 | £1.01 | £0.64 | £0.44 |
| Postcard and stamp to UK | £1.00 | £1.10 | £0.84 | £1.09 | £1.26 |
| Pack (20) Marlboro Lights cigarettes | £1.90 | £2.20 | £2.80 | £2.57 | £2.59 |
| 3 course evening meal for 2 in a local restaurant (inc bottle of house wine) | £20.03 | £65.98 | £28.93 | £44.98 | £69.54 |
| Return bus or train transfers from airport to city centre for 2 adults | £4.01 | £3.69 | £3.88 | £5.14 | £2.96 |
| Top tourist heritage attraction | £3.67 | £1.98 | £11.20 | £4.18 | £2.96 |
| Leading art gallery | £4.67 | £2.91 | £8.96 | £4.18 | £4.44 |
| 1 night 3* hotel accommodation (weekend) for 2 adults | £90.12 | £53.22 | £89.58 | £89.44 | £82.14 |
| TOTAL COSTS | £129.23 | £137.09 | £153.92 | £157.69 | £172.52 |
| Items | Istanbul
Turkey |
Geneva
Switzerland |
Stockholm
Sweden |
Oslo
Norway |
Copenhagen
Denmark |
| Cup of coffeeBar/café | £2.65 | £3.02 | £2.06 | £2.83 | £3.26 |
| Bottle of lagerBar/café | £3.53 | £3.11 | £4.02 | £5.67 | £3.91 |
| Bottle/can of Coca-ColaBar/café | £1.76 | £2.54 | £2.24 | £3.74 | £3.26 |
| Bottle of still mineral waterSupermarket | £0.44 | £0.32 | £1.07 | £1.08 | £1.04 |
| Postcard and stamp to UK | £2.21 | £1.46 | £1.34 | £1.93 | £2.09 |
| Pack (20) Marlboro Lights cigarettes | £2.21 | £4.38 | £4.38 | £8.16 | £4.17 |
| 3 course evening meal for 2 in a local restaurant (inc bottle of house wine) | £52.95 | £66.68 | £75.99 | £79.35 | £78.19 |
| Return bus or train transfers from airport to city centre for 2 adults | £17.65 | £7.62 | £39.34 | £42.62 | £15.64 |
| Top tourist heritage attraction | £8.82 | £2.54 | £8.49 | £0.00 | £11.08 |
| Leading art gallery | £3.09 | £5.08 | £8.94 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| 1 night 3* hotel accommodation (weekend) for 2 adults | £119.13 | £123.84 | £94.94 | £106.55 | £129.66 |
| TOTAL COSTS | £214.44 | £220.59 | £242.81 | £251.93 | £252.30 |
Source: Post Office. Data relates to 25 March 2009 exchange rates.
² Post Office year-on-year currency comparison:
| Country | Percentage+/-2009 v 2008 | Mar 25 2009 | Mar 25 2008 |
| Poland zloty | 10.25 | 4.55 | 4.12 |
| Turkey lira | 0.55 | 2.27 | 2.25 |
| Hungary forint | 0.49 | 299.61 | 298.15 |
| Sweden kroner | -2.76 | 11.19 | 11.50 |
| Czech koruna | -7.26 | 26.79 | 28.89 |
| Norway kroner | -10.24 | 8.82 | 9.83 |
| Estonian kroon | -13.82 | 15.56 | 18.06 |
| Latvia lats | -15.64 | 0.68 | 0.80 |
| Denmark kroner | -15.66 | 7.67 | 9.10 |
| Euro | -16.37 | 1.02 | 1.22 |
| Switzerland franc | -17.19 | 1.57 | 1.90 |
³ Heritage attractions and leading art galleries suggested by tourist offices of participating countries:
| Budapest
Hungary |
Warsaw
Poland |
Prague
Czech Republic |
Tallinn
Estonia |
Riga
Latvia |
|
| Top tourist heritage attraction | Castle district: Matthias Church & Fisherman’s Bastion | Royal Castle | Prague Castle | Kadriorg Palace | Ethnographic Open Air Museum |
| Leading art gallery | Museum of Fine Arts | National Museum | National Gallery | KUMU Art Museum | National Museum of Art |
| Istanbul
Turkey |
Geneva
Switzerland |
Stockholm
Sweden |
Oslo
Norway |
Copenhagen
Denmark |
|
| Top tourist heritage attraction | Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) | Cathedrale et Espace St Pierre | Vasa Museum | Vigeland Sculpture Park | Tivoli Gardens |
| Leading art gallery | Istanbul Modern Museum | Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art | National Museum | National Gallery | National Gallery |
4 Post Office research into the cheapest weekend flight prices available for travel over the weekend of 24th-26th April at the time of research (March 2009). Copenhagen had the lowest return fare of £41.98 (low cost carrier departing from Stansted).

Tags: Eurozone, Holiday, Holiday Transportation, Hotel, The Post Office, Travel
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