Bargain beers, two-hour flights and a sandy beach – the cheapest European city break revealed
A EUROPEAN city with cheap UK flights has been named the cheapest for a holiday.
Conducted by TravelSupermarket for it’s first Cheap Holiday Index Platform (CHIPS), Krakow came out on top for affordability.
As part of it’s Cheap as CHIPS series, the research analysed the prices of a two-night package deal, with flights, hotel, one dinner and one ticket attraction.
Krakow came out at just £283pp, the cheapest on the list.
Just two hours from the UK, flights can be found for as little as £15 with Ryanair.
The Old Town is the main attraction, with pretty multicoloured buildings surrounded by a huge green park.
With current temperatures at 27C, there is also the sandy Bagry Beach to cool down in.
Or there is Wawel Castle, Poland‘s own Acropolis which has amazing views of the city as well as live music events, along with St Mary’s Basilica.
And day trips to Auschwitz are a common activity for tourists in Krakow too.
A night out won’t cost much, with pints of beers for a little as £1.50 although the vodka also can’t be missed.
Krakow is also popular in the winter, having a huge Christmas market throughout December.
The Sun’s Iona Cleve recently visited Krakow’s Christmas markets – here’s her verdict.
The rest of the TravelSupermarket study found that just behind Krakow for the cheapest city break was Dublin, at £307pp and Milan at £311pp.
And the most expensive city break was Dubrovnik at £506pp, followed by Amsterdam (£403pp) and Venice (£400pp)
The average city break to New York and Las Vegas were also included, although were much higher, as expected.
An average two-night holiday to New York City is around £955pp, while Las Vegas was £1,279pp.
Of course, Brits would need to go for a longer trip than two days, being a long-haul destination, so should expect the average holiday to cost a bit more.
What is a holiday to Krakow like?
Travel writer Jane Oddy recently visited Krakow – here’s how to do a holiday there.
Famous for its postcard pretty well preserved centre, it boasts beautiful gardens, parks and a rich cultural heritage and the locals could not be more welcoming.
It is pocket friendly too with inexpensive eating out and the average price for a pint of beer around £1.50 so your money goes a long way.
The Old Town – ringed by Planty Park and remnants of the city’s medieval walls – is centred around Rynek Glowny, the market square in the Old Town where you can find chic cafes and restaurants with delicious traditional Polish cuisine nestled in the surrounding quaint, cobbled streets.
Krakow has an increasingly cosmopolitan restaurant scene and Poles are understandable proud of their second largest city.
If you’d had your fill of budget-friendly beer, a tour of Krakow’s Vodka Museum situated within the new impressively designed Fabryczna City complex is well worth a visit.
Dog lovers should time their visit in September for the Dachshund Parade where dozens of well-dressed pooches take to the street vying to become king and queen as voted for by a jury.
And for a really niche culturally happening, there is even a potato festival in the same month Male Najedzeni Fest with a call to consume all things potato!
All in all, Krakow really does have something for everyone.
Steve Seddon, Chief Marketing Officer at TravelSupermarket, noted: “What is sometimes difficult, is knowing how much you’ll be spending on the ground.
“Enter CHIPs, our brand-new Cheap Holiday Index Platform, giving you all the information you need to choose the best-value destinations, or forecast how much your holiday will actually cost you.”
Another study found Vilnius to be the most affordable for a weekend break in Europe.
Revealed in the 2024 Post Office Travel Money City Costs Barometer, it overtook last year’s winner Lisbon to come top.
Full list of TravelSupermarket's CHIPS study
- Krakow – £282pp
- Dublin – £306pp
- Milan – £310pp
- Prague – £333pp
- Athens – £335pp
- Budapest – £337pp
- Berlin – £356pp
- Madrid – £359pp
- Lisbon – £363pp
- Paris – £367pp
- Majorca – £372pp
- Malaga – £378pp
- Rome – £382pp
- Barcelona – £394pp
- Seville – £396pp
- Venice – £399pp
- Amsterdam – £402pp
- Dubrovnik – £505pp
- New York – £955pp
- Vegas – £1,278pp
Other cheap city break destinations include Prague, Budapest and Vienna.
And we’ve found some cheap three-night European city breaks.