Athens is the cheapest destination in Europe for a city break, beating cities known for their low prices, according to an analysis cited by The Guardian.
Post Office Travel Money’s analysis of tourist costs for British visitors in 20 popular cities found that prices in the Greek capital have fallen by 15% since 2021. A weekend in the Greek capital costs £207, down from £218 pounds in second-placed Lisbon. Expenses include two nights hotel accommodation for a couple, meals, attraction tickets and local transport fares.
Athens and Lisbon beat popular budget destinations such as Krakow (£219), Riga (£220) and Budapest (£221).
“Cities like Paris, Amsterdam and Venice may be top choices among tourists, but they are also expensive places to visit. Athens and Lisbon are half price and offer sunny autumn weather as well as low prices. Our advice to tourists is to do their homework and check prices before booking,” said Nick Boden, Post Office Travel Money.
Tourists visiting Athens pay £38.96 for a dinner for two, £89 for two nights at a three-star hotel and £7.79 for a 48-hour public transport pass.
Lisbon’s 2nd place comes despite a 21% increase in prices compared to last year.
Accommodation costs exploded across Europe earlier this year as demand surpassed pre-pandemic levels as travel restrictions eased.
Six of the cities analyzed are more than twice as expensive as Athens. These are Stockholm (£421), Paris (£423), Dublin (£436), Copenhagen (£456), Venice (£457) and Amsterdam (£593).
A separate study by Post Office Travel Money and published in July found Sunny Beach in Bulgaria and Marmaris in Turkey to be the cheapest of 16 popular European resorts for a summer holiday.
