Europe’s cheapest city for a festive Christmas market break revealed

By Henry Moore

The Slovakian capital of Bratislava has been named the best destination for a cheap and cosy Christmas market break this winter.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The city was found to have the lowest prices for couples looking for a weekend getaway this Christmas.

Post Office Travel Money looked at the cost of flights, transfers, accommodation, food and Christmas market fees.

They found the Slovakian capital cost almost half of Denmark’s Copenhagen, the most expensive destination they found.

According to the study, a couple can get a Christmas getaway for just £510, including food, accommodation and travel.

Nine of the 10 cheapest locations for a Christmas market break were found to be in eastern Europe, with Vilnius, Lithuania in second place (£511) and Latvia's Riga in third (£546).

Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at Post Office, said: "Sterling has risen in value against European currencies, which means that holidaymakers visiting a Christmas market will have more cash to spend.

"However, the price variations revealed by the latest barometer show just how important it is for people planning trips to check prices and factor in all the costs they are likely to incur.

"While emerging cities like Bratislava and Vilnius offer outstanding value, Prague and Budapest are also great options for bargain hunters because of the price falls we found in these more established favourites."

The cheap costs come as the pound grew in value over the last year compared to many Eastern European currencies.

But increases in the cost of flights amid capacity constraints on some routes mean total holiday prices have fallen in only three of the 11 destinations also surveyed in 2023.

Those three are Krakow, Poland (down 20%), Budapest, Hungary (down 10%) and Prague, Czech Republic (down 5%).

Here is the full list from Post Office Travel Money:

1. Bratislava, Slovakia (£510)

2. Vilnius, Lithuania (£511)

3. Riga, Latvia (£546)

4. Gdansk, Poland (£596)

5. Prague, Czech Rep (£606)

6. Budapest, Hungary (£639)

7. Zagreb, Croatia (£649)

8. Krakow, Poland (£678)

9. Stockholm, Sweden (£737)

10. Tallinn, Estonia (£749)

11. Berlin, Germany (£885)

12. Lille, France (£886)

13. Vienna, Austria (£950)

14. Copenhagen, Denmark (£989)