Cruising down a quiet, traffic-free river, surrounded by scenic riverfront views is an ideal way to see Europe. You can sip your wine while watching picture-perfect scenery breeze past – taking in castles, medieval villages and fields of flowers.
20.05.2024 - 11:05 / cntraveler.com
Inflation effects us all, but travel remains a high priority for many searching for some respite from home stresses. Ahead of the summer holidays, the United Kingdom Post Office has released their annual City Costs Barometer, showcasing the best destinations to visit that won’t break the bank.
For the 17th year running, the barometer takes data from 37 different cities across Europe, analyzing prices to calculate the most affordable city break destinations. The survey calculates the average cost for a two-night weekend stay, taking into account prices for a visit to a top heritage tourist attraction, a museum, a sightseeing bus tour, and a public transport travel card valid for the duration of the stay. Food and drink costs included in the sums range from a regular cup of filter coffee to a three-course evening meal for two people, including house wine.
The data from this survey should prove helpful to those looking to book a cheap destination holiday this summer. The interest in city breaks has grown this year in the UK, with two in five Brits opting for a city break for their next holiday, but the appeal is universal. And, this data shows that prices are down in 60 percent of cities featured, thanks to significant accommodation price drops around the continent.
Vilnius is one of Europe's most underrated cities for its Cathedral and epic hiking.
The winning city for 2024 is the Lithuanian capital. Vilnius previously held the crown of best value city in 2015, 2019, and 2020, but last year only just lost out on first place to Lisbon. Its fourth win is a result of low prices across the board—the cost of a weekend racks up to about $300, more than 10 percent lower than the runner-up city, and less than half the cost of 18 out of the 37 cities featured.
Vilnius has grown in popularity recently—we named it one of Europe’s most underrated cities to visit. There are plenty of hikes to take in the surrounding countryside, many of which offer epic vistas over the city (like Gediminas Hill), and don’t skip a visit to the Vilnius Cathedral or the secret St. James Church bell tower.
In second place comes last year’s winner. Thanks to a 26 percent rise in the average accommodation cost, Lisbon slipped down a rank for 2024. The average cost for two nights in three-star accommodation is $193 this year, compared to $150 last year, raising the total cost to $335. The city is one of just three in Western European to make the top ten.
Lille, France takes third place and is notable as an affordable alternative to Paris.
In more surprising news, Lille came in third place, shooting up seven places from 10 in 2023. This is largely due to a 30 percent fall in costs, seeing the average cost of accommodation drop from $235 to
Cruising down a quiet, traffic-free river, surrounded by scenic riverfront views is an ideal way to see Europe. You can sip your wine while watching picture-perfect scenery breeze past – taking in castles, medieval villages and fields of flowers.
Finnish airline Finnair is making it easier to hop across the Atlantic this fall and winter with a flight sale for travelers planning ahead.
Self-drive boating holidays redefined A new agreement between Le Boat and Groupe Beneteau under their Delphia brand in Poland will see Europe’s largest boat rental company invest over £100m into its international fleet over the next ten years. The deal will ensure travellers have an even greater range of options to choose from when planning their self-drive boating holidays and provides innovation to the current charter market as it stands. Of the 400 new Delphia boats slated to be built over the coming decade for Le Boat, 100 will be made in the next three years, including at least 25 in 2025. These orders will be a combination of the current Horizon range, plus 34 of a premium new one to two cabin boat, aptly named “Liberty” which will be launched in 2025. As part of the Luxury range, designed for premium comfort, these new superior boats will be found on the canals and water ways of France including, Brittany, Lot, Alsace, Burgundy, Loire-Nivernais, Midi and the Camargue as well as the Thames, Germany and the Netherlands.
The Oneworld alliance is getting a new full-fledged member in the South Pacific. Within the next year, Fiji Airways will become a full member of the global alliance, Oneworld leaders announced Monday.
The question of when is the best time to visit Paris was answered by Audrey Hepburn in the 1963 classic Sabrina: “Paris is always a good idea.” A spring stroll through the Jardin du Luxembourg, a summer evening along the Canal Saint-Martin, a fall morning whiled away sur la terrasse avec un café, twinkling holiday markets in the winter—it all sounds so fabulous that one single trip can’t cover it all. But if you’re someone who strategizes around attending (or avoiding) big events in the French capital, or would like to cash in on prime deals for hotels and flights, there is of course a slight science to it all.
June is officially Pride month, and it's not too late to make travel plans to celebrate Pride in major cities nationwide (or book an LGBTQIA+ cruise). Hotel rates and airfare may be higher this short in advance, but you can save money by using points and miles. We found an array of flight and hotel options that can still be booked with points at a good value. Pride is a wonderful celebration of equality, freedom and sacrifice, and any of these events would make for a fun weekend getaway.
Daphné is the author of the Brittany chapter for our latest France guidebook. Here she shares the best beaches along its epic coastline.
Hubby launches eSIM in the UK, On The Beach is its first UK partner.
Despite the cost-of-living crisis, 87% of UK consumers plan to travel this year, with a preference for UK breaks and short-haul holidays, reveals BDO’s latest survey.
ForwardKeys and ETOA predict a robust summer 2024 for European travel, with a shift in preferences toward urban and nature destinations, highlighting London’s popularity due to the Paris Olympics.
Readiness and data insights to deal with climate change effects and its impact in destinations’ perception can make a difference when designing and executing promotional strategies, to ensure travellers’ expectation do not fall far from the actual experience. This is one of the main arguments Mabrian, the global travel intelligence company, brought to the Resilience Council panel, held during the latest edition of Arabian Travel Market.
Nicola is one of the writers on the newest France guidebook. She makes touch choices to narrow down the most quintessential French experiences to help you plan an amazing trip.