Exclusive: Cost of a European city break has fallen by a third due to pandemic
The cost of a hotel stay in Europe’s most popular cities has fallen by up to a third since the beginning of the pandemic, exclusive research for Telegraph Travel shows.
Amsterdam, Barcelona and Rome, typically some of the most expensive destinations for Britons, saw the largest falls, with the cost of two nights in a three-star hotel down 36 per cent in the Dutch capital.
The Post Office, which publishes an annual assessment of city break costs, analysed the cost of accommodation in 10 key European cities in March, as the pandemic was beginning to take hold, and July.
It found that the price of a stay had fallen in nine out of 10 destinations.
Amsterdam, Barcelona, Roma, Lisbon, Paris, Berlin and Stockholm all saw double digit decreases, likely brought about by the absence of tourists throughout the coronavirus crisis. Prices in July would be expected to be much greater than March.
For example, the average cost of the stay in Amsterdam would have been £347 in March, but was now just £222. In Barcelona, the cost had fallen from £205 for the weekend to £152. This was calculated before the Foreign Office issued its latest guidance against travel to Spain.
The Post Office also assessed the cost of a basket of 12 typical holiday expenditures, including a meal out for two. The currency provider found these costs had fallen marginally across the board, contributing overall to cheaper city breaks for UK travellers.
Nick Boden, head of Post Office Travel Money, said holidaymakers should check prices before deciding on a destination this autumn.
“If you are planning a city break this year, do your homework carefully and check prices for key items like meals, drinks and sightseeing before booking because there are big price variations across Europe,” he said.
“Accommodation will make a big difference too as we found that the cost of staying over in a city can vary by hundreds of pounds.”
He said it was important travellers monitored Foreign Office advice and quarantine restrictions, too.
The uncertainty surrounding travel this summer has also led to large falls in the cost of package holidays, with Travel Supermarket reporting seven-night deals on the Continent for as little as £250 per person.
