Tallinn offers the best value of 11 Christmas Markets cities surveyed in Europe ? a third cheaper than Stockholm, the most expensive, according to the Post Office Travel Money Christmas Markets Barometer.
The Estonian capital has taken the top spot in the annual survey of 11 European cities for the first time since 2012. At ?538, the price tag for a two-night break for two was a third cheaper than in Stockholm (?801), which was most expensive in the survey.
Tallinn?s barometer total ? comprising return flights, bed-and-breakfast accommodation, city centre transfers, two evening meals for two with wine, coffee, festive drinks and also snacks at the Christmas Market ? is 4% cheaper than a year ago, despite the weakened pound. Although sterling is worth 18% less year-on-year against the euro, tourists visiting Tallinn will be ?quids in? because local prices there have fallen 10% and the cost of a two-night package is more than 10% lower as well.
Runner-up Riga, capital of Latvia, is another bargain option for UK shoppers because its barometer total of ?547 is just 3% higher than 12 months ago.
Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said: ?The great value available in these two Baltic capitals helps to dispel the idea that UK tourists will be seriously out of pocket wherever they travel abroad after sterling?s slump in value.
"Of course, this is not the case everywhere in Europe so the challenge for people planning trips in the coming weeks will be to do their homework and book a destination offering a combination of good value package prices and low costs for meals and drinks.?
Completing the East European top three list is Prague (?582), which has scored well because of the low cost of eating out in the Czech capital. However, the higher cost of flights and accommodation researched by Post Office Travel Money - over ?100 more than for a trip to Riga ? has kept Prague well behind the two Baltic State capitals on price.
The high cost of a Christmas Markets package also means last year?s ?best buy? Budapest (?634) has dropped to sixth place in the barometer table. Although the city is still cheapest for meals, drinks and transfers at one-third (?89.96) of the cost in Stockholm (?298.69) or Copenhagen (?305.94), it was the most expensive city for a flight and accommodation package (?544).
Munich boasts one of the oldest and most famous Christmas Markets and has emerged in this year?s report as best value for a festive break in Western Europe. While meals and drinks cost more than in the East, Munich?s package price was the cheapest of the 11 cities. As a result, the overall barometer cost for the German favourite (?609) was ?142 lower than in neighbouring Austria, where a two-night break for two was priced at ?751, as well as being ?25 cheaper than Berlin (?634).
For further information see postoffice.co.uk/christmasmarkets
Image Source: Igor Sokolov (breeze), Shutterstock
