Planning a last-minute European escape doesn’t have to mean paying a premium.
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A new study by virtual card provider Getsby has revealed the best-value cities for a weekend break, analysing data from travel cost site Budget Your Trip across 100 destinations.
It compared the typical daily costs of accommodation, meals and local transport for two people travelling on a mid-range budget, revealing where your money will go furthest.
Flights aren’t included in the final figure, as they can vary hugely but, if in doubt, head to Poland. The Slavic nation takes six out of the top 10 spots, and the entire top five.
Poland reigns supreme
According to the data, Wroclaw in Poland is Europe’s most affordable city for a weekend trip for two people.
If you head to the City of Bridges, you can expect an average daily cost of €41 per person, and a total weekend trip which costs just €163 for two people.
Here, travellers tend to spend around €18.75 on food and €5.85 on local transport costs. There’s plenty to do, too, including a visit to the Rynek, one of Europe’s largest medieval market squares, and the Centennial Hall, a striking UNESCO-listed architectural landmark.
In second place is Poznań, where a weekend trip for two people costs an average of €168.50, or around €42 per person per day.
Travellers can expect to spend roughly €18.75 a day on food and €34 on accommodation, making it another particularly affordable option for a city break.
There’s lots to see without spending a fortune, including the colourful Old Market Square and Poznań Town Hall, where the famous mechanical goats appear each day. Cathedral Island is also worth a visit and is considered the birthplace of the Polish state.
Katowice takes third place, with a weekend for two costing around €239, or €60 per person per day.
Food accounts for about €32.75 a day, while hotels cost an average of €37.50, keeping the overall price relatively low.
The Silesian Museum is one of the city’s standout attractions. Built on the site of a former coal mine, it combines art and history with panoramic views from its observation tower.
Gdańsk comes fourth, with a two-day trip for two costing around €275.25, or €69 per person per day.
Visitors spend an average of €35 a day on food and €54 on hotels, with plenty of sights to fill a weekend.
The picturesque Long Market is a good place to start, while the historic waterfront around the Gdańsk Crane offers a glimpse into the city’s long maritime history.
Kraków rounds out the top five, costing around €295 for two people for a weekend, or €73.75 per person per day.
Hotels account for around €83 of the total, while local transport is particularly cheap at just €7 on average.
Once there, travellers can explore the atmospheric Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz, browse the historic Sukiennice Cloth Hall and visit St Mary’s Basilica, where the famous trumpet call rings out every hour.
Affordability varies across the continent
If you’ve been everywhere in Poland already, fear not – there are other, very affordable options across Europe.
Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, takes sixth place, with a weekend trip costing around €77.25 per person per day.
Zagreb in Croatia follows in seventh, with the average traveller spending around €95 a day.
Sweden’s Malmö comes next at €105 per day, followed by Budapest in Hungary at €111.
Rounding out the top 10 and it’s back to Poland, namely the capital, Warsaw, a spot where visitors can expect to spend around €112 per person each day.
The least affordable options
At the other end of the scale is Zurich, Switzerland, where a weekend away costs an eye-watering €1,325 for two people, or around €331 per person per day.
Food is a major expense, with travellers spending around €112 a day on meals, while a hotel costs an average of €359.
Switzerland dominates the more expensive end of the ranking too, with Bern and Basel taking second and third place. A weekend for two costs around €1,240 and €1,189 respectively.
Venice and Paris complete the top five most expensive cities, with a two-person weekend costing around €1,180 and €1,133 respectively once food, accommodation and local transport are factored in.