Belfast is the second most expensive destination in Europe for a city break, according to a new report.
It costs an average of £629 for a weekend away, the Post Office, which compiles the city costs barometer, found.
Only Amsterdam is more expensive, its research suggests.
For the first time, the study said Belfast was more expensive than Dublin for a two-night weekend break.
By contrast, holidaymakers looking for a bargain city break may want to consider heading to Vilnius.
The Lithuanian capital overtook last year’s winner, Lisbon, in terms of offering best value.
Typical costs in 37 European cities were analysed for the research.
The Post Office said the strengthening of sterling over the past year helped to keep the cost of city breaks down in many of the countries it looked at.
Its study is based on April exchange rates and it calculated the typical cost of two nights’ three star weekend accommodation, an evening meal for two, a range of drinks, sightseeing charges and city transport.
The cost for a trip to Vilnius was put at £237. Amsterdam was the most expensive city in the research, with a typical cost of £669.
The Post Office also found other locations where tourists may be able to find value.
For people looking for a break closer to home, Cardiff topped the UK capitals looked at by the Post Office, with a cost of £409.
The cost of a Belfast break (£629) made it more expensive than Dublin (£579) for the first time in the Post Office’s 17th annual cost comparison.
The price of a getaway in Edinburgh was calculated to be £602.
In London, the price of a break was put at £524, with competitive accommodation charges helping to keep the price down, according to the Post Office.
Here are the five cheapest cities, with the typical cost, according to the Post Office research:
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Vilnius, £237
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Lisbon, £264
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Lille, £278
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Krakow, £279
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Athens, £289
And here are the five most expensive cities:
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Amsterdam, £669
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Belfast, £629
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Edinburgh, £602
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Helsinki, £587
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Venice, £582
by borschbandit
8 comments
I know most of us live here but look up the price of hotels etc. This is definitely not good for the tourism economy IMO and now it makes sense why I have seen so much less tourism here than 6 years ago.
If Derry was on this study it would probably be almost as bad, maybe worse.
Belfast has notions of itself.
And people say the hospitality industry isn’t price gouging.
London over £100 cheaper ⚰️
Belfast is a ripoff now. Most places in the city centre charge 6pound a pint. Hotels are just as bad as Dublin almost with prices as well. And most restaurants are not exactly that cheap either. I’m more surprised London is apparently cheaper than Edinburgh. And paris isnt on the list as one of the most expensive
Hotel prices are ridiculous. Nearly on par with dublin
Belfast was always expensive from a hotel point of view because there weren’t enough hotels to satisfy demand. I think what we’re seeing here (a theory, not fact) is the result of hospitality’s double-dipping of prices rises, first to offset Covid related “losses” then with the cost of living crisis over the past 2 – 3 years.
Actual cost becomes less important if you have something to offer, but every bar in Belfast, bar one or two notable exceptions, offers exactly thew same experience: the same beers and a singer/band belting out the same tunes with the volume turned up to 11. I presume you can get the same experience in any UK city for less.
Ireland as a whole is a rip off in regards to hotels. I don’t know how they get away with it, it would be better value to go abroad than drive down south, and yet in summer the place is full of tourists