Vilnius and Riga have overtaken Bratislava in this year’s best value European Christmas Market breaks list compiled by Post Office Travel Money.
The Lithuanian capital has come out top of 15 European cities surveyed, with an overall barometer cost of £509.
The barometer cost is calculated by combining the costs of return flights, two nights’ three- or four-star accommodation, airport transfers, two evening meals with wine, coffee, festive drinks and Christmas market snacks.
The cost for Vilnius is 0.5% lower than last year, but 8% cheaper than the next on the list, Riga, the capital of Latvia, where prices have risen 1.8% to £555. However, prices for meals, drinks and airport transfers are lower in Riga, at £178, compared to £182 in Vilnius.
Bratislava in Slovakia has fallen from first to third place this year, with a barometer cost of £568. Meals, drinks and airport transfers are up 8.5% compared with 12 months ago, while flights and accommodation have increased by 12.9%.
Gdansk in Poland retains fourth place with a barometer total of £586, down 1.7% on 2024. New for 2025, Poland’s capital Warsaw is in fifth position with a barometer cost of £589, Budapest, in Hungary, is sixth, and Krakow, in Poland, comes seventh after prices fell 0.6% to £674.
Alongside Vilnius, Gdansk and Krakow are among seven cities where prices have fallen year-on-year despite sterling’s falls of between five and 10.9% against European currencies.
German capital Berlin, in eighth place, is the best value Western European city surveyed, with costs down 21.8% to £692.
A scarcity of three-star hotels and less flight capacity has led Prague, in Czech Republic, to drop from fifth to 13th place, although it remains among the best value cities for meals and drinks.
Copenhagen, Denmark, is the most expensive for a Christmas Markets break. At £385, the cost of meals and drinks for two days is more than double the price of these items in the four cheapest cities – Riga, Vilnius, Gdansk and Bratislava. The total barometer cost for Copenhagen is £1,056.
Post Office Head of Travel Money Laura Plunkett said: “Sterling’s drop in value is an important factor for travellers to consider before booking a trip because this varies between currencies. The pound’s fall against the euro is smaller than against other European currencies – five per cent compared with 10.6 per cent against the Hungarian forint and 10.9 per cent against the Swedish kronor.
“The cost of flights and accommodation will also have a significant impact on overall costs so it is doubly important for holidaymakers planning a trip to do their homework to factor in how sterling’s value, flight and hotel capacity and meal costs will affect overall costs. Budget-conscious travellers stand to save hundreds of pounds if they choose carefully.”
The rest of the list is as follows:
11 Lille total cost: £795.83
12 Tallinn: £841,71
13 Prague: £901.25
14 Vienna: £926.41
15 Copenhagen: £1,056.55