Where to budget travel for Christmas in Europe this year: 6 cheapest destinations

Experts have compared the 12 most popular European cities and compiled a ranking. The six cheapest destinations for Christmas markets in Europe in 2023 were published on Thesun website.

The capital of Latvia, Riga, has emerged as the most affordable Christmas destination in Europe. The city hosts the most budget-friendly Christmas markets. According to the annual report, two nights with breakfast in Riga and direct flights cost an average of £307 for two people. A break in Riga averages £505.73. Four pieces of cake, stollen, or gingerbread in the city will cost you an average of £12.48. Getting to and from Riga is also affordable: a bus or train transfer between the city and the airport costs an average of £5.35.

Stockholm was the second cheapest destination with a total cost of £559.50. Food and drink in the Swedish capital are expensive, with a three-course meal for two people and wine costing an average of £182.61. However, the 9.4 percent rise in the value of the pound against the Swedish krona has made a vacation here more affordable for Brits. Accommodation and travel will cost approximately £339 for two nights with breakfast.

Croatia's capital, Zagreb, the Czech Republic's capital, Prague, and Estonia's capital, Tallinn, were the next three cheapest destinations with a total cost of £559.60, £640.23, and £663.38, respectively. The bill for a three-course meal with wine in Zagreb was significantly lower than in any other country surveyed. Krakow, Poland, had the lowest price for mulled wine: four glasses cost an average of £8.27.

For example, four glasses of mulled wine in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, cost an average of £26.99. This city was the second most expensive destination out of the 12 surveyed.

The Austrian capital Vienna was recognized as the most expensive Christmas destination this year. There, the total loss amounted to 932.61 pounds sterling, compared to 901.62 pounds sterling in Copenhagen.