Culture comes cheap in Copenhagen
Culture vultures have the best chance of finding entertainment on the cheap in Lisbon or Copenhagen, according to Post Office Travel Money.
It surveyed the cost of visiting museums, galleries, heritage attractions and popular cultural icons for its annual city breaks barometer and found that prices in the Portuguese and Danish capitals were almost two-thirds cheaper than in New York and Barcelona.
Lowest-priced Lisbon boasts great art and architectural treasures including the Jeronimos Monastery, Belem Tower and Coach Museum and yet the Post Office survey found that UK tourists can see these plus three world-renowned art galleries for around £21 – just 30 per cent of the cost of Barcelona’s cultural attractions.
UK tourists can also indulge in cultural sightseeing on a shoestring in Istanbul, Warsaw and Bruges, where a packed city break itinerary of visits to six world-famous attractions comes in at under £24.
But tourists determined to cut their costs and visit only free attractions should book their ticket to Copenhagen. Entry to top museums and galleries is free and there is no charge for visiting the Black Diamond library – one of the most striking buildings in Europe’s design capital. Other free attractions include the Little Mermaid, the Palace Chapel and Parliament in Christiansborg Palace and the hippy paradise Christiania.
Bargain hunters will also find large numbers of free cultural attractions in Berlin and Budapest, as well as free art galleries and museums in London and Dublin.
Sarah Munro, Post Office Head of Travel Money, said: “It will pay UK holidaymakers planning a city break this spring to do their homework. Visiting galleries, museums and heritage sites is a staple ingredient of a city break and our research shows that culture lovers can get a great deal more for their money in some cities than in others.
“Clued-up travellers can even follow a culture-packed itinerary in several of Europe’s historic capitals without paying anything at all.”
Meanwhile the broader pricing survey researched by Post Office Travel Money for the 2010 City Costs Barometer (postoffice.co.uk/cityreport2010) shows that Prague has pulled ahead of its Eastern European rivals to emerge as the cheapest city overall for UK holidaymakers to take a bargain break this spring.
Despite the weak pound, which buys 7.4 per cent less Czech koruna than a year ago, Prague was the cheapest of 15 cities surveyed by Post Office Travel Money – with prices down 38 per cent on 2009 levels. At £106.17, 11 typical city break items -including drinks, meals, accommodation, sightseeing and transport - cost almost two-thirds less than in New York, the most expensive city surveyed (£307.96).
However the Post Office again found wide variations in prices across the eurozone. While costs totalled just £122.53 in Lisbon, the cheapest eurozone city of eight surveyed, the same items were over twice as expensive in Paris and Rome. And falling prices in Dublin, the second cheapest eurozone city (£174.86), could make the Irish capital 2010’s dark horse in the race for city break success.
Sarah Munro said: “It is important to consider the exchange rate as well as local costs before booking a city break. Although sterling remains weak, it is stronger against the euro than a year ago so UK tourists picking a eurozone city where prices have fallen could actually be quids in.”
Currencies featured in the City Costs Barometer are available on demand at 1,600 Post Office branches (except the Hungarian forint, which can be pre-ordered). 2,600 additional branches offer US dollars on demand, while a total of over 8,500 branches stock euros. Alternatively over 70 currencies can be pre-ordered at 11,500 Post Office branches or online at postoffice.co.uk for next day branch or home delivery.