Two French cities ranked cheapest short-break destinations in western Europe

Lille and Strasbourg have been named the best-value city-break destinations in western Europe.

The French cities were found to have the lowest prices for a dozen tourist expenses such as accommodation, meals, public transport and attraction entrance fees in a report by Post Office Travel Money.

This was because of prices such as £140 for a two-night stay in three-star accommodation for two adults in Lille, and free entrance to a top tourist heritage attraction in Strasbourg.

The report noted that both destinations can be reached by train from the UK.

Eurostar operates direct services between London and Lille, from where Strasbourg can be reached by taking a connecting service.

The study, which analysed 50 cities across Europe, found that five locations in the east of the continent are cheapest overall for UK holidaymakers.

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was ranked in first place, followed by Bucharest, Romania; Tirana, Albania; Belgrade, Serbia; and Trencin, Slovakia.

At the other end of the scale, Oslo in Norway was the most expensive, ahead of Copenhagen in Denmark and Edinburgh.

The analysis does not take into account the cost of travel to reach the destinations.

The report found that costs for tourist items have risen by more than a fifth in seven of the 38 cities also surveyed last year, largely driven by higher prices for hotel stays as demand outstrips supply.

They consisted of Gdansk and Warsaw, Poland; Helsinki, Finland; Lisbon and Porto, Portugal; Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Prague, Czech Republic.

Conversely, seven destinations saw year-on-year price falls.

They were the Italian cities of Florence, Rome and Venice, plus Lille and Nice, France; Salzburg, Austria; and Stockholm, Sweden.

– Here are the 10 cheapest European city break destinations, according to Post Office Travel Money:

1. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

2. Bucharest, Romania

3. Tirana, Albania

4. Belgrade, Serbia

5. Trencin, Slovakia

6. Riga, Latvia

7. Lille, France

8. Vilnius, Lithuania

9. Strasbourg, France

10. Podgorica, Montenegro

– Here are the 10 most expensive:

1. Oslo, Norway

2. Copenhagen, Denmark

3. Edinburgh, Scotland

4. Geneva, Switzerland

5. Barcelona, Spain

6. Dublin, Ireland

7. Amsterdam, the Netherlands

8. Cork, Ireland

9. Venice, Italy

10. Madrid, Spain

Published: 23/05/2026 by Radio NewsHub