ON the hunt for a bargain festive getaway? Forget the traditional European spots — as this year Vilnius is the place to head.
New research has revealed the capital of Lithuania is the most wallet-friendly destination for a Christmas market break, with low-cost accommodation plus ginger bread and mulled wine galore.
According to the Post Office’s annual Christmas Markets Barometer report, a two-night getaway in the historic city will set holidaymakers back significantly less than a short break in any other European destination.
The study looked at the cost of six basic holiday items in 15 countries that are popular for a festive break — to calculate where travellers would get the most bang for their buck in 2025.
These holiday items included B&B accommodation, return flights or Eurostar travel, coffees, and three-course dinners for two with wine.
It found the total cost of all of these essentials in Vilnius came to £508.94, with travel and accommodation being the leading cause for its affordability.
The costing is dramatically less here than it would be in other destinations.
The study found that the city has not been affected by inflation in terms of holiday costs, with prices 0.4 per cent lower than they were in last year’s Christmas Markets Barometer.
In second place on the barometer is Riga in Latvia, which has been shown to be eight per cent more expensive than Vilnius overall, although comparatively general items, such as ginger bread or stollen at the market and a three-course meal for two, cost less.
Laura Plunkett, Head of Travel Money at Post Office, 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 krona in Sweden.”
If it is mulled wine you have got your eyes on, this year’s research suggests that Bratislava in Slovakia is the best place to get enjoy it without splashing the cash.
This destination came in third place overall but had the most affordable tipples, with four glasses of mulled wine priced at £10.77, more than £7 less than it would cost in Vilnius.
Prices for all the holiday items had risen in Bratislava, in comparison to the previous year, with flights and accommodation soaring by 12.9 per cent, while meals, drinks and airport transfers have increased 8.5 per cent from 2024.
Poland has been revealed as one of the most affordable countries overall for a festive mini-break, with three cities making it into the top ten on the budget barometer.
Gdansk, Warsaw and Krakow came in fourth, fifth and seventh place respectively with total holiday costs of £585.85, £588.97 and £674.17.
Despite being the most expensive of the Polish cities in general, Krakow is definitely the best place to head if you plan to load up on cake, stollen or gingerbread at the markets.
Here, it costs £10.56 on average for four portions of these sweet treats, which is less than half of what it would cost you in Warsaw (£22).
This still doesn’t compare to Stockholm, however, where visitors heading to the Christmas markets can get samples of these goodies for free.
At the other end of the scale, Copenhagen in Denmark was the priciest of all 15 destinations in the charts, with the total cost of all holiday items coming to a staggering £1,055.92 — more than double that of the cheapest spot, Vilnius.
Austrian capital Vienna was the second most expensive spot overall. However, the barometer shows that costs have fallen by 2.4 per cent since last year.
Laura Plunkett added: “Away from the Advent markets, there are tempting opportunities to shop for Christmas gift items.
But we advise holidaymakers to think carefully before using a credit or debit card to make payments as they are likely to end up paying some extra non-sterling transaction charges.
“Instead, consider loading spending money on to a pre-paid card such as the Post Office Travel Money Card, which is widely accepted and does not incur these transaction charges.”