pints

Prague has been crowned the cheapest Christmas market destination in Europe with £2 pints and £74 hotels, and it’s also one of the most photographed festive spots on the continent

If you’re on the hunt for the ultimate Christmas market to explore this December, then you’re in luck. Hoppa has done the legwork for you and identified the most affordable destination to soak up the festive atmosphere.

The airport transfer experts have scrutinised dozens of European winter holiday spots, considering factors such as average accommodation costs, Tripadvisor reviews, and even the price of a pint.

And the European location that offers the best value for money this Yuletide is…Prague!

I agree with them after visiting the scenic city of Prague two years ago during the Christmas period. The Old Town Square has an iconic Gothic Church, a 20-Metre Christmas tree and is the most festive place I’ve ever experienced.

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It truly comes alive in December when the Christmas lights sparkle, locals sing traditional Czech carols and chalets sell everything from Trdelník (chimney cake) to hand-painted Czech Marionettes and puppets.

In addition to a visually stunning Christmas market, you’ll find an impressive 4,811 attractions to keep you entertained. With a score of 7.5 out of 10, the average cost of a 3-star hotel in Prague is a mere £74, and a pint will set you back just £2.17, according to secretldn.com.

The square is lined with eateries where you can sit back, enjoy reasonably priced food and drink, and indulge in some people-watching. Dinner with drinks typically costs between 250-400 CZK (roughly £8 to £14), with street food being even more affordable.

You can enjoy traditional dishes like Goulash, Svíčková (beef in cream sauce) or Vepřo knedlo zelo (pork, dumplings, sauerkraut) washed down with mulled wine, beer or Tatratea : A popular tea-based spirit.

In fact, the Christmas market is so picturesque that it’s been dubbed the most photographed Christmas market in Europe by various media outlets and Prague City Tourism.

There’s still ample time to visit – the market operates annually from late November until early January, transforming the square into a magical scene dominated by the towering Gothic spires of Týn Church and the Astronomical Clock.

One of the best aspects is that despite being only a two-hour flight from the UK, once you set foot in the Old Town Square, it feels as though you’ve travelled back in time. And you can get there for as little as £27 return (if you book well in advance), leaving plenty of spare change for a few £2 pints of beer.

The 10 most budget-friendly European winter getaway destinations:

Prague, Czech Republic.

Bansko, Bulgaria.

Sofia, Bulgaria.

Budapest, Hungary.

Tallinn, Estonia.

Kraków, Poland.

Tirana, Albania.

Belgrade, Serbia.

Bratislava, Slovakia.

Vilnius, Lithuania.

If you’re looking for some winter sun to soak up the rays on a golden sand beach engulfed with crystal-clear turquoise waters, there’s an idyllic destination just five hours from the UK

Amid the chaos of Christmas and chilly weather conditions, many of us are dreaming of jetting off to a warmer climate for some winter sun. One destination that has long been praised for its luxurious resorts and blistering 25-degree winter heat is just five hours away from the UK.

To help travellers uncover some of the best holiday getaways during the colder UK months, easyJet has released its ‘Winter Sun Index’. The airline compared factors such as flight and package prices, temperature, hours of sunlight per day, monthly precipitation levels, time difference, and the average cost of a beer and a meal for two, to highlight their top holiday destinations for some winter sun.

One desirable holiday hotspot, within easy reach of the UK, was Hurghada on the east coast of Egypt. The sun-soaked beach town is brimming with luxury resorts scattered along the shoreline, providing direct access to the crystal-clear waters where marine life thrives.

The turquoise sea is one of Hurghada’s most appealing factors, with scuba diving and snorkelling being undoubtedly popular pastimes here. Most resorts offer private areas along the golden sands for ultimate relaxation and convenience, but for those seeking more adventure, stunning desert landscapes are nearby, offering activities such as quad biking or Jeep safaris.

Located along Egypt’s Red Sea coast, easyJet found that Hurghada typically offers temperatures between 21C and 25C during the winter months, a stark contrast to the brisk highs of 6C we experience in the UK. Another factor making this destination rather desirable is easyJet’s findings that, on average, a pint costs just £1.75, while two people can enjoy a meal out for an estimated £26 – bargain!

Elsewhere, Hurghada basks in around 9-10 hours of sunshine every day, and there’s just a two-hour time difference compared to the UK, pretty much avoiding any signs of jet lag. Direct flights from London airports to Hurghada are just over five hours, with return flights starting from £154 with easyJet.

There are plenty of package deals available, making a spontaneous getaway even more effortless if you’re seeking that vitamin D fix. The Red Sea is renowned for its winter sun destinations, with Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt also remaining a popular choice for holidaymakers, thanks to its pristine sandy beaches and turquoise blue waters.

easyJet’s top 10 destinations for winter sun

1. Sal – Cape Verde
2. Hurghada – Egypt
3. Gran Canaria – Canary Islands, Spain
4. Lanzarote – Canary Islands, Spain
5. Agadir – Morocco
6. Fuerteventura – Canary Islands, Spain
7. Tenerife South – Canary Islands, Spain
8. Djerba – Tunisia
9. Seville – Spain
10. Paphos – Cyprus

Kevin Doyle, easyJet’s UK country manager, said: “As temperatures at home begin to drop and the days get darker, now is the perfect time to book an escape to warmer climes. easyJet’s unrivalled network and package holidays, offer a broad range of winter sun destinations across Europe and beyond, from Sub-Saharan islands to Spanish peninsula cities that are all easily accessible and affordable, for those looking to chase the sun on a budget this winter.”

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

AN ISLAND dubbed the “Caribbean without the jetlag” – where pints cost just £2.20 – could be the perfect escape from the moody British weather.

An index tracking the best winter sun spots, ranking temperature, hours of sunshine, pint and meal for two prices, time difference, and precipitation, revealed its winner.

Sal in Cape Verde was the top spot of the unique index taking into account all things Brits love.

The Atlantic island offers white sandy beaches, subtropical temperatures and just a one-hour time difference with the UK, despite flights taking six hours.

Winter highs average between 24°C and 25°C throughout January to March.

Visitors can enjoy around 10 hours of sunshine each day, according to easyJet’s Winter Sun Index.

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The island also boasts dishes inspired by Portuguese, African and Brazilian cuisines, with a meal for two costing roughly £30.

Close behind in the rankings is Egypt’s Red Sea gem, Hurghada, with winter temperatures sitting between 21°C and 25°C.

Unbelievably pints of beer on average cost under £2.

The resort town offers near-endless sunshine, crystal-clear waters and desert landscapes with activities like quad biking or Jeep safaris.

The Canary Islands also remain firm favourites, with Gran Canaria and Lanzarote claiming third and fourth spots.

Gran Canaria is known for its golden beaches, while Lanzarote stands out with striking black sands and volcanic vistas.

Kevin Doyle, UK country manager for the airline, said: “As temperatures at home begin to drop and the days get darker, now is the perfect time to book an escape to warmer climes.

“Our network and package holidays offer a broad range of winter sun destinations across Europe and beyond – from Sub-Saharan islands to Spanish peninsula cities.”

Other highlights from the index include the likes of Agadir in Morocco, Djerba off Tunisia and Spain’s Seville.

Agadir offers winter highs of 23°C, nearly nine hours of sunshine per day and very little rainfall, while on average, meals for two come in at £26 and a pint just £1.75.

Djerba made the index thanks to a mix of culture and relaxation, with winter temperatures ranging from 16°C to 18°C and up to eight hours of daily sunshine.

The island blends Mediterranean coastline and Saharan influences, plus artisanal market streets, palm trees and sandy beaches, with meals for two costing around £26 and a pint is just £1.30.

Seville, Europe’s warmest city in winter, scores highly for its elegant Moorish architecture and vibrant city life.

Travellers can expect temperatures between 16°C and 22°C, around eight hours of sunshine and a pint for just £2.20.

The city’s plazas, flamenco recitals, and sunny streets make it perfect for those seeking city warmth rather than the sea.

GUINNESS has opened a £75million brewery in London offering exiting new beers and even the chance to take a stout selfie – stoutie.

The new Open Gate Brewery will instead brew a range of new experimental beers alongside tours, a gift shop and plenty of chances to try a pint of the famous stout.

The Covent Garden site cost just under £75 million and spans several Victorian warehouse-style buildings where four core beers will be brewed on site – a London porter, lager, IPA and pale ale.

There will be seven more beers which will be exclusive to the new brewery including the Winter Warmer and Apricot Sour.

The beer made on site is exclusively available in the tasting room, restaurants and bars on site and the drinks are named in honour of the local area – Convent Classic IPA, Old Brewer’s Yard Porter and Piazza Pale Ale.

Dublin-brewed Guinness will still be on tap of course, and visitors can even have their selfies or “stouties” printed on the head of their beers for a truly personal pint.

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The site itself has been used for brewing on and off for three centuries and will be the first UK-based Guinness brewery open to the public.

Previously, the stout was brewed at Park Royal in West London until 2005 but the Open Gate location is both a micro-brewery and attraction.

The new location will

Barry O’Sullivan, the managing director of Diageo Great Britain, said: “London has played a critical role in Guinness’s success throughout its history, and two centuries after the black stuff arrived in the UK capital, one in seven pints poured in the city is now a Guinness.”

He added that he expects to see half a million punters walk through the gates in the first year and that the venture is a “vote of confidence” in London’s hospitality industry.

Mr O’Sullivan said the new brewery will create 250 jobs.

Heading up the restaurants is executive chef Pip Lacey – who previously worked under Gordan Ramsay.

Her debut restaurant won rave reviews and she will be at the helm of three different food stops – a seafood restaurant on the fifth floor, “grilled feasting” on the ground floor and a casual pie place on in the courtyard.

Mr O’Sullivan and Diageo’s global director for beer, vodka, liqueurs and convenience, Gráinne Wafer, hope for the brewery will have a ripple effect for hospitality across the city.

Iconic London pubs like Soho’s the Devonshire are already in talks with the team to get something in the pipeline.

O’Sullivan said: “I live in Soho, and there’s a really special relationship with everything we do.”

Whilst this is London’s first public Guinness brewery, Open Gate sites have opened up in Baltimore and Chicago and both report uplift across the city, in Guinness sales and the wider hospitality sector.

For a look inside the factory, visitors can take a £30 tour of the brewery or for something more special a £95 “Guinness masterclass”.

The “Open Gate Experience” at £30 includes a behind-the-scenes look at the micro-brewery and promises to be a “tasting adventure never experienced before”. The tour is 90 minutes and incudes a tasting flight.

The £95 “Guinness Masterclass” includes a complementary engraved glass as well as a masterclass and trip into the brewery’s archives. The experience allows punters to “get closer to Guinness than you’ve even been before”.

The masterclass is available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 3pm only, starting in February.

Visitors can pour their own pint and sip it – or split it – in Bar 232, named in honour of the temperature that the barley is roasted at for the iconic stout.

The gift shop at the end of the tour offers G-branded glasses, football shirts, beer towels, golf balls, chocolates and for those short feeling festive, Guinness Christmas jumpers.

The brewery officially opened its gates on December 11 and looking ahead it seems it will be a lovely day for a Guinness.

If you’re looking for the best Christmas market to visit this month then the good news is Hoppa has done the research for you and worked out the cheapest place to get into the Christmas spirit.

The airport transfer specialists have been analysing dozens of European winter getaway destinations, looking at the average cost of accommodation, reading the Tripadvisor reviews and adding up the price of a pint.

And the European spot that is the most cheap and cheerful this Christmas is…Prague! I must say I have to agree with them as I was lucky enough to travel to the picturesque city of Prague two years ago in the run up to Christmas and it probably is the most Chrismassy place I’ve been to.

With its stunning buildings, cobblestone streets, and historic Old Town Square, Prague is a pretty great place to visit all year round – especially in December when the Christmas lights are twinkling and locals are chanting traditional Czech carols.

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It has an iconic Gothic Church, a 20-Metre Christmas tree and is circled by dozens of wooden chalets selling everything from Trdelník (chimney cake) to Czech Marionettes (hand painted ornaments) and puppets.

And alongside a very good-looking Christmas market, you can expect to find a rather impressive 4,811 attractions to keep you amused. Scoring 7.5 out of 10, the average cost of a 3-star hotel in Prague is just £74 and the average cost of a pint is £2.17 according to secretldn.com

There are also some great restaurants where you can sit down and enjoy very reasonably priced food and drink while you people watch. You can expect to pay around 250-400 CZK (approx. £8 to £14) for a dinner with drinks, with street food being even cheaper.

And there’s so much choice – from classic dishes like Goulash, Svíčková (beef in cream sauce) or Vepřo knedlo zelo (pork, dumplings, sauerkraut) to mulled wine and roasted nuts.

In fact, the Christmas market is so picture-perfect, it’s been named the most photographed Christmas market in Europe, according to various media outlets and Prague City Tourism.

There’s still plenty of time to visit – the market runs annually from late November through early January, transforming the square into a fairy-tale scene dominated by the soaring Gothic towers of Týn Church and the Astronomical Clock.

One of the best things is that it might only be a two-hour flight from the UK but once your feet firmly land in the Old Town Square, you feel like you’ve stepped into the past. And you can get there for as little as £27 return (if you book it far enough in advance) leaving plenty leftover for a few £2 pints of Czech lager.

The 10 most affordable European winter getaway destinations:

1. Prague, Czech Republic
2. Bansko, Bulgaria
3. Sofia, Bulgaria
4. Budapest, Hungary
5. Tallinn, Estonia
6. Kraków, Poland
7. Tirana, Albania
8. Belgrade, Serbia
9. Bratislava, Slovakia
10. Vilnius, Lithuania

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