Croatia, Greece and Slovenia are the best places to go, this summer, if value for money is a holiday priority.
Research by travel intelligence company Mabrian shows Zagreb, Athens and Ljubljana were the cities offering the best value-for-money in June.
The research is based on air connectivity, average hotel prices and visitor satisfaction levels.
Where Zagreb lags on air connectivity, it more than makes up for in good accommodation prices and high customer satisfaction levels, according to Mabrian. It is largely the same case for Ljubljana, which suffers from a lack of air connectivity, but ranks high in terms of competitive pricing.
Greece’s capital Athens ranked second to Zagreb, despite it having better air connectivity. However, Athens was deemed to have slightly higher average prices and lower satisfaction levels.
Mabrian said the larger European capital cities all dropped down the list – rankings wise – due, mainly, to higher hotel prices.
“London and Paris, despite being better connected, are penalised by a very high average hotel price among the destinations analysed,” Mabrian said in its analysis.
“In addition, the two capitals showed lower levels of satisfaction. Visitors are particularly dissatisfied with the hotel service in London and with the offer of tourist products in Paris.”
High hotel prices and a growing demand for less crowded cities has also dented the rankings of big names like Berlin, Amsterdam and Barcelona, Mabrian said.
The Top 14 Best Value for Money European Cities:
- Zagreb (Croatia)
- Athens (Greece)
- Ljubljana (Slovenia)
- Rome (Italy)
- Vienna (Austria)
- Lisbon (Portugal)
- Madrid (Spain)
- Milan (Italy)
- Dubrovnik (Croatia)
- Berlin (Germany)
- Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- Paris (France)
- Barcelona (Spain)
- London (United Kingdom)