Revealed: The most affordable European cities for a romantic getaway

• Montenegro’s Podgorica is the most affordable destination for couples seeking a romantic getaway in Europe, with low costs for flights, accommodation, and a three-course dinner for two.
• Skopje in North Macedonia is the second most budget-friendly European city to spend a romantic weekend in.
• Zug in Switzerland is the most expensive city for couples to escape to, costing £1,022 overall for a two-day getaway. 

New research has revealed that Podgorica in Montenegro is the most affordable European city for a romantic getaway for two. The average cost for a two-day holiday for two people in Montenegro’s capital city is £222. 

The study, conducted by holiday experts Jersey Island Holidays, analysed the cost of a two-day trip for two people from the UK to various European cities across various travel and cost of living websites. This included the average price for return flights for two people, two nights’ accommodation, a romantic three-course dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant, and excursions. 

In Podgorica, travellers can expect to spend £222 on a couples getaway, making Montenegro’s capital the most affordable city to visit. A breakdown of the costs shows that couples will spend an average of £89 on return flights, while a taxi for the two days would only cost £5. A three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant would only cost couples £22. 

In second place is Skopje in North Macedonia, where the average cost for a couple’s getaway is £274. Dinner is slightly cheaper than in Podgorica at £21. However, alcohol is more expensive at £13.

Debrecen ranks in third place with an average cost of £304 for a romantic getaway for two people. Return flights to visit Hungary’s former capital will cost £148. However, meals out over the holiday average out at £20, cheaper than the first two countries on the list. Fourth on this list is another Hungarian city, Szeged, which will cost couples an average of £323 for a romantic city break. 

Warsaw in Poland is fifth on the list, and whilst alcohol is relatively pricier here at £30, transportation is affordable, with return flights averaging £92 for two and taxis for two days costing £8. 

Sofia in Bulgaria is the sixth most affordable city for couples looking to escape to Europe for a weekend away, while Lublin in Poland is seventh, costing couples £328 and £330 respectively for the whole holiday. 

In eighth place is Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where couples can expect to spend £336 to stay and explore the city for a short holiday.  

In ninth place is Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, where couples will spend £353 on a weekend getaway. When broken down, return flights from London to Belgrade for two cost £180, and daily excursions only cost couples £20. Prague in the Czech Republic ranks tenth. It is only £17 more expensive than Belgrade. Couples looking to visit Prague will spend £369 for a two-day getaway.  

The top 15 most affordable European cities for a romantic two-day getaway are as follows: 

Rank	City	Country	Return flights for two (£)	Accommodation for two Nights (£)	Taxi for two days (£)	Meals Out for two days (£)	Alcohol for two days (£)	Excursion for two days (£)	3-course dinner for two (£)	Total cost (£)
1	Podgorica	Montenegro	89.00	59.84	5.29	21.16	7.04	17.64	22.06	222.03
2	Skopje	North Macedonia	136.00	58.08	4.41	22.92	13.76	17.20	21.50	273.87
3	Debrecen	Hungary	148.00	68.64	10.68	19.60	7.12	19.16	30.60	303.80
4	Szeged	Hungary	148.00	80.96	17.36	23.16	7.60	15.72	30.05	322.85
5	Warsaw	Poland	92.00	116.16	7.52	30.08	21.04	22.56	37.60	326.96
6	Sofia	Bulgaria	119.00	79.20	16.22	36.04	14.40	27.04	36.04	327.94
7	Lublin	Poland	167.00	75.68	13.08	21.04	12.00	18.80	22.56	330.16
8	Tuzla	Bosnia And Herzegovina	211.00	59.84	4.51	14.44	9.92	14.44	21.64	335.79
9	Belgrade	Serbia	180.00	66.88	13.54	27.08	15.04	20.32	30.08	352.94
10	Prague	Czech Republic	146.00	85.00	26.48	29.40	14.72	31.60	36.77	369.97
11	Pristina	Kosovo	236.00	65.12	4.41	16.76	12.72	17.64	17.65	370.30
12	Nis	Serbia	262.00	47.52	3.76	21.04	9.12	13.52	19.18	376.14
13	Chisinau	Moldova	238.00	70.40	5.14	20.56	8.56	20.16	25.72	388.54
14	Banja Luka	Bosnia And Herzegovina	268.00	54.56	6.76	18.04	9.04	10.84	22.54	389.78
15	Vilnius	Lithuania	174.00	100.32	15.98	35.28	28.24	28.24	50.74	432.80

At the other end of the scale, the study found that these were the priciest European cities for couples looking for a romantic two-day getaway : 

Rank	City	Country	Return flights for two (£)	Accommodation for two Nights (£)	Taxi for two days (£)	Meals Out for two days (£)	Alcohol for two days (£)	Excursion for two days (£)	3-course dinner for two (£)	Total cost (£)
1	Zug	Switzerland	261	315	123	107	45	64	107	1,022
2	Zurich	Switzerland	261	282	143	89	50	71	107	1,003
3	Reykjavik	Iceland	293	334	91	57	59	41	86	962
4	Tromsø	Norway	334	216	93	60	66	41	95	906
5	Basel	Switzerland	142	297	125	89	57	71	107	889
6	Copenhagen	Denmark	135	262	142	66	47	57	95	805
7	Oslo	Norway	181	232	83	66	66	53	90	772
8	Lausanne	Switzerland	132	229	96	89	57	71	94	768
9	Geneva	Switzerland	132	243	85	89	50	66	98	763
10	Stavanger	Norway	189	216	79	66	70	50	75	745
11	Dublin	Ireland	81	357	46	71	42	44	71	712
12	Saint Helier	Jersey	94	298	10	110	41	52	95	700
13	Nice	France	218	195	46	64	56	49	66	694
14	Arhus	Denmark	75	194	103	71	52	48	77	621
15	Luxembourg	Luxembourg	81	238	58	71	35	42	71	595

Zug in Switzerland is the most expensive European capital to travel to, costing a couple £1,022 for two nights. The city that has the highest rate for return flights from London is Tromsø in Norway, with two return tickets costing £334, and the most expensive city for accommodation turned out to be Dublin, where two nights’ stay would cost a couple £357. 

Commenting on the data, a spokesperson for Jersey Island Holidays said, “Couples planning for a romantic weekend might be tempted to dismiss the idea of travelling out of hand, especially in the current economic climate. However, exploring cities that might not be the most popular options can be a great way to get the most bang for your buck while also providing new romantic and cultural experiences for you and your significant other”.

Press release by https://jerseyislandholidays.com/