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These are the best value city breaks in Europe

Spanish cities Madrid and Barcelona both made the top 10, along with Portugal’s other popular city Porto

Aisha Rimi
Tuesday 02 August 2022 16:53 BST
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Lisbon came first, scoring highly in the “things to do” and “nightlife” categories
Lisbon came first, scoring highly in the “things to do” and “nightlife” categories (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

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A recent study has revealed the best value European city breaks for Brits, with Lisbon coming out on top.

The research, conducted by Starling Bank, looked at the top 40 most visited cities in Europe, using data from several websites including TripAdvisor and the World Health Organisaton (WHO).

The cities were analysed across seven categories, including food and drink, nightlife, things to do, visual appeal, accessibility and friendliness.

The study then rated these scores against the cost of staying in the city for a week, to find out where offers the best experience per £1 spent.

Lisbon came in first, scoring highly in the “things to do” and “nightlife” categories, with an average cost of £440.20 for a week’s stay, and local beers as cheap as £1.

Taking the second spot was Seville, ranked highly for family-friendliness, then Istanbul in third place, which also worked out at the cheapest city on the list at £274.14 average for a week’s stay.

Spanish cities Madrid and Barcelona both made the top 10 with an average cost per week of £558.38 and £579.22 respectively, along with Portugal’s other much loved city Porto. Rome, Split, Budapest and Prague also made the list.

Rachel Kerrone, director of brand and marketing at Starling Bank, said: “We know travel is on the agenda for many people this summer but at the same time, budgets will likely be tight due to the rising costs of living.

"We want to help people pick their holiday wisely, so they can get the best value for their money while still having a fantastic time.”

Starling Bank has created an interactive travel tool which shows what you can get for £100 in the world’s top tourist hotspots, helping travellers find the cheapest holiday destinations.

The study also revealed that London came out on top for the best things to do, while Edinburgh and Liverpool were the best in the UK for staycations.

Top 10 best value cities:

1 . Lisbon, Portugal

2. Seville, Spain

3. Istanbul, Turkey

4. Budapest, Hungary

5. Prague, Czech Republic

6. Porto, Portugal

7. Split, Croatia

8. Madrid, Spain

9. Rome, Italy

10. Barcelona, Spain

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