The biggest barrier to planning a dream vacation, as with many things in life, is cost. Flights, hotels, car rentals, meals, and events add up quickly, and sometimes the pain of the bill doesn’t feel worth the relief of the vacation. Luckily, some destination hotspots are worth more bang for your buck (or Euro), with one city in particular rising to the top of the affordability charts: Prague, Czechia.
A new report ranked the best value cities for summer travel and found Prague to be the winner, scoring high on all fronts. A three-star hotel costs around $140 on average, while a fancy three-course meal for two sets you back around $66. Many of Prague’s most famous sights, including the Castle and the medieval Charles Bridge, are free to visit, and public transportation can get you around the historic city for around $2. There’s little sacrifice in quality for the affordable prices as well, as the restaurants in the capital have an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. The report is focused on European travelers, so direct flight costs aren’t applicable to American travelers, but travel to Prague from within Europe is extremely reasonable at an average of $115 per flight.
European Cities Dominated the Best Value List
Although ther is some bias given that the flight costs were calculated from within Europe, it’s clear the continent provides the best value for travel. The top nine cities were all European, including Porto, Athens, and Malaga. Only Phuket, Thailand made the top 10 from outside Europe, offsetting its bigger flight costs with minuscule hotel prices and very reasonably priced (and delicious) food–this is part of the reason why Thailand was named the best country for ex-pats.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the United States did not fare very well. Seattle was the best representative at 30th place; the next best was Las Vegas at 58. Prague’s gorgeous Old City skyline, unrivaled beer culture, beautiful Gothic architecture, and scenic Vltava river, however, make it the perfect blend of high class and low cost, not quite in the style of Las Vegas.
Next: Small Canadian Town Named ‘Most Beautiful Summer Destination in the World’
