Couples looking to save money should look to emerging cities
"...if you are willing to look beyond the standard destinations like Paris and Italy you can receive better value for money and make your pound stretch further."
How we pine for those long weekends with the other half, sipping wine and eating fine cuisine atop a world-class hotel with views looking out at the Eifel Tower or shopping hand-in-hand in downtown Milan’s fashion districts, yes, the much-needed romantic break, days of pure relaxation and bliss are a real treat.
But the real question is how much is it going to cost for that quality-time? There was definitely no world economic crisis when The Knack’s sang; you ‘Can’t put a price on love’. Now with the insecurity of the Euro, we say, you can sure try and save some cash on your next romantic break. All it requires from you is opting for something unconventional when considering European destinations for a quick romantic getaway.
According to new research from American Express Foreign Exchange Services, couples looking for a cost-effective romantic weekend abroad should look to Budapest, Hungary which was found to be the cheapest weekend-visit city in Europe with total costs averaging at around £154 – more than half the price of the most expensive destination, Milan, which has total costs of around £343.
Costs were determined based on a ‘typical’ romantic break (excluding flights) for two, comparing the prices of, among other things, a night in a 3* hotel, a candlelit meal with bottle of wine to share, a city sightseeing bus tour and entry to the top three attractions in the city.
Terry Perrin, Director at American Express Foreign Exchange Services, said: “While going to see Leonardo Di Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’, climbing the Eiffel Tower or visiting the Sagrada Família in Barcelona can set you back a fair amount of cash, you can soak up Budapest’s history in Heroes Square and experience Prague’s famous Old Town for free.”