John Connellan

By John Connellan

15/11/2023

With Christmas just around the corner, decorations are going up, presents are being purchased, and households all over the country are beginning to get ready for the festive season. While traditionally many Brits may have stayed closer to home during the Christmas period, festive holidays have had a big surge in popularity over the last few years. In fact, the term ‘Christmas getaways’ has seen a 23% increase in Google search demand since 2022. But, where are the best value destinations in Europe for a yuletide break?

To find out, our team at Savoo has analysed 40 Christmassy European cities, taking into account factors such as the cost of accommodation, travel, food, and drink, as well as the chance of snowfall, and the number of Christmas-related events in each location to determine the ultimate festive location that won’t break the bank. The research has also looked at which cities are the most popular at Christmas according to TikTok and Instagram hashtag data.

Christmas market

The top 10 best-value European Christmas destinations to visit this year:

Rank City Country Price of 1 night in 4-star hotel Cost of taxi (per 1km) Cost of a 3-course meal Cost of a pint % change of a snow day No. of Instagram posts No. of TikTok views No. of Christmas Events
1 Sibiu Romania £95.57 £1.58 £30.54 £1.40 35.48% 30 681,200 21
Krakow Poland £143.64 £2.34 £33.11 £2.92 38.71% 633 5,800,000 30
2 Gdansk Poland £93.48 £2.50 £32.14 £2.53 41.94% 69 34,300 47
3 Funchal Portugal £213.28 £3.74 £42.50 £2.17 00.00% 49 0 148
4 Tallinn Estonia £108.48 £3.72 £52.04 £4.34 64.52% 1,091 252,500 47
5 Vilnius Lithuania £87.84 £2.50 £52.04 £3.90 58.06% 539 2,970 14
6 Cardiff United Kingdom £302.91 £3.93 £60.00 £4.00 6.45% 3,980 3,200,000 156
7 London United Kingdom £510.64 £7.05 £80.00 £6.05 9.68% 158,280 15,400,000 47
8 Prague Czech Republic £256.36 £4.60 £53.31 £2.13 32.26% 6,679 2,900,000 2
9 Edinburgh United Kingdom £371.12 £6.24 £65.00 £5.00 22.58% 70,341 13,700,000 11
10 Cologne Germany £348.43 £6.69 £47.70 £3.04 19.35% 318 339,800 141


1. Sibiu, Romania

Taking the crown for the best value European city for a Christmas getaway is Sibiu, Romania, thanks to its very affordable prices for travel, food, and drink. Known for its brilliant architecture and steeped in over 800 years of history, the city offers the cheapest costs for taxis (£1.58 per one km), three-course meals (£31), and pints of beer (£1.40) of any location analysed. Plus, one night in a 4-star hotel in the city costs just £96 — the third cheapest price of all destinations in the study.

Those looking for a white Christmas also have a 35% chance of experiencing snow in Sibiu, and for those heading to the Translyvanian hub - the Christmas Fair is one of the 21 festive events in the city not to be missed.

1. Krakow, Poland

In joint first position with Sibiu is Krakow, Poland. Soaked in history, the city dates back to the 7th century and has been a UNESCO Heritage Site since 1978.

Hotel stays are slightly more expensive here, with one night in a four-star hotel costing £144. When it comes to getting around the city, taxi fares average £2.34 per one km — the fourth cheapest of any location analysed.

For those looking for affordable food and drink, three-course meals are just £3 more on average than in Sibiu, and pints in Krakow are around £2.92.

Though there are currently only 30 Christmas-related events on offer in the city, the Old Town of Krakow is completely transformed for the festive season, with illuminations, a market, and a huge tree in the main square — plus there’s a 39% chance that you might get a sprinkling of snow.

2. Gdansk, Poland

Gdansk, Poland has come in third place. There’s an even higher chance of snow here than in Sibiu, at 42%, plus hotel stays are even cheaper, averaging just £93 per night. For those looking to treat themselves during the festive period, a three-course meal costs just £32 in the city, and pints are relatively cheap at £2.53.

The city also has 47 Christmas-based events on offer, and the Gdansk Christmas Fair is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Poland. Gdansk is also the centre for the world’s amber trade, so anyone looking to gift a unique piece of jewellery this Christmas should think about heading to the city.

3. Funchal, Portugal

In fourth place is Funchal, the capital city of Portuguese island Madeira. While there may be a zero percent chance of snowfall in the island city, there are a huge 148 Christmas-related events on offer this year. Madeira celebrates Christmas for the whole of December, and Funchal is home to the island’s Christmas Market, packed with stalls selling local delicacies and handcrafted gifts.

Dining out in the city is also pretty affordable, with three-course meals averaging £43, and pints around £2.17. Hotel stays are a little pricier however, averaging £213 for one night’s stay.

4. Tallinn, Estonia

Offering the highest chance of snow of any location in the top 10 (65%), Tallinn in Estonia is in fifth place. The city has 47 Christmas-focused events this year, and the Tallinn Christmas Market is often cited as one of the best in Europe.

Accommodation is also fairly reasonable in the city, with four-star hotel stays in the city averaging £108 per night, the fourth lowest price of any location analysed, while three-course meals are around £52.

5. Vilnius, Lithuania

Offering the cheapest night’s stay in a four-star hotel of all cities analysed, at £88, Vilnius in Lithuania is in sixth place. Travel in the city is also relatively affordable, with taxis averaging around £2.50 for a one km journey.

There are also good odds for a white Christmas in the cobblestoned city, with a 58% chance of snow, though those looking for lots of festive-based events might be a little disappointed, as there are only 14 on offer this year.

6. Cardiff, UK

In seventh place is Cardiff, often dubbed ‘The City of Castles.’ The Welsh city has 156 Christmas events on offer, the most of any city analysed, including Cardiff Castle’s traditional Christmas Banquet (from November 29 - December 20), and the Winter Light Trail at Bute Park which is running from the 24th November.

Cardiff is also a little more affordable than other UK cities when it comes to accommodation, food and drink. Hotel stays here are cheaper than in the likes of Edinburgh and London, at £303, and three-course meals (£60) and pints (£4) are slightly more affordable too.

7. London, United Kingdom

Securing eighth position is the capital city, London. Although the price of a pint is a whopping £6.05, and the price of a 3-course meal would set you back £80.00, what the city lacks in affordability, it makes up for in Christmas spirit!

The capital offers almost 50 Christmas-related activities over the season, including the famous Hyde Park Winter Wonderland! As well as stacking up the most Instagram hashtags, London Christmas Markets have been viewed a huge 15 million times in the build-up to Christmas, making them the most TikTok’d city in the ranking!

8. Prague, Czech Republic

The city of Prague is magical throughout the year, but especially beautiful at Christmas time! Claiming ninth position, not only can you get a 3-course meal for less than £55.00, but you can secure a festive pint for only £2.13!

Known for its variety of Christmas markets in - Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square and Prague Castle, these popular destinations have wracked up almost 3 million views on TikTok alone. They also appear to be well-received on Instagram, with a total of almost 7,000 hashtags overall!

9. Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is the final city to make the top 10. Known for its historic city centre, it's the ultimate destination for festive fun this winter!

Attracting 2.5 million visitors last year, the popular Christmas market transforms the city centre and runs for seven magical weeks! It's hardly surprising that the popular event has over 70,000 Instagram posts using the hashtag and 13.7 million TikTok views.

The cost of a taxi (£6.24) is quite good compared to other cities, and the price of a pint isn’t bad either (£5.00). Plus, during your visit, there’s almost a 23% chance of the Scottish city giving visitors a white Christmas!

10. Cologne, Germany

Advent marks the start of the Christmas season, where every corner of Cologne is festively decorated. Locals and visitors are invited to visit over 140 Christmas related events in the city, including the Christmas Circus, the China lights at the zoo and numerous Christmas markets.

As well as Christmassy events, Cologne offers visitors around 20% chance of snow, as well as affordable prices for a 3-course meal (£47.70) and a pint (£3.03).

The most TikTok’d Christmas Markets in Europe

Christmas markets are one of the most magical parts of the festive period. From sipping mulled wine with friends to dancing the night away at a work Christmas party, people are documenting their Christmas antics on social media. With this in mind, the study has also looked into which Christmas markets across Europe are the most popular, using TikTok hashtag data.

1. London, UK

Christmas in the UK’s capital city is very popular on social media, with 15.4 million hashtag views on TikTok for posts related to London’s Christmas markets.

One of the most popular is Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park, which attracts visitors from all over the world.

2. Edinburgh

The second most popular European location for Christmas markets is another UK city, Edinburgh, with 13.7 million views on TikTok for #EdinburghChristmasMarket.

Every year the Scottish city is transformed into the ultimate festive destination, with traditional markets, funfair rides, and festive outdoor events throughout the city. The main market is at East Princes Street Gardens, which is based in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic city centre.

3. Krakow

Krakow’s Christmas markets have come in third, with 5.8 million hashtags on TikTok — though this is three times less than London. The city’s annual Christmas market takes place in the main square, Rynek Glowny, and is the perfect place to pick up some presents or sample some local festive treats.

So, where will you be heading for your next Christmas getaway?

Methodology and Sources

We compiled a seedlist of the top destinations for Christmas getaways from the following lists:

The cities were then ranked according to the following metrics: