The 'unsung cities' you should visit to save money on holidays, according to researchers

Ljubljana. Picture from PixabayLjubljana. Picture from Pixabay
Ljubljana. Picture from Pixabay
UK holidaymakers can save hundreds of pounds by visiting "unsung cities" rather than the most popular destinations, according to new research.

Post Office Travel Money compared the price of tourist items such as refreshments, sightseeing, accommodation and transport in 10 cities that are "off the well-beaten tourist track" with 10 more established locations.

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The Unsung Cities League shows that Belgrade has the cheapest prices, including £1.73 for a bottle of local beer, £1.53 for admission to a top art gallery and £3.84 for a two-day travel card.

The total cost of the basket of goods is 12% cheaper than rival Krakow.

Other comparisons made by the report include Toulouse costing 38% less than Paris, Valencia being 35% cheaper than Barcelona and visitors to Verona saving 36% compared with staying in Venice.

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Post Office Travel Money spokesman Andrew Brown urged tourists not to get "caught out" by expensive destinations.

He said: "Holidaymakers need to be careful to do their homework before booking, and budget accordingly.

"As Europe's lesser-known capitals and second cities start to invest in tourism, now is the time to consider switching to a city that is likely to be cheaper than long-established favourites.

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"In eastern Europe there are several historic capitals - led by Belgrade, Bucharest and Bratislava - that can rival Krakow, Prague and Budapest on both price and sights.

"In the West, Porto is a great alternative to Lisbon while cities like Valencia, Verona and Toulouse are cheaper options than city break favourites like Barcelona, Venice and Paris."

Here are the 10 comparisons featured by Post Office Travel Money, with the savings made by visiting the first city in brackets:

- Belgrade vs Krakow (12%)

- Bucharest vs Budapest (24%)

- Porto vs Lisbon (33%)

- Bratislava vs Vienna (44%)

- Ljubljana vs Dubrovnik (22%)

- Toulouse vs Paris (38%)

- Valencia vs Barcelona (35%)

- Antwerp vs Bruges (30%)

- Verona vs Venice (36%)

- Hamburg vs Berlin (1%)