Christmas Market Barometer: Prague Tops for Mulled Wine & Gingerbread

Prague dropped from third to fifth place in the Post Office Travel Money’s annual cost comparison of visiting Europe’s most popular advent market destinations.

In fact, the Czech capital saw the biggest increase on the barometer, according to a spokesperson from the Post Office:

“Limited availability for flights and accommodation has made the price of a two-night package in the Czech capital more expensive than in any of the other cities surveyed (£566).”

The hike reflects a 16-percent rise in the total cost of a visit to Prague’s Christmas markets to £674.

Every cloud has a silver tinsel lining: the combined cost of mulled wine and gingerbread (as well as meals and coffee) remain by far the cheapest of the 10 cities ranked which is good news for those of us who plan to visit the markets via metro, not airport transfer.

Considering traveling to a market outside of the Czech Republic? Riga, home of the world’s first Christmas tree, is this year’s bargain choice for a city break while big price falls in Munich and Lille have made these Western European cities cheaper than Prague, Budapest, and Tallinn.

Berlin is tops for cheap holiday shopping that is if designers jeans and an iPad are on your wishlist.

The Post Office European Christmas Market Barometer was compiled using prices sources from national and regional tourists offices of participating cities.