Summer destinations from Czechia that'll be kind to your wallet

With the summer holiday season well underway, you will likely be wondering how far your Czech crown will get you in summertime destinations. A recent, comprehensive analysis by Czech financial-news site Peníze.cz sheds light on which popular holiday spots are cheapest for aspects like buying food and public transport, and which are most expensive. 

The Czech crown’s exchange rate, currently hovering around CZK 25 to EUR 1, has weakened in the past year, making vacations more expensive for those traveling to the eurozone. That said, the Czech Republic still offers many cheaper options compared to popular destinations such as Austria, Germany, and Italy. 

Using data from stats aggregator and price-comparison tool Numbeo, the analysis found that Turkey was the cheapest destination for a three-course meal for two people, coming in at just CZK 858. Poland, interestingly, was the second-cheapest country, and Czechia third. Austria was the most expensive popular tourist destination (for Czechs) to dine out.

In terms of visiting a supermarket, Turkey was once again the cheapest destination: the average shopping basket, featuring products such as milk, eggs, and chicken cutlets, cost CZK 243. Spain was, maybe surprisingly, the second-cheapest place for grocery store visits, and Poland third, Peníze.cz revealed.

Once more, Austria, Germany, and Italy were the most expensive places for supermarket shopping. Czechia was fourth-cheapest – the average shopping basket cost CZK 394 – which may come as a surprise, particularly amid recent reports that Czechia’s neighboring countries to the west have cheaper grocery store products. 

Finally, for public transport, Turkey again took the crown – a one-way average public transport ticket cost CZK 13, with Poland and Slovakia having the next-cheapest (both at CZK 26). Germany’s public transport was most expensive, costing an average CZK 76 for a one-way journey. 

Jan Bezděk, spokesman for travel agencies Fischer and Exim Tours, explains that the Turkish lira’s significant depreciation in recent years has made it a cost-effective destination for travelers. “Turkey has been at the top for a long time in terms of price/performance ratio. It offers high-quality services and hotels with a wide all-inclusive program at an excellent price,” says Bezděk.

It's not only in Turkey where Czechs can save, though. As the Czech crown continues to weaken, destinations with weaker economies and unstable exchange rates may become even more affordable for Czech travelers. For example, the Czech crown has strengthened against the Egyptian pound by 50 percent and the Turkish lira by 15 percent since March 2023.

Financial firm Purple Trading analyst Petr Lajsek emphasizes that a holiday to Egypt this year could be a great bargain for Czechs. “Despite the expected summer inflation of around 20 percent, thanks to the favorable exchange rate, the holiday could be almost one-third cheaper than a year ago,” says Lajsek. 

Due to poor currency stability, destinations such as Algeria and Argentina should also be cheaper for Czechia-based people to travel to than last year.

In the eurozone, however, prices will be broadly higher for Czechs; the crown’s exchange rate has fallen around 7 percent against the euro and 10 percent against the U.S. dollar since last year. Many people from Czechia have also complained that Croatia, a typical tourist destination, has surged in price.

The crown has also depreciated substantially against the UK’s pound sterling, meaning that trips to the British Isles and the U.S. will be markedly more expensive compared to 2023. Including flights, vacations in the U.S. should cost 10 to 20 percent more than last year for people on a Czech salary, Lajsek says.