Five cheapest holiday destinations – and the five most expensive

Holidaymakers looking for a bargain city break may want to consider heading to Vilnius, a study suggests.

The Lithuanian capital overtook last year's winner, Lisbon, according to the Post Office, which compiles the city costs barometer.

Typical costs in 37 European cities, many of them available with direct flights from Birmingham Airport, were analysed for the research.

The Post Office said the strengthening of sterling over the past year helped to keep the cost of city breaks down in many of the countries it looked at.

Its study is based on April exchange rates and it calculated the typical cost of two nights' three star weekend accommodation, an evening meal for two, a range of drinks, sightseeing charges and city transport.

The cost for a trip to Vilnius was put at £237. Amsterdam was the most expensive city in the research, with a typical cost of £669.

The Post Office also found other locations where tourists may be able to find value.

Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at Post Office said: "It's important to remember that the cost of meals and drinks need to be added to the spending budget as city break holidays rarely include these items.

"Over the course of two or three days, these can make a big difference to holiday costs and the low prices we found for meals and drinks in Lisbon and Athens make these cities strong contenders for a bargain break."

For people looking for a break closer to home, Cardiff topped the UK capitals looked at by the Post Office, with a cost of £409.

The cost of a Belfast break was put at £629, making it more expensive than Dublin (£579) for the first time in the Post Office's 17th annual cost comparison.

The price of a getaway in Edinburgh was calculated to be £602.

In London, the price of a break was put at £524, with competitive accommodation charges helping to keep the price down, according to the Post Office.

FIVE CHEAPEST CITIES:

1. Vilnius, £237