In winter, some bet everything on warm countries to grab a few extra degrees and, above all, precious rays of sunshine. The only downside is the budget. What if we learned to appreciate the charms of winter again? Some countries lend themselves particularly well to this. Above all, we avoid exploding our carbon footprint by traveling to the other side of the world, and we make huge savings on plane tickets and hotels. A study carried out by DiscoverCars.com has just revealed a ranking of the cheapest destinations to travel to when it’s cold, between snowy landscapes, ski and snowboard slopes and even pretty bucolic Christmas markets.
On the same theme: this authentic destination is the most popular place for Belgians for a city trip
To get there, the international car rental broker looked at a range of factors, including the average cost of a hotel stay, car rental and flight for each city, the number of “cheap” restaurants or the cost of the main attraction to visit. What emerges is a top 10 of the cheapest winter destinations. In the lead? Prague in the Czech Republic, directly followed by Krakow in Poland and Berlin in Germany.
1. Prague in the Czech Republic
While it occupied second place last year, the Czech capital comes number 1 this year. The one nicknamed “the city of a hundred steeples” because of its skyline which characterizes the architecture of the city, is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Among the must-sees to visit are the famous Prague Castle, or St. Vitus Cathedral, the largest and most important in the country.
Prague ranks third among the cheapest cities for a one-week hotel stay, with a price of €700. The Czech capital is also the second most affordable place to rent a car for a week, at just €50, and the cost of a return flight is the lowest on the list, at just €113.
2. Krakow in Poland
This year, Krakow leaves first place to come in second place. Less famous in summer, Poland’s second city has a lot to offer tourists in winter, with its pretty countryside landscapes. Things to see include small towns like Wieliczka or the Ojcow National Park less than an hour away. Allow only €40 to rent a car for a week. In addition, the city’s main attraction, Rynek Glowny, can be visited for free.
3. Berlin in Germany
In third position, place Berlin which gains four places compared to its seventh position last year. The German capital is the second most economical destination. In winter, we particularly benefit from the plethora of galleries and museums that the city offers. Berlin is also the city with the second most affordable restaurants, with 1,354 establishments in total. The average cost of a return flight from Heathrow was around €140, making it the fourth cheapest city on the list in this regard. The visit to the Reichstag is also free.
Brussels in the top 5
Our capital finds itself in fifth place in the ranking. It lost two places compared to last year and received a total score of 31 out of 50. DiscoverCars.com highlights the free access to the city’s biggest tourist attraction, namely the Grand Place. The platform reminds us that all the buildings on the square are listed as UNESCO world heritage sites and that they are particularly sumptuous during Winter Wonders. The event will begin on November 29. The average cost of a return flight from Heathrow was around €114, making Brussels the second cheapest destination in the ranking. Visitors should pay around €119 for a car rental. As for the number of “cheap” restaurants, Brussels has 553.
