Where's the cheapest for holidays? Poland is more expensive than Spain, Greece and Portugal [MAPA]
The average Pole last year He spent 540 euros on restaurants and hotels, i.e. by 13 percent more than a year ago – results from Eurostat data. In the EU it is the least, even more Romanians (634 euros per year) spend more. In fact, this does not have to be surprising, since our earnings are growing, the national prices of restaurants and hotels go up much faster. These arrived in Poland last year. up to 91.7 percent EU average with 84.6 percent a year earlier.
Read also at Business Insider
Polish tourism road against the background of Europe
You don't have to mention that We do not earn 91.7 percent at all. EU average, but 54.4 percent – results from Eurostat data. This gives many of us a strong motivation to look for a cheaper place for vacation outside our homeland. And more and more cheaper places for a trip in Europe are getting more and more.
Price level 91.7 percent EU average puts us even among the most expensive tourist countries of Europe. On 36 monitored for the prices of the State of the Old Continent There are 20 cheaper and more expensive 15.
POLAND PEOPLE is not only a matter of increases in hotels and restaurants themselves, which is the result of strengthening the zloty. We have the third year of strengthening relative to the euro. In 2023, the zloty gained 7.4 percent, last year. Another 1.6 percent, in the current year, added 0.6 percent for now, heading to the level of PLN 4, not being seen for over a decade. Although exporters and owners of Polish guesthouses and hotels look at it with regret, the holiday capabilities of Poles abroad have definitely increased.
The cheapest tourist countries of Europe
North Macedonia is the cheapest with 46 percent prices. lower than in Poland. In other words, in the price of a week in Poland we would spend almost two weeks of vacation in Macedonia.
Well, but there is no sea in Macedonia. If someone looking for a vacation in the “Economy Class” at the same time needs waves and spectacular sunsets, then the offer is also quite abundant. Albania is the cheapest with hotel and restaurant prices by 43 percent. lower than Polishwhich is not much higher than in the cheapest Northern Macedonia. However, Bulgaria has prices by 42 percent lower than in Poland.
The booking.com offer shows that for a family 2+2 weeks of stay in early July in Albania in a four-star hotel by the sea with breakfast it costs 4-5.5 thousand. PLN, and the five -star hotel costs 7.6 thousand. zloty. Plus access, of course. A few kilometers from the sea for a similar standard, the price drops to 2.5 thousand. zloty. For three-star accommodation without breakfasts, the family will pay within PLN 1.5-2 thousand. zloty. In Bulgaria in the Black Sea area, the price of a five -star hotel is up to 4.1 thousand. PLN without food, and four -star 3.1 thousand zloty. Private accommodation with two rooms is an expense of 1.5 thousand. PLN without food.
Read also: It happened. More Poles than Germans will go on vacation this year
It must be mentioned that Albania is getting more expensiveand the prices of hotels and restaurants reached 52.3 percent in 2024 EU average. Only that it is more slow than tourist services in our country. As a result, though realistically, prices go up, it is relatively a good offer for a Pole.
The most expensive tourist countries of Europe
There is also the other side of the coin, i.e. the most expensive tourist countries of the continent. There is an undisputed leader here Switzerland, where prices outweigh those in Poland by 86 percent. Only that the local tourism industry, however, reduces appetite and prices fall in relation to EU level, and they fall into Polish level even very quickly. As early as 2023, they were by 103.5 percent higher than in Poland, and a year earlier – by as much as 125.7 percent
Denmark is the second in terms of vacation, and the third is Norway. Price differences in relation to Polish tourist services, although still large, but they are quickly blurred. Denmark in 2022 was twice as expensive than Poland, and now it is “only” 61 percent. more expensive. In Norway, the price level in hotels and restaurants in 2022 exceeded 113 percent what was in Poland at the time, and Currently, “only” 53 percent
Entertainment and transport
Of course, not the hotel, restaurant and lounging on the beach lives a man on vacation. Sometimes he will think about entertainment and culture. It must be said here that museums, cinemas and amusement parks in Poland are at quite affordable prices, because in most European countries such attractions fall out much more expensive. They are much cheaper only in Turkey – by 22 percent. in 2024 and in North Macedonia – by 10 percent
However, in such Spain, which in terms of hotels and restaurants is cheaper than Poland, the prices of recreation and culture are already higher than in our country by as much as 36 percent, and in Greece by 24 percent. In other words, if we go to sleep, eat and fall on the beach, then in both countries it should be cheaper than in Poland, not counting access, but if we include entertainment, it can be different.
Transport will also be important, i.e. if we want to move around a given country and see, for example, local wonders of nature or architecture. Here it also turns out that Poland is among the leaders of cheapness. Only northern Macedonia is clearly cheaper in Europe – by 16.5 percent. And Bulgaria – by 9.5 percent, and only slightly cheaper are: Türkiye and Romania. The most expensive transport comes out in Iceland (70, percent more than in Poland), Switzerland (by 59 %) and in Denmark (by 57 %).
Where do Poles go this year?
Summary of expenses for traveling abroad and in Poland may look different depending on what additional expenses we will decide how much access will cost us. Due to the fact that in Poland the prices of hotels and restaurants are quite clearly approaching the EU average, for many the option of traveling outside is the only considered. Studies have shown that last year approx. 60 percent Poles spent at least two days on foreign rest.
We chose Turkey (34.3 percent), Greece and Egypt (13.7 percent) with travel agencies in the summer – it resulted from the summary prepared by vacation.pl, Travelplanet.pl and Fly.pl. There were: Tunisia, Bulgaria and Spain in further places.
The latest Pollster study shows that 69 percent Poles will spend summer holidays this year in Poland, and 35 percent will go to one of the European countries. Most often we choose Croatia (20 % of the answer) Quite similar to us. Hotels and restaurants are only 4 percent more expensive than in Poland and the overall price level similarly (+4.4 percent compared to Polish). The next places are: Greece (18 percent) and Italy (15 %). Greece, as we have already mentioned, is cheaper than Poland when it comes to restaurants and hotels (-6 percent), but Italy is more expensive, although not enough for it to be a blockade, because the difference is less than 17 percent.
Fly.pl a few days ago indicated that the cheapest seaside country, i.e. Albania, chose 2.5 percent this year. Poles, and Türkiye, Egypt, Tunisia and Greece were the most popular. All these trips definitely on the Polish pocket. On the other hand, as much as 87 percent It chose the All Inclusive option, so we are not so limited to money. This is only one more proof that Poles after the last increases in remuneration combined with the strengthening of the golden tourist can already can already much more than just a few years ago.
Author: Jacek Frączyk, Business Insider Polska editor
