London has always been associated with being an expensive city, but with new figures stating the contrary, we are expecting more travellers to take advantage of London’s tourism offerings, as well as discover other notable emerging travel spots around the UK.

London is a gateway city for other famous landmarks and tourist attractions in the UK, so with a more affordable London, we look forward to receiving more regional travellers looking to take advantage of major events and attractions throughout the country.

The Price Comparison report studied 26 products in 33 different countries across the world. It showed that Oslo was the most expensive city for the third year running.

The report claimed that London is more affordable than Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin.

London has fallen dramatically down a list of the world’s most expensive cities as retailers slash prices in an effort to stimulate consumer spending, according to a new global study.

The authoritative International Price Comparison annual report compares the average retail price of 26 of the world’s most popular consumer goods in 33 countries.

The latest findings provide the most tangible evidence yet that retail prices in the UK have significantly dropped. In 2007, London was the second most expensive city on the planet but it is now the 14th cheapest out of the 33 countries audited – below the global average for the overall cost of goods. According to the PriceRunner.co.uk London prices have dropped in a number of product categories this year, including a 33cl takeaway coffee (from £1.83 to £1.63); a litre of milk (£1.03 to £0.86); and even a Big Mac (£2.45 to £2.29).

And as retailers continue to drop prices in an effort to stimulate high street spending PriceRunner predicts that – if the trend continues – London may soon earn a reputation as being one of the cheapest cities in the world.

An Industry spokesman said: “London, New York and Paris are often held up as cities with a very high cost of living. While Paris is still the fourth most expensive place on the planet, New York is now the fourth cheapest – and remarkably, even prices in London have dropped below the global average. London is now significantly cheaper than many competitive destinations, including Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam and Berlin.”

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One of the most popular city breaks from the UK is the drinkers’ weekend in Dublin but there’s so much more to the city than just the Black Stuff. Flights from regional English Welsh and Scottish airports are reasonably cheap, you don’t need a passport ( check security ID requirements before travelling) and the language is easy to understand. Dublin has been crowned the friendliest city in Europe twice and yet it also boasts an eclectic mixture of contemporary architecture and historical sites of interest.

Literary City Breaks

Dublin is the birthplace of many famous writers, such as Oscar Wilde, James Joyce and Bram Stoker, so there is a lot of atmospheric nostalgia in Dublin for the literature fiend. You can visit the The Dublin Writers Museum where they exhibit books, letters, portraits and personal items or the Interactive Bram Stoker Museum, and there are organised Dublin literary pub crawls for those who would mix two hobbies into one pastime.

Around Dublin City

City breaks to Dublin have an advantage over many other European cities in the size of Dublin itself, which is a serious European capital and yet small enough not to be surrounded by huge sprawling suburbs, motorways and industrial connurbation, So you can escape to the countryside the coast and the mountains with a simple short ride on the DART mass transit system or even a bus. This puts Day trips to the many beaches, cycling safaris, or hiking trips onto the agenda. The Cliffs of Moher and Burren tour, departs  Dublin every morning, taking in Limerick, stunning views of the Aran Islands a walk along the Cliffs of Moher.

Theatre Breaks in Dublin

Dubliners themsleves come on theatre breaks to London and London city breaks for the big musical shows but also enjoy a thriving theatre scene in Dublin itself. Some famous Dublin actors are Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. The Abbey, founded in 1904, is also worth a visit due to its fascinating background and literary connections.

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Well I’ve heard flights to Amsterdam are pretty cheap, I’d have a look there. It’s much more exciting to go abroad, even if it isn’t that far. Maybe even Dublin? That’s always popular.

If you’re looking for a ‘spa break’, maybe centre parcs? Ok, not exactly a spa break, but you’re in the middle of a forest, it’s calm, you’ve got the swimming pool, restaurants etc. It cant be that expensive surely, but it depends on how long you decide to go. You say a city break though, so maybe just book yourself in somewhere nice for just a weekend? The less nights you spend there, the higher your budget. Find a balance!

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