Thailand Cheapest, Not New York

Choosing a weekend break destination has little effect on travel insurance premiums, but the total cost of a city break varies massively between the 20 top locations in the world.

In a study conducted by Virgin Money, New York City is definitively the most expensive choice for a weekend city break.

The largest proportion of a weekend's expenditure derives from the high cost of accommodation in New York City, with a typical four star hotel presently costing over six hundred US Dollars.

Cheapest Weekend Break

At the other end of the spectrum, the study found Bangkok in Thailand to be the cheapest city break, with equivalent four star hotel accommodation being seven times cheaper than in New York.

However, it could be argued with the advantageous economics, come the subsequent losses in prestige, selection of shopping options, and heritage for which visitors are prepared to pay for, to visit such world-renown cites as NYC, Milan and Moscow which comprise the top three most expensive holiday cities respectively.

Common misconceptions cite London as the most expensive holiday destination, and this research proves London to be neither the cheapest nor dearest, but coming in mid-table, as 12th best value for money weekend break, besides Paris and Cape Town.

The Top 20 Weekend City Breaks

(Shown in ascending order, best value first.)

1. Bangkok, Thailand
2. Dublin, Ireland
3. Prague, Czech Republic
4. Stockholm, Sweden
5. Sydney, Australia
6. Dubai, UAE
7. Buenos Aires, Argentina
8. Reykjavik, Iceland
9. Beijing, China
10. Tokyo, Japan
11. Paris, France
12. London, UK
13. Cape Town, South Africa
14. Toronto, Canada
15. Chicago, USA
16. Berlin, Germany
17. Barcelona, Spain
18. Moscow, Russia
19. Milan, Italy
20. New York, USA

Source: Virgin Money (September 2009)

This list of cheapest holiday destinations is a useful barometer for deciding which travel destinations are going to present the best value for money.

However, such a compilation of holiday prices is wholly reliant upon currency exchange rates, which could well see an alternative cheapest weekend destination, six months from now. If the dollar were to continue to fall, this would be good news for tourism in America.

Travel Insurance Component

It is reassuring that the travel insurance element of such weekend trips abroad, does not change greatly; a maximum of ten euros from the most economical location to the costliest.

Reflecting this, the holiday location is not the most influential component of a travel insurance quotation: Other factors such as the policy holder's age and health condition, are far more powerful determiners of the final travel insurance price.


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