Sheffield offers the best value UK city break over the August bank holiday weekend, according to TripIndex UK Cities, an annual cost comparison study by the travel and booking site, TripAdvisor.

TripIndex UK Cities compares the cost of a three-night break over the August bank holiday weekend in the 20 most popular UK cities[i], taking into account typical costs for two people. These include; a four-star hotel for three nights, a visit to four attractions, lunch each day, a taxi to and from dinner each day, plus the cost of dinner itself[ii].

The study found that a three night (four day) trip for two in Sheffield will set you back an average of £706, almost two thirds less than the price of a break in the UK’s most expensive destination which is, unsurprisingly, London. An average weekend break in the capital comes in at a wallet-busting average of £1,190 – that’s almost £350 per day.

North offers best destinations for bagging a bargain

The north has a lot to celebrate as Sheffield is named the best value city for the second year in a row and as the 2016 TripIndex UK Cities results show, the north generally offers better value than the south of the UK when comparing overall costs. Six of the ten best value destinations are located north of the UK; Sheffield, Leeds, Blackpool, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Liverpool and Glasgow finish first, second, third, fourth, fifth and ninth respectively.

UK cities offer great value for things to do

While the cost of visiting UK cities can vary greatly, one thing that remains fairly consistent is the value that UK cities offer when it comes to attractions. Many of the most popular attractions city to city are free to enter. In Glasgow, the cheapest destination for attractions, the five most highly rated[iii] attractions are all free.

Travellers could expect to pay the most for attractions in Birmingham, but even then it comes out at an average of just £10 per person.

London most expensive across the board – almost

Unsurprisingly London comes out as the most expensive UK destination overall for a city break and when it comes to individual basket items, the capital also tops the list in every category except attractions

London is the most expensive destination for a hotel stay at £205 per night, lunch at £32 for two, a return taxi of two miles each way which comes in at £23 and dinner for two at £80.

However, London’s many free attractions mean the average price for visiting an attraction is just £4.62 per person, putting it in the top ten cheapest destinations for visiting attractions.

“For Brits planning a UK break over the upcoming bank holiday weekend, heading north will generally offer the best value for a three-night break. However, as our research of booking rates on TripAdvisor shows, visiting some of the more expensive destinations doesn’t have to be off the cards. Travellers can still find hotels with availability over the weekend for at least £30 less than the city average hotel price,” commented TripAdvisor spokesperson, Hayley Coleman.

Recommended value hotels and popular things to do in the five most expensive destinations:

For travellers planning a trip to one of the five most expensive TripIndex UK Cities destinations, TripAdvisor has scoped out some highly-rated hotels available over the August bank holiday weekend, bookable for at least £30 less than the city’s average hotel price[iv], as well as popular things to do in each city.

1. London – Average nightly bank holiday weekend hotel rate: £205

Where to lay your head:

The Hide London – is available to book on TripAdvisor over the bank holiday weekend period for an average of £113 per night.

What to do:

British Museum – For £23 on TripAdvisor, you can book a 2.5-hour walking tour with a guide to take you through some of the museum’s 70 plus galleries. Once the tour is finished you can stay inside to continue exploring at your own leisure.

2. Oxford – Average nightly bank holiday weekend hotel rate: £198

Where to lay your head:

Remont Oxford Hotel – is available to book on TripAdvisor over the bank holiday weekend period for an average of £120 per night.

What to do:

Oxford Bike Tour – Experience a 2-hour bike tour of Oxford, bookable on TripAdvisor for £25. You’ll explore the historic city led by a guide, visiting and learning about sights including Magdalen College, Oxford University Press, Pitt Rivers Museum and University College.

3. Edinburgh – Average nightly bank holiday weekend hotel rate: £187

Where to lay your head:

The Dunstane Hotel – is available to book on TripAdvisor over the bank holiday weekend period for an average of £137 per night.

What to do:

Arthur’s Seat – Check out Edinburgh’s most famous attractions along the Royal Mile, including Arthur’s Seat and Edinburgh Castle with a 2.5-hour small group walking tour led by a professional local guide. Bookable on TripAdvisor for £14.

4. Brighton – Average nightly bank holiday weekend hotel rate: £198

Where to lay your head:

Legends Hotel – is available to book on TripAdvisor over the bank holiday weekend period for an average of £119 per night.

What to do:

Royal Pavilion – Learn about the history of the Royal Pavilion, North Laine, The Lanes, Brighton Pier and much more with a 2.5-hour cycle tour of Brighton, available on TripAdvisor for £20.

5. Bath – Average nightly bank holiday weekend hotel rate: £182

Where to lay your head:

Dukes Hotel – is available to book on TripAdvisor over the bank holiday weekend period for an average of £143 per night.

What to do:

Hop-on-Hop-off City Sightseeing Tour – For £15 on TripAdvisor, get a 24-hour valid ticket to explore Bath by open-top bus, hopping off and back on again as you check out each of the attractions along the 15 stops around the city, including Bath Abbey.

For more information, please contact Hayley Coleman / 020 3194 2150 / hcoleman@tripadvisor.com

Notes to editors:

TripIndex at a glance

From the least expensive to the most expensive (green and red indicate least and most expensive destinations for each item respectively):

Cheapest:

Most expensive:

Methodology

The TripIndex Cities 2016 destination list is comprised of the 20 most searched for UK cities by TripAdvisor users over the past 12 months.

TripIndex Cities prices out the daily cost for the following items in each destination, multiplied by four to represent the cost of a four-day city break for two people (hotel prices are multiplied by three to demonstrate three nights). Within each establishment selected for the study and where the item was available, the prices of the following were identified by web searches and by telephoning the establishment and asking for prices of:

• Lunch: Meal and soft drink (burger and chips)

• Dinner: Starter, main meal and bottle of wine to share (salad, steak and chips)

• Taxi: Return taxi journey of two miles each way

• Attraction: Cost of visiting an attraction each day

• Hotel: Accommodation in a 4-4.5-star hotel

Lunch for two: Prices specify the average cost of a burger and chips with a cola for two. Five restaurants with mid-range prices were contacted via telephone and/web searches were conducted to establish prices in each city.

Dinner for two: Prices specify the average cost of a two-course meal (starter - salad and main – steak and chips) for two people with a bottle of house (or cheapest available) white wine. Five restaurants with mid-range prices were contacted via telephone and/web searches were conducted to establish prices in each city.

Return taxi journey: Prices specify the approximate cost of two taxi journeys of two miles each (representing an evening’s return transportation). Data was taken from local authorities and recognised taxi companies in the area. Taxi companies were identified using web search and contacted via telephone in each city.

Attractions for two: Prices specify the average cost of visiting the top five best rated attractions on TripAdvisor, multiplied by two to represent the cost for two people. Attractions were best rated on TripAdvisor as of 28^th July 2016.

Hotel room rates: Room rates specify the average cost of one night’s stay in 4 and 4.5 star hotels in each destination between 25th August 2016 – 30th September 2016, aggregated from booking partners, including online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers.

Research was conducted by TripAdvisor and prices were collected through telephone and web search.  Prices were collected between 27^thJune 2016 and 22^nd July 2016.