TripAdvisor: Athens is Among the Most Affordable European Destinations for US Tourists

Syntagma Square, Athens center. Photo © Maria Theofanopoulou

Athens, Greece, is the sixth most affordable destination in Europe for travelers from the United States, according to the results of TripAdvisor’s TripIndex Europe released on Tuesday.

TripIndex Europe looks at 25 popular European destinations, based on traffic on TripAdvisor from U.S. travelers, limited to one per country. The TripIndex evaluates primary travel expenses, including a seven-night hotel stay and the average round-trip airfare from the continental U.S., and reveals the year-over-year changes in these prices.

According to the TripIndex, the cost of visiting Athens, during the travel period of June 1 – August 31, has decreased 15 percent year-over-year, making it among the most affordable destinations on the TripIndex with an estimated one-week trip cost of $2,087 (accommodation and airfare included).

Last year, the average cost of a one-week summer trip in Athens was $2,444.

The average hotel price in Athens this year for U.S. travelers stands at $84.87 compared with $99.51 last year, while the average cost of roundtrip airfare from the US to Greece is $1,493 against $1,747 in 2014.

Travel to Europe is less this summer

This year’s TripIndex revealed that travel expenses for popular European destinations have decreased an average of 11 percent year-over-year, with travelers able to save as much as 25 percent on their summer trips.

As the U.S. dollar is currently strong against many foreign currencies, the TripIndex helps U.S. travelers identify which spots offer the best value by comparing the price of a one-week trip to 25 European cities during the travel period of June 1 – August 31, 2015.

The average nightly rate for a European hotel booked on TripAdvisor for this summer is $133, compared to $164 in 2014.

Meanwhile, roundtrip flights from the U.S. to the European destinations on the index cost $1,448 on average between June and August, compared to $1,579 in summer 2014.

Source: TripAdvisor

The most affordable destination on the TripIndex is Istanbul, as the cost of visiting the Turkish city has decreased 25 percent year-over-year and an estimated one-week trip cost of $1,877.

At $3,236, Zurich is the most expensive destination; however, it still offers a relative value as prices have fallen 9 percent since last summer.