For two people, a week in Europe runs from about $4,266 (Porto) to $6,569 (London), flights and hidden costs included. A typical city lands around $5,686. Europe's extras are smaller than a cruise's or a resort's: mostly card fees, city taxes, transit and phone data.
Europe has a reputation for being expensive, and parts of it are. But it's also the one place where your money behaves the most honestly. Once you've paid for the flight and the hotel, there are no resort fees, no nightly gratuities on your bill and no $14 drinks you were pressured into. Just a city, a pair of comfortable shoes and a lot of bread.
We priced a full week, 7 nights for two people, in every European destination on our site, with flights from a typical US airport and the costs that never make it into the spreadsheet.
A week for two, cheapest to priciest
| Destination | Looks like | Hidden costs | Really costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porto | $3,550 | +$716 | $4,266 |
| Prague | $3,660 | +$711 | $4,371 |
| Budapest | $3,590 | +$858 | $4,448 |
| Tallinn | $3,710 | +$825 | $4,535 |
| Kraków | $3,460 | +$1,133 | $4,593 |
| Lisbon | $3,740 | +$854 | $4,594 |
| Madrid | $3,850 | +$804 | $4,654 |
| Seville | $4,000 | +$738 | $4,738 |
| Athens | $4,080 | +$789 | $4,869 |
| Brussels | $4,010 | +$923 | $4,933 |
| Berlin | $4,110 | +$904 | $5,014 |
| Bruges | $4,080 | +$1,036 | $5,116 |
| Barcelona | $4,380 | +$905 | $5,285 |
| Valletta | $4,530 | +$849 | $5,379 |
| Vienna | $4,280 | +$1,179 | $5,459 |
| Strasbourg | $4,420 | +$1,218 | $5,638 |
| Stockholm | $4,410 | +$1,271 | $5,681 |
| Rome | $4,710 | +$976 | $5,686 |
| Munich | $4,500 | +$1,217 | $5,717 |
| Dublin | $4,530 | +$1,301 | $5,831 |
| Salzburg | $4,800 | +$1,031 | $5,831 |
| Copenhagen | $4,750 | +$1,094 | $5,844 |
| Edinburgh | $4,710 | +$1,144 | $5,854 |
| Dubrovnik | $5,010 | +$888 | $5,898 |
| Florence | $4,940 | +$995 | $5,935 |
| Amsterdam | $4,900 | +$1,123 | $6,023 |
| Iceland | $3,920 | +$2,127 | $6,047 |
| Italy | $4,600 | +$1,491 | $6,091 |
| Ireland | $4,240 | +$1,891 | $6,131 |
| Paris | $5,000 | +$1,213 | $6,213 |
| First Trip to Europe | $4,580 | +$1,644 | $6,224 |
| Greece | $4,640 | +$1,594 | $6,234 |
| Venice | $5,350 | +$1,102 | $6,452 |
| London | $5,160 | +$1,409 | $6,569 |
Southern and Central Europe (Porto, Prague, Budapest, Lisbon) are the bargains. London, Paris, Venice and Amsterdam sit at the top, mostly because of hotels. The multi-stop trips like Italy, Greece and Ireland cost a bit more because you're moving around, and moving costs money.
The extras that are different in Europe
Foreign card feesabout $130 a week
Many US cards charge about 3% on every purchase abroad. On a week of hotels, meals and museums, it adds up.
Shrink it: Bring a card with no foreign transaction fees, and when a card machine asks whether to pay in dollars or euros, always pick the local currency.
City and tourist taxesabout $84 a week
Most big European cities charge a nightly tourist tax, paid at the hotel and rarely included in the price you booked. Venice adds a separate fee for day-trippers on busy days.
Shrink it: You can't avoid it, but you can expect it. Our calculators include it where it applies.
Phone dataabout $60
Your carrier's international day pass adds up fast over a week.
Shrink it: A travel eSIM usually costs less, and you can set it up before you leave home.
Getting aroundvaries by city
Airport trains, metro passes and the occasional taxi after a long dinner. Cheap individually, not cheap all together.
Shrink it: Most cities sell a multi-day transit pass that pays for itself by day two.
Restaurant extrasa few euros a meal
Italy's coperto (a cover charge per person), the service charge added to many London bills, and the bottle of water you didn't know you ordered.
Shrink it: Read the bottom of the menu. The rules are usually printed there.
How to make a European week cost less
- Pick one or two cities, not five. Every move costs a train ticket, a half day and a little sanity.
- Go in spring or fall. Shoulder season hotels can cost far less than summer, and you'll have the museums mostly to yourself.
- Fly into the cheapest hub. Flights into big hubs like London, Paris, Amsterdam or Lisbon are often cheaper, and trains or budget airlines will take you on from there.
- Eat your big meal at lunch. Many restaurants serve the same food for less at midday.
How we got these numbers
Every row comes from that destination's calculator, set to two travelers and 7 nights, with typical airfare from a US airport and the forgotten costs that are on by default. Hotels and flights move most with season and your home airport, so run your own dates through the calculator.
Run your own numbers
Every figure here comes from a free calculator. Change any number to match your trip.