NEWTON, Mass., June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor^®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced TripIndex™ 2012 — a cost comparison of accommodations and an evening out on the town for two people in popular tourist cities across the United States and throughout the world.

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The TripAdvisor TripIndex is based on the combined costs for two of a one-night stay in a four-star hotel, one cocktail per person, a two-course dinner with a bottle of wine, and round-trip taxi transportation (two journeys of two miles).

The costs listed apply to the upcoming summer months (June 1 — August 31, 2012).

Global Travel Steals

• Among TripIndex cities, Las Vegas is the most affordable city in the United States for domestic travelers, coming in at a total cost of $263 on the TripIndex.
• Hanoi, Vietnam rang up as the most affordable travel spot globally for U.S. travelers, with a TripIndex cost of $141.
• For U.S. travelers seeking a bargain European escape, Budapest, Hungary is the least expensive destination, with a total TripIndex cost of $194.
• Asia is the most affordable continent for U.S. travelers interested in summer deals, boasting six of the top ten most affordable cities. Total TripIndex prices in these Asian cities range from $141 to just over $200.

Expensive Escapes

• The Big Apple narrowly edges Boston as the costliest U.S. city, with a TripIndex tally of $457, compared to Beantown's $450.
• Providing a worldwide stage this summer, London is the priciest global city for American travelers, with a cost of $518.
• Travelers heading south of the U.S. border will have to pay the most for a stay in Brazil's capital, with Rio de Janeiro revealed as the South American city with the highest price tag, at $362.
• Europe is the most expensive continent for U.S. travelers, with seven of the world's priciest cities on the Index (London, Oslo, Zurich, Paris, Stockholm, Moscow and Copenhagen).

Southern Hospitality

For the second year, TripIndex reveals the Southern U.S. as the top region for travelers looking for domestic deals. The South features four of the top 10 most affordable U.S. destinations on the TripIndex:  Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta and Orlando, all with total prices between $283 and $309.

Hotels Set the Tone

Hotel costs were the pivotal factor in determining the most and least expensive cities on TripIndex:

• The cheapest average hotel room globally goes to Bangkok, at $81 per night — while at more than four times the cost, London rates are the most expensive, at $362 per night.
• The average cost of a room in the 10 cheapest global cities for hotels is $113, while the 10 most expensive destinations come in at an average of $262. 
• The most affordable hotel room in the U.S. is in Las Vegas, where travelers can expect to pay $125. The most expensive room goes to Boston, coming in on the TripIndex at $354.

"For American travelers planning city trips, it's important to have an understanding of the day-to-day destination expenses," said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications for TripAdvisor. "TripIndex is a useful resource to help travelers see how far their dollar will go, make budget-appropriate trip choices and offer inspiration for those considering a city trip this summer."

TripIndex Cities

Best Value International Cities:

Most Expensive International Cities:

U.S. Cities:

The full TripIndex is available at:
http://tripadv.sr/InternationalTripIndex
http://tripadv.sr/USTripIndex

Notes to Editors:

The international TripIndex destination list comprises key cities from 48 of the 50 countries, which receive the largest number of international visitor arrivals (data compiled by the UNWTO). The U.S. TripIndex list comprises 15 popular, editorially selected U.S. cities, focusing on large and popular tourism markets in the U.S.

TripIndex prices out the following items in each destination to represent the cost of an evening out for two people:

• One night's accommodation in a four-star hotel (based on one room, two people sharing)
• Cocktails for two people
• Dinner for two (two courses and a bottle of house wine)
• Return taxi transportation (two taxi journeys of two miles each)

Prices were collected through a variety of research methods as outlined below. Prices were taken in local currencies between March and May 2012 and converted into USD (when necessary) on May 29, 2012.

Hotels: Prices specify the average per-night cost of a room at four-star hotels found on TripAdvisor (via partner booking sites such as online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers) in each destination for the summer travel period (June 1 - August 31, 2012).

Cocktails for two: Prices specify the average cost of two traditional dry martinis from a top-rated five-star hotel on TripAdvisor in each destination. *Designates the price taken from top-rated four-star hotel, as no five-star hotel is listed on TripAdvisor in this destination.

Dinner for two: Prices specify the average cost of a traditional or common two-course meal (starter and main course) for two people with a bottle of house (or cheapest available) white wine (prices averaged from three mid-range restaurants in each destination). 

Return taxi trip: 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, recognized taxi companies, and/or travel experts on the area.

About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors*, and over 60 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 19 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 69 million unique monthly visitors**. TripAdvisor's travel media brands include www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travel-library.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com, www.whereivebeen.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, January 2012

**Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Inc. and its subsidiaries, Worldwide, January 2012

©2012 TripAdvisor, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE TripAdvisor