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TripAdvisor Identifies European Bargain Trips for U.S. Travelers
Cost of a One-Week European Trip is 11 Percent Less Expensive this Summer, According to TripAdvisor Hotel and Flights Data
One-Third of U.S. Travelers Planning International Summer Trips to Take Advantage of Favorable Exchange Rates
NEWTON, Mass., April 7, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced the results of its TripIndex™ Europe, revealing 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 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 a recent TripAdvisor survey1, nearly one-third of U.S. respondents plan to travel abroad this summer to take advantage of the strong U.S. dollar," said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications for TripAdvisor. "For those looking to save, Europe is a great option. Compared to last summer, Americans can expect to pay about 20 percent less on hotels in Europe when booking on TripAdvisor, and eight percent less on roundtrip airfare."
Travel to Europe for Less This Summer
- The average cost of a one-week summer trip has declined in 24 of the 25 European destinations included in the TripIndex by an average of 11%, year-over-year.
- The cost of visiting Istanbul has decreased 25% year-over-year, making it the most affordable destination on the TripIndex with 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% since last summer.
European Hotel Values
- The average nightly rate for a European hotel booked on TripAdvisor for this summer is $133, compared to $164 in 2014.
- The least expensive hotel rooms this summer can be found in Bucharest for $67 per night, while Reykjavik is the costliest at $258.
- Hotel rates in Moscow have seen the biggest year-over-year price decline—from $146 to $84—representing a 43% savings.
Summer Savings on Trans-Atlantic Airfares
- 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.
- While Reykjavik has the most expensive hotels, it boasts the most affordable airfare at $1,086; London is the most expensive destination to fly to at $1,763.
- Istanbul, the most affordable destination, saw the largest year-over-year decrease in flight prices (-24%).
- Although hotel prices in Moscow fell the most year-over-year, it was the only city to see a substantial increase in airfares (+56%).
TripIndex Europe: Avg. Cost of a One-Week Summer Trip and YOY Cost Comparison
| City | Average Nightly Hotel Rate | Average Roundtrip Airfare | Cost For a One-Week Trip | YOY Trip Cost | |||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | 2015 | ||
| Istanbul | $132.08 | $97.13 | $1,570.99 | $1,197.47 | $2,495.55 | $1,877.38 | -25% |
| Bucharest | $90.68 | $66.94 | $1,615.37 | $1,425.57 | $2,250.13 | $1,894.15 | -16% |
| Krakow | $95.01 | $77.99 | $1,426.40 | $1,437.95 | $2,091.47 | $1,983.88 | -5% |
| Budapest | $85.88 | $70.94 | $1,553.96 | $1,532.05 | $2,155.12 | $2,028.63 | -6% |
| Prague | $103.80 | $80.17 | $1,594.19 | $1,512.81 | $2,320.79 | $2,074.00 | -11% |
| Athens | $99.51 | $84.87 | $1,747.65 | $1,493.45 | $2,444.22 | $2,087.54 | -15% |
| Brussels | $129.66 | $104.49 | $1,550.55 | $1,379.76 | $2,458.17 | $2,111.19 | -14% |
| Berlin | $107.43 | $91.92 | $1,604.18 | $1,506.71 | $2,356.19 | $2,150.15 | -9% |
| Lisbon | $104.02 | $93.10 | $1,465.46 | $1,519.48 | $2,193.60 | $2,171.18 | -1% |
| Stockholm | $209.91 | $156.04 | $1,384.97 | $1,092.35 | $2,854.34 | $2,184.63 | -23% |
| Oslo | $194.92 | $150.53 | $1,375.91 | $1,150.09 | $2,740.35 | $2,203.80 | -20% |
| Dublin | $161.82 | $146.10 | $1,370.99 | $1,206.74 | $2,503.73 | $2,229.44 | -11% |
| Moscow | $146.33 | $83.63 | $1,082.97 | $1,689.69 | $2,107.28 | $2,275.10 | +8% |
| Helsinki | $174.45 | $137.49 | $1,445.87 | $1,341.94 | $2,667.02 | $2,304.37 | -14% |
| Copenhagen | $228.48 | $174.55 | $1,387.86 | $1,125.51 | $2,987.22 | $2,347.36 | -21% |
| Vienna | $125.19 | $100.63 | $1,844.53 | $1,679.80 | $2,720.86 | $2,384.21 | -12% |
| Barcelona | $163.17 | $127.34 | $1,635.35 | $1,502.11 | $2,777.54 | $2,393.49 | -14% |
| Rome | $156.78 | $120.39 | $1,804.93 | $1,678.50 | $2,902.39 | $2,521.23 | -13% |
| Amsterdam | $180.05 | $150.30 | $1,809.72 | $1,641.67 | $3,070.07 | $2,693.77 | -12% |
| Paris | $200.19 | $158.24 | $1,886.93 | $1,621.38 | $3,288.26 | $2,729.06 | -17% |
| Dubrovnik | $184.83 | $145.36 | $1,889.60 | $1,748.77 | $3,183.41 | $2,766.29 | -13% |
| Edinburgh | $234.36 | $209.91 | $1,737.35 | $1,336.95 | $3,377.87 | $2,806.32 | -17% |
| Reykjavik | $303.16 | $257.80 | $1,196.02 | $1,086.00 | $3,318.14 | $2,890.60 | -13% |
| London | $225.88 | $202.93 | $1,785.09 | $1,762.54 | $3,366.25 | $3,183.05 | -5% |
| Zurich | $265.40 | $229.29 | $1,706.78 | $1,631.37 | $3,564.58 | $3,236.40 | -9% |
A color version of this table is available at http://media.globenewswire.com/cache/32829/file/33074.jpg
Notes to Editors:
TripIndex Europe looks at 25 popular Europeans destinations, based on traffic on TripAdvisor from U.S. travelers, limited to one per country.
Hotels: Hotel prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average cost of a seven night stay in a hotel bookable on TripAdvisor, aggregated from hundreds of booking partners, including online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers. Pricing information was sourced for the travel period of June 1, 2015 - August 31, 2015.
Flights: Flight prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average roundtrip airfare from the continental U.S. to each destination's main airport. Pricing information was sourced using TripAdvisor Flights and is accurate of fares found between March 24-31, 2015 for flights departing and returning between June 1 and August 31, 2015. Summer 2014 flight prices reflect fares for flights departing and returning between June 1 and August 31, 2014. National average prices are based on fares from the top 20 busiest U.S. airports: ATL, BOS, CLT, DEN, DFW, DTW, EWR, IAH, JFK, LAS, LAX, LGA, MCO, MIA, MSP, ORD, PHL, PHX, SEA, and SFO.
1Based on a TripAdvisor survey of more than 2,000 U.S. respondents
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 315 million unique monthly visitors**, and more than 200 million reviews and opinions covering more than 4.5 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 45 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.
TripAdvisor, Inc. (Nasdaq:TRIP) manages and operates websites under 24 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com and www.iens.nl), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, December 2014
**Source: Google Analytics, average monthly unique users, Q3 2014; does not include traffic to daodao.com
CONTACT: Erin Millard
(617) 795-7985
emillard@tripadvisor.com