Euro Trips Where Your Pound Still Flies
- Top Tips
- Published: 27 Nov 2009 in Travel and Travel Insurance
By Carl Chambers
If a strong euro is putting you off a trip to the
continent, here’s a list of non-euro countries where your pound may still
fly.
Back in summer 2007, your hard-earned pound was worth a
well-bronzed 1.48 euros and we were jetting across the channel faster than
Ryanair could think up extra charges. Since then, of course, the pound has paled
to a sickly 1.10 euros, and as a result, many traditional eurozone travelers
have taken the ‘staycation’ option.
Despite this, die-hard short-haulers have stuck at it, with
many keenly embracing non-eurozone continental destinations. But which
countries, exactly, are ‘non-eurozone’? And more importantly, how much is a beer
once you get there?
Eurozone/Non-Eurozone
Europe comprises 50 countries. Strictly speaking, only 16 are
in the eurozone as they use the euro as their sole currency, however, five more
can be added as they also use the euro. That leaves 29 non-eurozone countries.
Here’s a helpful table…
*Not formally eurozone but can
be considered as such because they have the €.
It’s worth noting that several non-eurozone countries are
planning to migrate to the eurozone over the next few years, including Estonia,
the Czech Republic and Poland, so the above table should be viewed as correct as
of November 2009.
Ten Non-Eurozone Hot Spots
Of the 29 non-eurozone countries, some aren’t exactly what
we’d call ‘holiday hot spots’ (e.g. ‘Eurasian’ states such as Armenia, Belarus
or Kazakhstan), so
here’s a quick peek at ten of the most popular destinations. The table shows
exchange rates compared with pre-credit crunch, plus what a typical pint will
cost once you land (as shown on pintprice.com – a website useful for the fun-seeking city
breaker).
|
COUNTRY
|
CURRENCY
|
£1 worth on 25/11/07
|
£1 worth on 25/11/09
|
Average Price of a Pint
|
|
Bulgaria
|
Lev
|
2.73
|
2.17
|
71p
|
|
Czech
Republic
|
Koruna
|
37.38
|
28.81
|
71p
|
|
Denmark
|
Krone
|
10.37
|
8.25
|
£4.24
|
|
Estonia
|
Kroon
|
21.86
|
17.35
|
£1.50
|
|
Hungary
|
Forint
|
360.03
|
297.40
|
£1.00
|
|
Iceland
|
Króna
|
130.58
|
203.09
|
£3.60
|
|
Latvia
|
Lats
|
0.99
|
0.79
|
£2.20
|
|
Lithuania
|
Litas
|
4.86
|
3.83
|
£1.18
|
|
Poland
|
Zloty
|
5.13
|
4.57
|
£1.00
|
|
Turkey
|
Lira
|
2.49
|
2.48
|
£1.75
|
Note. Rate
data from Oanda.com. Rates shown are Interbank rates, not high street rates.
Follow the link for tips on finding great holiday cash deals.
You can see from the table that Iceland is the only place
where you’ll get a better exchange rate than two years ago – a somewhat
depressing indicator of Sterling’s current clout.
A far more informal (but much more fun) indicator of what
you’ll get for you money is the average pint price. The fact that a lot of eurozone city break
destinations now charge around £5 a pint has contributed to the current decline
in eurozone travel. But be aware that a non-euro country doesn’t automatically
mean cheap drinking and eating. For example, Denmark’s average pint price is
£4.24 and Norway’s is £6. Something worth considering if planning a boozy stag
or hen weekend.
Travel Money Saving Tips
One way to offset an expensive exchange rate or a pricey
holiday bar bill is to cut costs everywhere else. You can search online for
cheap flights on sites such as easyjet or ryanair, and find bargain hotels or buy cheap travel insurance on sites like Confused.com. It’s also
worth reading up on how to find the best holiday cash exchange rates, plus here are some top tips for spending abroad. These tips could help those
wanderlusting after a foreign break that’s comparable in cost to a
staycation.
To round off, here’s a travel tip for those who want to head
for a quick continental city break without the hassle of money exchange.
Gibraltar is a tiny British territory attached to the Spanish
mainland, overlooking the strait where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet. A
part of Spain until 1713, ‘The Rock’ has for years been a prosperous area of
commerce and a strategic military base. As a city break destination, Gibraltar
offers sunshine, numerous duty-free outlets, 79p-a-pint beer, stunning views
over the Med and Africa, easy access to Spain, plus they take pounds or euros.
British Airways, Easyjet and Monarch all have regular services.
Happy holidays!
Related articles:
Confused.com’s favourite city breaks
Romantic city break trips
Confused.com’s guide to Vilnius, Europe’s capital of culture
2009
Confused.com’s top ten holiday destinations for
2009
Confused.com European driving guide
Travel insurance buyer’s guide part 1: Comparing travel
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