CN Traveller: Lille, Strasbourg cheapest June 5–7

CN Traveller reported on May 22 that Lille and Strasbourg ranked among the cheapest European city breaks for British travelers in Post Office Travel Money’s latest comparison. The ranking was based on a basket of typical short-break costs, including two nights’ three-star accommodation for two adults for the weekend of June 5-7, 2026, according to the report. The list focused on the cost of a short European break rather than airfare alone, combining hotel, food, drinks, transport and sightseeing items. Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at the Post Office, said the findings made the two French cities “compelling choices” for travelers considering surface travel from Britain. ### Which costs were counted in the comparison? The Post Office comparison measured 12 tourist costs, according to CN Traveller’s account of the report. Those items included two nights’ three-star weekend accommodation, a three-course meal for two with a bottle of house wine, coffee, beer, Coca-Cola, a glass of wine, return airport transfers, a 48-hour travel card, a sightseeing bus tour, a top heritage attraction, a top museum and a top art gallery. Hotels.com pricing was used for the accommodation element, CN Traveller reported. The hotel figure was based on an average of the 10 cheapest available three-star city-center rooms for two adults sharing a double or twin en suite room for June 5-7, 2026. ### Why did Lille and Strasbourg stand out? Lille and Strasbourg stood out because the Post Office found lower overall short-break costs there than in several better-known western European city-break markets, according to CN Traveller and other reports carrying the Post Office findings. Plunkett said Lille and Strasbourg were now less expensive than past favorites including Athens and Lisbon. The Post Office said the two cities also fit a rail-first itinerary for some British travelers. Lille has direct Eurostar service from London, while Strasbourg can be reached by combining Eurostar with onward high-speed rail, Plunkett said. ### Is this the same as the Post Office’s regular city barometer? The Post Office’s standing city-cost guide is an annual comparison of European short-break costs for U.K. travelers. Its most recently available public guide on the Post Office website, updated June 5, 2025, ranked Riga as the cheapest city in that year’s barometer and listed Lille sixth at 293.26 pounds. That 2025 guide also said accommodation remained the biggest cost component and that the barometer compared 12 common tourist costs across 38 cities. The 2026 weekend-specific comparison cited by CN Traveller used the same broad approach but a different travel date. In this case, the accommodation basket was tied to the specific June 5-7, 2026 weekend rather than the earlier 2025 barometer snapshot. ### What does the ranking say about how travelers are booking? CN Traveller linked the findings to demand for shorter, easier-to-budget European breaks. The article said the ranking highlighted destinations where travelers could keep spending under closer control by choosing nearby cities and comparing all-in trip costs rather than looking only at transport fares. Post Office guidance on its travel pages continues to frame the city barometer as a budgeting tool for U.K. travelers. The company says the comparison is designed to show where money goes further once visitors arrive, using spending categories such as accommodation, meals, drinks, local transport and attractions. ### Where can travelers check the underlying comparison? Post Office Travel Money publishes its city-cost material through its travel guides and city barometer pages. CN Traveller’s May 22 article summarized the June 5-7, 2026 weekend comparison and identified Lille and Strasbourg as the leading low-cost options in that snapshot. The Post Office’s published city-cost pages remain the place to watch for fuller destination tables and methodology updates. Its current online guide still carries the 2025 City Costs Barometer, while CN Traveller’s May 22 article is the published account of the newer June 2026 weekend-based comparison.