Holidays in southern Europe are sometimes much cheaper for Germans than at home. Even in Italy, where the price level is highest among selected holiday destinations in southern and eastern Europe, restaurants and hotels were still five percent cheaper in March than in Germany. This was announced by the Federal Statistical Office on Tuesday for its evaluation.

"Increased energy and food costs are reducing the budget of many people in Germany for holiday travel," the statisticians emphasized: "Especially in southern and southeastern European holiday countries, however, the price level for restaurant and hotel services is significantly lower than in Germany."

In Croatia and Cyprus, it was even 17 percent cheaper for German tourists. In Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic, holidaymakers paid 18 per cent less for restaurant and hotel services than in Germany, 21 per cent less in Greece and 28 per cent less in Portugal and Malta. Montenegro and Romania were even cheaper: Here, hotel stays and restaurant visits cost about 46 percent less than in Germany. "In Turkey and Albania, the price level was the lowest of all selected countries," the Federal Office found. Both holiday countries were more than half (56 percent) cheaper.

On the other hand, holidays are more expensive in Northern Europe and some neighbouring countries than between Rügen and Lake Constance. In Switzerland, travelers have to dig deepest into their pockets: hotel and restaurant visits cost 61 percent more there than in this country. Denmark and Norway were also more than 40 percent more expensive.

Finland is a bit cheaper in comparison – but even here the holiday was still 25 percent more expensive than in Germany. In Ireland, tourists had to pay 21 percent more, in Sweden 17 percent and in Austria 15 percent. Those who traveled to the popular holiday destination France had to shell out eight percent more.