London, Prague and Sofia are the top European capitals to celebrate the New Year in, a new report has found. Britain’s capital also has the best-rated nightlife.
Skopje in North Macedonia, which features in the top ten capitals in Europe for festive parties, has the most affordable accommodation of all.
This is all according to a new study from Slot.Day, who analysed the quality of nightlife and the cost of accommodation in all European capitals.
The researchers focused on the number of highly rated nightlife establishments in each capital listed on TripAdvisor, specifically the ones that received four stars and above out of five. To evaluate the cost of accommodation, the study considers a three-night stay for a group of ten who would be sharing a room between two people.
London is Europe’s best destination for New Years Eve parties among all capital cities on the continent. It has a staggering 854 highly rated bars, clubs and pubs to choose from on a typical night out. It is worth noting that London is the fifth most expensive European capital for accommodation, estimated at an average of €350.61 per person for a three-night stay.
Famous for its variety of award-winning beer, Prague is the second-best capital city in Europe to spend New Years Eve in. At half the cost for hotels compared to London, Prague boasts 418 nightlife places that earned stellar reviews from its visitors.
A top destination in the summer, Bulgaria also has its capital city as a major tourist attraction. Sofia offers its visitors a choice of 112 bars and clubs rated four stars and above, while hotels are a reasonable €125.6 per person for three nights.
Completing the top ten list for NYE destinations are Skopje (North Macedonia), Tirana (Albania), Bucharest (Romania), Belgrade (Serbia), Warsaw (Poland), Berlin (Germany) and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). They all have a good nightlife-hotel balance.
The study ranked Bern (Switzerland), Reykjavik (Iceland), and Valetta (Malta) among the least preferable European capitals to spend the New Year in. Bern is both expensive to stay in (€419.4 per person) and only has seven places rated with at least four stars, making it the last capital on the list to consider for watching the New Year ring in.
Although it offers a reasonable range of highly appreciated bars and clubs, counting 41, Reykjavik can be quite pricey for hotels, averaging to €366.4 for a three-night trip. Malta’s picturesque capital of Valletta only has seven nightlife establishments of 4-5 stars and a steep €299.5 cost for a three-night hotel stay, making it less than ideal for a typical New Years weekend.
Michael Slot, main author and journalist of Slot.Day, said, “It is surprising to find places like Skopje, Tirana and Sarajevo offering a good balance of high-quality nightlife and affordable accommodation. Other hidden gems off the beaten path include Vilnius, Riga and Chisinau.
Trips can be costly, therefore finding an affordable place to enjoy your New Years celebrations without having to compromise on the fun and quality of the time away is crucial, meaning these findings offer a fantastic insight for any couples or friendship groups looking to get away with their friends and family.”
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