Thousands of people at expansive squares, live shows, while dancing until dawn and at the many pubs that are open all night long – this is how New Year’s Eve is celebrated in Europe’s capital cities. The costs of traveling and the accommodations in these places are comparable to the prices of New Year’s Eve balls in Poland.
Spending New Year’s Eve in the Polish mountains or in one of the Polish sea resorts can cost up to a few thousand zlotys. Is it possible to spend this night on Champs Elysees in Paris, near the Big Ben in London, under the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin or at the Charles Bridge in Prague on a similar budget?
London Eye sees a quarter million partygoers
If you book a round-trip flight from Warsaw to London at the beginning of December, you will pay approximately 450 PLN per person. A double-room in a motel costs approximately 200 PLN. However, if you wish to stay in a three-star hotel located near the city center, this will cost you approximately 350-600 PLN.
According to booking.com, lower prices were available in October and at the beginning of November. During three days of staying in London, you should spend some time to see the city’s main attractions. However, on New Year’s Eve, all roads will lead to the London Eye and Big Ben. Approximately 250 000 people gather there each year to greet the New Year and watch one of the most breathtaking fireworks shows in the world. The party starts at approximately 10 PM and usually ends at dawn.
Champs Elysees and Paris clubs
A round-trip flight from Warsaw to Paris on December 30th will cost approximately 530 PLN. It’s absolutely cheaper to go by bus, because a round-trip ticket costs around 350 PLN. However, this method of traveling is much more time-consuming, as it takes twenty-three hours to reach Paris by bus.
Accommodations in the French capital city are similar to those of London. It’s possible to rent a double-room for 200 PLN, but the cost can increase to approximately 400 PLN if you’re aiming for a three-star standard hotel, with breakfast included. The New Year is greeted at Champs Elysees. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people gather to watch concerts and fireworks on this world famous avenue. There was an exception last year. After the terrorist attacks on November 2015, the use of fireworks was forbidden.
The clubs in Paris have a rich offering of New Year’s Eve parties as well. Tickets cost at least 40 euro.
Brandenburg Gate surrounded by millions
Another idea for New Year’s Eve is to spend it in Berlin. This city is approximately 600 km away from Warsaw, and you have four options of getting there – by plane, train, bus or car.
A round-trip plane ticket costs 470 PLN. A round-trip bus ticket is cheaper (250 PLN), but you need to be prepared for an eleven-hour trip. You will spend less time on a train (approximately five-and-a-half hours), but this round-trip ticket costs approximately 500 PLN. If you wish to go by car, you will need to add motorway fees to the cost of fuel.
According to the data from booking.com, you can expect higher accommodation prices over the New Year’s holiday. Moreover, most rooms have already been booked. Offers still available include a double-room for approximately 350 PLN in a motel, or a double-room in a three-star hotel located near the center of Berlin, for approximately 480 PLN.
New Year’s Eve in Berlin should be spent at one of the largest parties in the world, which is held near the Brandenburg Gate. Its organizers estimate that it attracts approximately one million people from all over the world each year. The party’s schedule includes live shows, which are held on multiple stages, and a spectacular firework show. The fun doesn’t stop until dawn.
Visiting Prague
“Be prepared for large crowds of people,” warn Poles who have spent New Year’s Eve in the capital city of Czech Republic. You can meet most of the crowd in the area of Wencelas Square and near the Charles Bridge. Visitors circulate between these places. However, breweries, wine-bars and trip-boats on the Vltava are filled with tourists, as well. Live shows are being held in the old city, as well as at Wencelas Square. These places are also full of market stalls, which offer food and mulled wine. In order to enter one of the pubs, you need to be prepared to pay 15-500 Czech kronas.
Fireworks fans may feel disappointed at midnight. This is because the firework show in Prague is held on New Year’s Day at 6 PM.
The distance between Warsaw and Prague is 615 km. A bus trip takes approximately 10-12 hours, and train trip takes 8-9 hours. Round-trip ticket prices are within the range of 200 to 500 PLN. The cheapest offers come from PolskiBus. A round-trip plane ticket from Warsaw to Prague costs 600-700 PLN, as long as you book it a few weeks in advance.
You should always book your accommodations as soon as possible. However, there are some exceptions. You can still find some vacant rooms dormitories, which cost less than 100 PLN for one night. One bed in a hostel costs approximately 100-150 PLN during the New Year’s period. On the other hand, the prices for a room in a four-star hotel begin at 400 PLN, including breakfast.
Currency
Regardless of where you would like to spend New Year’s Eve, you will need money for food, accommodation, sightseeing and entertainment. In London, you can pay with pounds, in Berlin and in Paris with euro, and in Prague with the Czech krona. If you enjoy saving, you should exchange currency online using it’s increasingly popular method – social transactions.
- In order to use Cinkciarz.pl social transactions, you need to top up your currency wallet, define the currency you wish to sell or buy and set the exchange rate. The transaction will be concluded automatically, as soon as your offer interests somebody. Moreover, Cinkciarz.pl doesn’t charge charge any fees from these transactions – said Piotr Kiciński, Cinkciarz.pl Vice-chairman of the Board.