Virgin Money Travel Insurance Says Krakow is Best Value for Christmas Markets

    NORWICH, ENGLAND, October 29, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Shoppers looking for festive bargains in continental Christmas markets should check the costs before heading for Prague, according to analysis by Virgin Money Travel Insurance.

The Czech capital is famous for the markets in Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square but will cost tourists more than double the price of a visit to Berlin's Christmas markets, Virgin Money Travel Insurance says.

Prague was rated as the most expensive at GBP482 per person for a visit compared with Berlin at GBP157 with other cut-price destinations including Budapest at GBP142, Krakow at GBP140 and Valkenburg in the Netherlands at GBP219.

Virgin Money Travel Insurance research compared the cost of a two-night stay in a four star hotel close to the markets as well as the price of entry into a local attraction and the bill for insurance for a three-day stay.

Lapland, the official home of Santa Claus, came in at GBP287 for a three-day stay although visitors are definitely guaranteed reindeer in the Arctic Circle.

The Valkenburg Christmas market in the Netherlands, which are famously held in the town's caves cost GBP219.42, while Copenhagen's Christmas market, hosted in Europe's oldest amusement park was the fifth most expensive.

The cheapest attraction in the cities rated by Virgin Money Travel Insurance included Krakow's Princes Czartoryski Museum, which boasts Leonardo da Vinci's famous 'Lady with an Ermine', at GBP2.20 per person with Lapland's Arctic Centre and the London Transport Museum both costing GBP10 per person.

Grant Bather of Virgin Money Travel Insurance said: "Christmas is a time for giving but it doesn't have to be a case of giving money away.
"The cost of a trip to the continental Christmas markets can vary widely with Prague double the cost of other destinations. Of course Lapland is the home of Santa and reindeers but if you're not worried about that then Krakow is the best value.

"While the exchange rate of the euro and some other currencies are not as favourable as they have been, taking a trip abroad just before Christmas is still an attractive option and you might pick up that special present that you can't get on the High Street at home."

Virgin Money offers a range of travel insurance policies designed to meet the needs of a variety of travellers including families, backpackers, over 65's, winter sports enthusiasts and people going on adventure holidays with customised travel insurance options.
Winter sports cover is standard on annual multi-trip policies and over forty adventure sports are covered as standard, from archery to white water rafting. Up to three under 18s are also covered, for free, per adult. It also offers up to GBP400 cover for backpackers (aged under 35) if they are mugged while travelling.

For further information

Grant Bather
Virgin Money
Tel: 07834 844 427

Kevan Reilly/ Jonathan Henderson/Chris Jarvis
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Tel: 0207 638 9571

About Virgin Money

Virgin Money is Virgin's financial services arm and was established in 1995.
Virgin Money has over two million customers and offers a wide range of financial products across lending (e.g. credit cards and personal loans), savings (e.g. deposits, investments and pensions) and protection (e.g. life insurance, home insurance and car insurance) to the UK market.
Virgin Money Personal Financial Service Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Registered Office: Discovery House, Whiting Road, Norwich NR4 6EJ. Registered in England no. 3072766. Entered on the Financial Services Register (www.fsa.gov.uk/register), Register Number: 179271

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