How much for a mini-break in Hungary?
Where:A weekend in Budapest
When:October 3rd-5th
With the tour operatorClub Travel is offering a weekend break in a three-star hotel in the Hungarian capital for just over €500 per couple. Flights with Aer Lingus leave Dublin at 3.15pm on Friday and depart at 8.10pm on Sunday evening. The hotel, the Panzio Ring, is within striking distance of the city's major attractions, including Margit Island, the opera house and the parliament buildings. One of the city's train stations is also just 100m away. Club Travel's weekend package covers room only, which means we will have to forage for our breakfast (our DIY option comes with breakfast included, so we add a modest €3 per person per day to the tour operator's tally to make up the shortfall). The basic package costs €258 per person, plus a further €12 for breakfasts.
How much?€528.
On your ownBooked through the third-party website, www.hotelclub.net, we find a double room in the same hotel for a total cost of €194 for the weekend, and the price includes a hot buffet breakfast. We travel on exactly the same Aer Lingus flights, which cost €82 per person return, for a total of €164. When we add the taxes and charges, the cost jumps to €279.60. The total cost of the DIY package is just under €500. Incidentally, by moving our dates forward by just 24 hours on the outward and homeward bound trips we save ourselves nearly €100, both with the tour operator and going it alone.
Total€473.60.
DIY savings€54.40.
