London priciest European city for culture, says survey

A visit by two people to an art gallery, a museum, a heritage site, the opera, the ballet and a classical concert costs a total £256.

The survey, by Post Office Travel Money which looked at 12 major European cities, said London was even pricier than Paris for tickets.

It said the cost was high despite some art galleries and museums being free.

Warsaw in Poland was found to be the best value of the cities polled, with cultural trips costing £70.

That was followed by Budapest at £80, Prague at £93, and Dublin at £102.

Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money, said prices varied dramatically across the 12 cities surveyed - all of which boasted world-class cultural attractions.

"This means culture vultures can save hundreds of pounds by doing their homework before booking and swapping expensive cities for cheaper ones," he said.

Two tickets for the Royal Ballet in London cost £91, while a pair of opera tickets would set people back £117.50.

A couple buying ballet tickets in Budapest could expect to pay £15, while a pair of opera tickets in Warsaw would fetch £20.

While London was deemed the most expensive of the 12 cities surveyed, even though costs were found to have dropped by 21% since 2009.

Culture prices in Rome and Vienna were also down from 2009 - by 36.1% and 27.3% respectively.

Costs in Amsterdam rose by 37.3% - the highest rise among the cities.