An analysis by ZEN.COM covering nearly 60,000 short trips taken by customers from Poland shows that a cheap flight does not necessarily mean a cheap city break. For trips to Barcelona, airfare accounted for only around a quarter of the total bill – €183 out of more than €720 in travel-related spending. At the same time, we start paying for a trip long before departure: typically, 24 days pass between making a booking payment and setting off. So when plans change, it is not just the price of the flight that is at risk, but also money already spent on accommodation and other reservations.
ZEN.COM analysed nearly 60,000 city breaks – short trips taken by almost 36,000 customers from Poland to European cities. The analysis covered trips lasting between two and eight days and focused on stays in a single city.
Airfare is only part of the bill
Across eight popular destinations among ZEN.COM customers, flights accounted for between 22% and 40% of total travel-related spending. The lowest share was recorded in Budapest, at 22%, followed by Barcelona and Amsterdam at 25% each, and Rome at 26%. At the other end of the scale was Lisbon, where airfare typically cost around €360 and represented 40% of the total trip bill.
An attractive ticket price may determine the choice of destination, but it does not necessarily mean the trip itself will be inexpensive. Much of the final cost comes from spending that takes place after the flight has been booked. Barcelona is a good example. Of more than €720 in spending associated with a city break, €183 went on the flight itself. The remaining €538 was spent on accommodation, food, transport, shopping and other expenses.
From €69 in Prague to €306 in Rome
Spending varies significantly across popular destinations. Among the 15 most frequently visited cities, the highest median ZEN card spending was recorded in Rome, at €306. Barcelona, Paris, Malaga and Lisbon were very close behind, with median spending also at around €300.
Spending was slightly lower in London at €286, Valencia at €267, Milan at €239, Madrid at €229 and Budapest at €214. At the other end of the ranking were Berlin at €123, Hamburg at €93 and Prague at €69.
This means that even among Europe’s most popular destinations, spending levels can differ severalfold. Food accounts for a substantial share of the bill: depending on the city, restaurants, fast food and grocery shopping make up around 30–40% of spending. The highest amounts in this category were recorded in Rome at €139 and Barcelona at €133, while Prague had the lowest at €37.
It is important to note, however, that these figures do not represent the full cost of a trip. The analysis covers spending recorded by ZEN.COM and does not include cash payments, payments made with other cards, or transfers made outside ZEN.COM. The actual travel budget may therefore be higher.
Rome and Barcelona in autumn, Vienna and Berlin in winter
City breaks also have a clear seasonal pattern. Among ZEN.COM customers, trips to Rome and Barcelona peak in November. Vienna and Berlin reach their highest popularity in December, during the Christmas market season. Budapest and Milan, meanwhile, remain popular throughout the year.
And before the trip even begins, part of its cost has already been paid.
We start paying for a city break almost a month in advance
ZEN.COM’s analysis shows that typically 24 days pass between paying for a booking and the start of a trip. Some customers book almost at the last minute, but 10% of the bookings analysed were paid for nearly four months before departure.
And it is not only flights that are paid for in advance. Travel agency packages account for around 18% of travel-related spending, while accommodation booked online represents another 16%.
A significant share of the money allocated to a trip is therefore spent before it even begins. If plans change, the financial impact does not end with the ticket price – accommodation, packages and other reservations that have already been paid for may also be at stake.
The ticket is the most visible cost of a trip, but our data shows that it usually represents only 22% to 40% of the total bill. On top of that, part of the money is spent long before the journey begins. That is why we look at travel more broadly: not only through the lens of convenient payments and currencies, but also at what happens when plans become complicated – when a flight is delayed, baggage does not arrive, or a trip has to be cancelled. We want paying for travel to give customers more than just the ability to make a payment, says Łukasz Neska, Chief Growth Officer at ZEN.COM.
With its new plans, ZEN.COM is expanding this area precisely – from payments in 35 currencies and currency exchange to support in the event of delayed or cancelled flights, as well as protection in situations involving trip cancellation, travel delays or delayed baggage.
