It could be more than £200 cheaper for Edinburgh locals to visit a Christmas market in Krakow than one in Leeds

It may only be October but Christmas is just around the corner, and with the arrival of the festive season comes a host of pop-up markets, brimming with tempting treats and gifts to get you in the festive spirit.

New research suggests it is cheaper to travel to a Christmas market in Krakow than it is to visit one in Leeds when leaving from Edinburgh (Photo: Shutterstock)

Edinburgh's Christmas markets are an institution, but if you want to see how the rest of the UK does it, Leeds, Birmingham, York and Bath are just a few of the cities with similar bustling events.

These markets attract thousands of visitors - but attending one on home soil rather than venturing abroad might not actually be as cheap as you think.

Cheaper abroad

New research from Travelsupermarket.com has revealed that it could actually be more affordable to travel abroad to a Christmas market than to visit one here in the UK.

The travel comparison site analysed costs of travelling from Edinburgh to various cities in the UK, and found that it is actually more cost effective to travel abroad.

Travelling from Edinburgh to Krakow in Poland proved to be the best value for money, at a price of £115.21 per person for a two night break in December.

Costs for the four-star break (departing on 7 December), were broken down into the following:

Two night hotel stay at the Best Western Efekt Express Kraków, flying from Edinburgh airport - £105 per person

Three course meal in Krakow - £10.21 per person

The two night break in Krakow amounted to as much as £239 cheaper per couple than it would cost to travel via train from Edinburgh to Leeds during the same period.

A two-night break to visit the Christmas market in Leeds by comparison would cost couples a total of £227.80 each commuting by train, or £165.51 each if travelling by car.

The costs (also departing on 7 December) were broken down into the following:

Train off-peak return - £106.30 per person; or driving in a car - £44.01 per person

Two night hotel stay at the four star Victoria House Apartments - £99 per person

Three course meal in Leeds - £22.50 per person

The same everywhere in the UK

The study found a similar pattern elsewhere in the UK, with individuals in Birmingham able travel to Milan for two nights for 39 per cent less than it would cost them to travel to Edinburgh by train.

A two night break (departing on 7 December) from Birmingham to Edinburgh would cost travellers a total of £219.80 per person by train, or £154.88 per person by car.

Meanwhile, they would only have to pay £134.83 to travel more than double the distance to Milan for a two night stay, where they could visit the city's popular Christmas market.

The costs were broken down into the following:

Two night hotel stay at Hotel Fiorella Milano (room only) and returning flights from Birmingham airport to Milan - £108 per person

Three course meal out in Milan - £26.83 per person