New Year's Eve in European hotels: where the surcharge is highest and how to save
New Year's Eve at a hotel almost always costs more than a regular night.
Last season, the cheapest double room in central Vienna for three nights from December 30 to January 2 cost $994. That's 257% more than the same three nights in mid-January (as of 12/2025, Cheaphotels.org study). Same room, only the holiday rate changes.
We gathered fresh data from the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons for European cities, older CHECK24 and Statista rankings with publication year, and ways to lower your holiday bill.
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How much New Year's Eve costs at hotels in Europe
💡 In short:
- The most expensive New Year's in Europe in the 2025/26 season was in Edinburgh, Vienna, and Amsterdam.
- In Vienna and Edinburgh, holiday nights cost more than 2.5 times as much as January nights.
- Prices rise the least in Lisbon, Stockholm, and Berlin.
- Prague wasn't included in the fresh study; only older CHECK24 and Statista data is available for it.
- Hotel prices for New Year's: as of 12/2025, checked 09/15/2026 on the Cheaphotels.org study page
City | 3 nights Dec 30-Jan 2 | Premium over January | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Edinburgh | $1,040 | +316% | |
Vienna | $994 | +257% | |
Amsterdam | $924 | +165% | |
Copenhagen | $814 | +110% | |
Paris | $796 | +74% | |
Madrid | $787 | +142% | |
Barcelona | $732 | +81% | |
London | $707 | +97% | |
Rome | $602 | +104% | |
Stockholm | $489 | +37% | |
Berlin | $446 | +56% | |
Lisbon | $329 | +19% |
The methodology is simple. In mid-December, in 60 cities worldwide, we looked for the cheapest double room in a well-located hotel rated three stars or higher for three nights from December 30 to January 2, including taxes and fees, and compared it with the same hotel for January 13-16 (as of 12/2025, research methodology). Prices are in US dollars and for three nights. So focus primarily on the markup, not the final amount.
Compared with the 2022 edition, the biggest price increases in Europe were in Copenhagen, up 72%, and Vienna, up 63% (as of 12/2025, comparison with 2022). A second data set comes from The Data Appeal Company. For the night of December 31, 2024, hotels in more than 25 European cities rose by an average of 2.71% year over year, and the most expensive night was in London, averaging €510 (as of 12/2024, Data Appeal analysis on Hotel Online).
Amsterdam: one of the highest markups
In Amsterdam, three holiday nights last season started at $924 for the cheapest qualifying room, 165% more than in mid-January (as of 12/2025, Amsterdam prices at Cheaphotels.org). By this measure, the city trailed only Edinburgh and Vienna in Europe.
It was expensive here before too. In 2019, a December hotel night cost an average of €209, and New Year's Eve added about another €128 (as of 12/2019, Statista infographic). The city tourist office publishes the December 31 event program (I amsterdam), so check it before booking.
- Price: see hotel prices in Amsterdam on Trip.com
- The catch: the markup over January is higher than in Paris, London, and Barcelona.
If you need a hotel in the center, book in the fall: by December, fewer affordable options remain.
Vienna: the most expensive EU city in the ranking
© Max Pfandl from Vienna, Austria · CC BYPhoto: Max Pfandl from Vienna, Austria, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), Wikimedia CommonsVienna ranked sixth out of 60 cities worldwide and first among EU cities in this ranking: $994 for three nights and a 257% markup over January (as of 12/2025, Vienna's place in the ranking). Since 2022, holiday prices here have risen by 63%. For you, that means old benchmarks for Vienna no longer work.
For comparison, in 2017 a hotel in Vienna added about €119 to the December rate (as of 12/2017, CHECK24 study), and in 2019 New Year's Eve cost an average of €323 (as of 12/2019, Statista on Vienna). The celebration in the center follows the Silvesterpfad route with stages in open squares. Check the schedule on the tourist office website (Wien.info).
- Price: hotel prices in Vienna on Trip.com
- The catch: since 2022, holiday nights here have risen in price more sharply than almost anywhere else in Europe.
Prague: no fresh ranking available
Prague did not participate in the 2025 Cheaphotels.org study, so there is no fresh New Year's markup for it. There is another reference point: a five-star hotel in December and January cost an average of €259 per night here, and Prague made the top ten most affordable cities in Europe for this kind of stay (as of 12/2025, KAYAK press release).
Older data showed the sharpest spike. In 2017, New Year's Eve cost an average of €339, 122% more than the usual December level (as of 12/2017, CHECK24 report on Prague). In 2019, Statista also reported that the holiday here costs more than twice as much as the rest of December (as of 12/2019, Statista on Prague). Compare the price for December 31 and neighboring dates yourself.
Berlin: a moderate markup for a capital
Berlin remains one of the calmest capitals when it comes to prices. Three festive nights here cost from $446, which is 56% more than the January level (as of 12/2025, Berlin in the Cheaphotels.org ranking). For comparison, in Amsterdam the markup is almost three times higher. A five-star hotel in December and January averaged €223 per night (as of 12/2025, KAYAK data for Berlin).
In 2019, New Year's Eve in Berlin cost an average of €175 (as of 12/2019, price from the Statista infographic). The main celebration takes place on the street at the Brandenburg Gate. If that is exactly where you are headed, book a hotel nearby in advance.
Edinburgh, Copenhagen and other expensive cities
Edinburgh became the most expensive city in Europe for New Year's: $1,040 for three nights and a 316% markup over January (as of 12/2025, Edinburgh in the study). In Copenhagen, the same three nights cost $814 (+110%), in Madrid $787 (+142%), in Dublin $778 (+134%), in Venice $760 (+140%).
Paris is expensive in absolute terms, but the markup there is more modest: +74% for $796 (as of 12/2025, Paris and Venice at Cheaphotels.org). A year earlier, Data Appeal recorded a 5% drop in Paris hotel prices for December 31, while Bruges saw a 21% increase (as of 12/2024, Data Appeal snapshot by city). If you are choosing between these cities, pay attention to the markup percentage.
Where New Year's in a hotel is cheaper
The smallest holiday markup is in Lisbon: $329 for three nights and +19% over January (as of 12/2025, Lisbon and Stockholm in the ranking). In Stockholm the markup is +37%, in Berlin +56%. Istanbul is cheaper in absolute terms, $239, but the markup there is +134%.
According to KAYAK, the most affordable five-star hotels in Europe in December and January were in Istanbul (€138), Warsaw (€173), Antalya (€180), Athens (€201), and Lisbon (€202) (as of 12/2025, KAYAK list). Among major 2024 destinations, the cheapest hotel night was in Liverpool at €168, while prices in Helsinki fell by 9% (as of 12/2024, Data Appeal on Liverpool and Helsinki).
Old CHECK24 and Statista rankings
In 2017, CHECK24 compared 20 popular New Year's cities: in 17 of them, the rate for December 31 was rising, by an average of 38% compared to December (as of 12/2017, CHECK24 average values). Statista in 2019 showed prices for Amsterdam, Vienna, Prague, and Berlin.
City | Data | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Prague | €339 per night, +122% vs. December | 2017 | |
Nuremberg | €31 cheaper than December | 2017 |
An interesting takeaway from those years concerned cities with Christmas markets. In Nuremberg, New Year's Eve cost €31 less than a December night because Christkindlesmarkt drives prices up before Christmas, while in Stuttgart and Stockholm the discount was €5 and €2 (as of 12/2017, CHECK24 on Stuttgart and Stockholm). There is no fresh data for these cities, so check the rates yourself.
How to save on a New Year's trip
The hotel won't cancel the surcharge, but you can work around it. First, compare cities by surcharge percentage: the difference between Vienna and Lisbon is bigger than between hotels within the same city. Then check the price for December 30 and January 1 separately: often it's not just one night that gets more expensive, but the whole holiday date package.
Apartments are not always cheaper than hotels. On December 31, 2024, short-term rentals in Europe rose by an average of 7.86%, almost three times faster than hotels, and in Innsbruck a night in an apartment cost €417 versus €323 in a hotel (as of 12/2024, Data Appeal hotel and rental comparison).
Tickets also affect the total. Travel media advise flying on December 31 and returning on January 1: these dates are inconvenient, and seats on them are often cheaper than on neighboring days (reise-preise.de). If you're not sure about your plans, book a rate with free cancellation. And check the terms: whether the price includes a holiday dinner and whether there is a minimum stay requirement.
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⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions
Which European city has the most expensive hotel night on New Year's Eve?
In the 2025/26 season, it's Edinburgh: it has both the highest price and the biggest surcharge compared to January (as of 12/2025, answer based on the Cheaphotels.org ranking). Vienna and Amsterdam follow. Paris and London are expensive, but the surcharge there is below 100%.
How much more expensive are New Year's nights than regular ones?
According to fresh data, the spread is huge: in Lisbon the surcharge is minimal, while in Edinburgh holiday nights are several times more expensive than January nights (as of 12/2025, surcharge percentages by city). The old CHECK24 study showed an average of +38% compared to December, but that's 2017 data.
Where to spend New Year's in Europe for less?
You'll overpay the least in Lisbon, Stockholm, and Berlin. For five-star stays, KAYAK named Istanbul, Warsaw, Athens, and Prague as affordable, with an average price of €259 per night in December and January (as of 12/2025, KAYAK's roundup).
When should you book a hotel for New Year's?
The markup applies no matter when you book, but affordable rooms in the center sell out by December. Book in the fall and choose a rate with free cancellation. That way you lock in the price and can cancel if you find a better option or your plans change.
Is renting an apartment cheaper than a hotel?
Not necessarily. For New Year's 2024, short-term rentals in Europe rose in price faster than hotels, and in Innsbruck apartments cost more than a hotel (as of 12/2024, Data Appeal on rentals). Compare both options for the same dates.
In short: what's worth booking
If you want a celebration without a big markup, go with Lisbon, Stockholm, or Berlin. If you want Vienna, Amsterdam, or Edinburgh, book as early as possible and with free cancellation. Check Prague yourself: there's no fresh ranking for it.
Compare rates for holiday dates in advance: see hotel prices on Trip.com.
There are different ways to get to the city: plane tickets on Kiwi.com or train tickets across Europe on Trip.com.
A small editorial team writing guides for independent travel. We travel ourselves, but we haven’t been everywhere, so we check prices, opening hours and how to get there against official sources.