UK tourists planning city breaks in Europe this spring will find the best bargains by heading east, new research has revealed.

Following a drop in the value of the sterling, Eastern European cities now fill eight of the top 10 cheapest places to visit, according to a new study conducted by Post Office Travel Money.

Warsaw in Poland ranked as the cheapest getaway city in Europe at £113 for 12 typical holiday expenses- including meals, two nights in a three star hotel, sightseeing and transport.

Eighth-placed Prague remains best value for meals and drinks. At just under £32 for a three-course evening meal for two with a bottle of wine plus individual drinks including coffee, beer, Coca-Cola and a glass of wine

The Polish capital's prices, which were calculated in the City Costs Barometer by Post Office Travel Money, are almost a third of the price tag in Europe's most expensive city, Stockholm, which totalled £325 for the equivalent items.

The study was also transformed into an infographic which reveals the prices of airport transfers, travel cards, sightseeing buses, heritage attractions, museums and art galleries for each of the top 10 destinations.

Despite registering a 15 per cent increase in costs, Vilnius in Lithuania, last year's top city, is a close runner-up in the survey with the equivalent items adding up to £115.

Infographic reveals the prices of airport transfers, travel cards, sightseeing buses, heritage attractions, museums and art galleries for each of the top 10 destinations

POST OFFICE 2016 CHEAP BREAKS 1. Warsaw, Poland - £113 2. Vilnius, Lithuania - £115 3. Budapest, Hungary - £123 4. Riga, Latvia - £132 5. Krakow, Poland - £133 6. Lisbon, Portugal - £135 7. Dubrovnik, Croatia - £137 8. Prague, Czech Republic - £141 9. Moscow, Russia - £146 10. Athens, Greece - £149 Advertisement

The city came in ahead of third-placed Budapest - £123 - and fourth-placed Latvian capital Riga - £132.

A second Polish city, Krakow moved up to fifth position, thanks to an 8.5 per cent price fall making the cost of the average items hit £133.

A drop in the cost of hotel accommodation helped Lisbon move two places up the barometer into sixth position with an average price tag of £135.

The drop made the Portuguese capital the cheapest city in western Europe as it overtakes Athens - £149 - which fell to 10th place.

Soaring hotel prices account for a 28 per cent rise in the cost of a visit to Dublin which at £306 means it is now more than double the cost of a trip to Lisbon. Dublin is the most expensive of 21 eurozone cities surveyed.

UK visitors will feel the pinch this year in cities including Barcelona, which is 15.2 per cent more expensive to visit than last year with the barometer totalling £280. The cost of a trip to Vienna rose 17.2 per cent to £217, Venice surged 17.5 per cent to £283 and Tallinn soared 21.6 per cent to £160 - the largest rise in Eastern Europe.

In seventh place on the top cheapest places for 2016 is Dubrovnik where the low cost of hotel accommodation which is £41 for two nights in a three-star hotel for two people, has taken the Croatian city to the leader board on the back of a 2.3 per cent year-on-year price fall.

In seventh place on the top cheapest places for 2016 is Dubrovnik, where the low cost of hotel accommodation for two nights in a three-star hotel has taken the Croatian city to the leader board

BASIC COSTS IN POST OFFICE'S TOP 10 CHEAP CITIES Coffee Beer Cola Wine Three course meal for two with bottle of wine Two nights three star hotel for two adults Warsaw, Poland £1.90 £1.52 £1.14 £2.28 £28.49 £54 Vilnius, Lithuania £1.18 £1.42 £1.42 £2.05 £38.62 £50 Budapest, Hungary £1.21 £1.48 £0.94 £1.21 £29.44 £43 Riga, Latvia £1.97 £1.97 £1.97 £2.76 £55.17 £42 Krakow, Poland £0.95 £1.33 £0.95 £1.90 £42.73 £58 Lisbon, Portugal £0.55 £1.02 £1.10 £2.36 £39.41 £55 Dubrovnik, Croatia £0.87 £1.63 £1.63 £3.26 £35.01 £41 Prague, Czech Republic £1.17 £1.23 £1.20 £1.38 £26.85 £70 Moscow, Russia £2.03 £2.67 £1.71 £3.95 £42.70 £57 Athens, Greece £1.58 £2.76 £1.58 £3.55 £31.53 £63

Eighth-placed Prague remains best value for meals and drinks. At just under £32 for a three-course evening meal for two with a bottle of wine plus individual drinks including coffee, beer, Coca-Cola and a glass of wine, the Czech capital rates as cheapest for these staples.

The collapse of the Russian ruble since 2014 has significantly reduced prices for UK tourists to destination and its total of £146 for 12 items has given Moscow a top 10 place in ninth position.

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said: 'This year's higher prices make it doubly important for holidaymakers to do their homework and check costs for meals, drinks and sightseeing before booking, as these are items that most city break tourists will be paying for.

'Our research found wide variations in costs between cities and those people who are prepared to swap can make their pounds stretch further by choosing a cheaper capital like Warsaw in the east or Lisbon in the west.