In 21 of the 24 European countries with a clear yearly pattern, Eurostat's accommodation price index was highest in July or August over 2023 to 2025. The largest summer rise was in Denmark: +46.6% in July against the year's trend. The index shows price changes, not prices.
When is accommodation dearest in each country?
Eurostat publishes a monthly price index for accommodation services in each country. Over 2023 to 2025, the index followed a clear yearly pattern in 24 countries, and in 21 of them it was highest in July or August. The biggest summer rises were in Denmark (July, +46.6%), Malta (August, +34.4%) and Cyprus (August, +32.8%).1
| Country | Dearest month | Against trend | Cheapest month | Against trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | December | +4.1% | November | −2.1% |
| Belgium | July | +27.2% | November | −14.6% |
| Bulgaria | July | +19.9% | May | −6.5% |
| Croatia | July | +25.6% | January | −11.9% |
| Cyprus | August | +32.8% | February | −20.6% |
| Czechia | July | +2.4% | January | −3.0% |
| Denmark | July | +46.6% | November | −16.5% |
| Estonia | July | +20.0% | January | −10.8% |
| France | August | +23.1% | January | −7.8% |
| Germany | July | +2.7% | December | −2.4% |
| Hungary | August | +10.5% | February | −4.9% |
| Iceland | August | +21.4% | January | −11.1% |
| Ireland | August | +9.9% | January | −12.8% |
| Italy | September | +8.9% | December | −9.1% |
| Latvia | August | +16.6% | March | −10.8% |
| Lithuania | July | +12.0% | February | −7.3% |
| Malta | August | +34.4% | December | −29.3% |
| Montenegro | August | +17.1% | March | −9.7% |
| Netherlands | August | +30.6% | January | −24.1% |
| Poland | July | +2.4% | January | −1.6% |
| Portugal | August | +17.1% | January | −22.0% |
| Slovenia | August | +9.5% | November | −5.7% |
| Spain | August | +9.8% | January | −14.0% |
| Türkiye | September | +10.0% | April | −6.3% |
How we worked it out
An index shows how prices move, not what they are, so we compare each month only with the same country's other months. Prices also rise through the year, which would make late months look dearer every year, so we compare each month with the average of the twelve months around it (a centred moving average) and average the result over 2023, 2024 and 2025. We count a country as having a clear pattern only if, before looking at the results, it passed rules we set: a swing of at least 3%, the three years following the same shape, the month explaining most of the ups and downs within each year, and dearest months no more than one month apart whether or not the yearly rise is removed. The full check is in our research files.
No clear pattern: Albania, Serbia, Slovakia. Not clear enough to call: Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland. Liechtenstein has no index.
This measures how prices changed, not what a stay costs, so check the current price when you book. Accommodation services cover hotels, motels and inns; holiday centres, campsites and youth hostels; and other places to stay. Eurostat notes that for Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Türkiye the comparability of the data might differ.
For how price levels compare between countries, see price levels in Europe and Japan; for how busy each month is, see off-season in Europe.
Key takeaways
- 21 of 24 countries with a clear pattern peak in July or August.
- Largest summer rise: Denmark, +46.6%.
- What we would skip: reading the index as a price; it only compares months within one country.
Sources
Percentages are our calculation from Eurostat's index, rounded once to one decimal place. See how we research.
- Accommodation price index: Eurostat, Harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) – monthly data, doi:10.2908/PRC_HICP_MINR, accessed 6 October 2026 (data updated by Eurostat on 2 October 2026). Extract: accommodation services (CP1120), monthly index, July 2022 to June 2026. Eurostat is not responsible for our calculations or for how we present its data.
Modified data: the comparison with the moving average, the averaging over three years, the judgement of which countries have a clear pattern and the rounding are ours. Eurostat is not responsible for our calculations or for how we present its data.