Budapest among Europe's top ten shopping cities

Budapest nipped into the top ten in a survey assessing the all round quality of experience for travellers shopping abroad.

The Hungarian capital took tenth place in the so-called Globe Shopper City Index, which comes under the auspices of respectable British weekly The Economist.

The survey included 33 of Europe's most alluring destinations from Dublin to St, Petersburg.

Budapest was ranked highly for both all round culture, and the competitive prices and availability of luxurious accommodation.

The city was also rated for the quality and reasonable cost of its cuisine.

Budapest offers some of the world's most celebrated architecture," as well as "a safe atmosphere and a wide variety of boutiques, the survey claims.

On the other hand, the index doesn't shirk from pointing out the minuses too, citing limited store hours and languages and a chance of encountering counterfeit goods.

London topped the overall ranking, followed by Madrid and Barcelona, but the Hungarian capital trounced established favourites such as Milan, Vienna and Brussels.