Best weekend European city breaks that are budget-friendly
If you are looking for a quick get-away on the weekend, then city breaks in Europe are great! There are many popular cities you can visit in 2-3 days and on a budget. Everyone’s idea of ‘budget-friendly’ is different, but it is quite easy to find affordable accommodation and flights to certain cities if you are open-minded and take into account seasons. With that being said, here are the best weekend European city breaks that are budget-friendly (in my opinion).
Madrid
Madrid is a wonderful city, with a lot of things to do. The main activities can be easily covered within 2-3 days. It is also a relatively affordable city, but of course, it depends what you plan to do. There are great transport links in the city, so finding an accommodation a bit further out could save you some money. The metro is quite cheap so travelling into the city shouldn’t be an issue. A lot of popular places are also within walking distance. The activities are also quite affordable, such as visiting the Royal Palace. There are also a lot of free things to do. You can visit the famous parkEl Parque del Buen Retiro or head to Cerro del Tio Pio Park to watch the sunset. Most of your money will likely go to food and drink. As the city is quite large, it shouldn’t be too hard to find good, affordable food.
Krakow
If you are looking for a trip away with friends filled with booze, then I’d recommend Krakow in Poland. It is probably more of a winter or autumn trip, but of you can do it at any time of the year if you wish. Poland in general is a relatively affordable place to visit and is known for the cheap alcohol. I wouldn’t say there is a lot to do here, so 2-3 days is enough time. Some recommended activities would be to trying local food and exploring the town. There are a few historical tours you could also do on World War 2.
Florence
Hear me out with this one, it is an expensive-ish place to be, however, if you stay just outside of Florence then it is affordable. You can explore the area you decide to stay in on the first day (research first), then get the train into Florence on the main day of the trip. This is what I did and it was amazing. The train is quite cheap and the accommodation was a decent price too between 2 people. You can spend your time wondering the streets, trying Italian food and finish it off watching the sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo. Make sure to get there early as it gets packed with visitors each year. I would try to do a tour into Tuscany too. This is a bit more spenny, but I think it is worth the money, especially if the weather is good.
Conclusion
Like I said before, everyone’s idea of budget-friendly differs. For accommodation and flights, I would recommend booking in advance or checking multiple websites to compare the best prices. Also make sure you research where you are going and the activities to do. There are a lot of tours that are over-priced for what they offer. Just be careful with what you are booking and make sure it is actually worth doing! 🙂
