20 of the best affordable city breaks in Europe (2024)

Some of the most expensive cities in the world are in Europe, but for budget-conscious travellers, there are plenty of options at the other end of the spectrum, too. For an affordable city break, you need somewhere that’s reasonably easy to get to, whether that’s by air or by rail, and with fares that won’t break the bank. On the ground, good-quality hotels should be available and provide good-value rates, while wallet-friendly dining options should be plentiful if not in abundance. And then there’s the list of things to do — free attractions and tips-based walking tours can all do much to help you cut down on costs but you’ll also want somewhere that you genuinely want to visit for art, history, culture, nature and more. With that in mind, here’s our pick of the best destinations in Europe for an affordable city break.

Main photo: Market Square in Krakow (Getty Images)

1. Istanbul, Turkey

According to the Post Office’s Holiday Money Report 2023, Turkey remains one of the world’s cheapest destinations thanks to a fall in the value of lira. You can economise further by using an Istanbulkart transit card during a long weekend in the country’s captivating cultural capital. The card discounts every tram, metro, Bosphorus-crossing ferry or funicular ride as you tick off tourist attractions: multi-domed mosque Hagia Sophia, opulent Topkapi Palace and the vaulted Grand Bazaar’s pipe or pottery markets. Istanbul also offers some of Europe’s most affordable dinners: a meal for two people frequently costs just £15. Sub Karakoy is an anonymous 1980s block turned sharp design hotel — and has modest rates to boot.

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2. Tirana, Albania

Just as Albania is firmly on the rise tourism-wise, so is its likeable capital. A true hidden gem, mountain-framed Tirana has interesting museums in former communist bunkers, mural-dotted boulevards and a good clubbing scene, while the Dajti Ekspres cable car (£5.50 return) ascends one of those peaks for breathtaking country views. Having wandered along pedestrianised streets below brightly coloured buildings, you can eat filling Balkan cuisine for a song — a pound usually buys two triangular, cheese or beef-filled bureks — and sip cups of coffee for about 60p. Hotels are similarly economical, typified by the central, four-star Mondial and its rooftop swimming pool.

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3. Cardiff, Wales

Each year, the Post Office also directly compares on-the-ground costs — drinks, evening meals for two with wine, three-star accommodation, sightseeing and transport — for city breaks in more than 30 destinations across Europe. Cardiff offers some of the best value in Britain. The Welsh capital is 27 per cent cheaper than Edinburgh, while London and Belfast both rank among the continent’s ten most expensive cities surveyed. But back to Cardiff: both the fantastic National Museum and open-air St fa*gans National Museum of History offer free admission, while it’s easy to walk or cycle along Cardiff Bay past landmark buildings, around Bute Park below the castle, or centrally, in search of street art.

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4. Krakow, Poland

Poland’s second city is perfect for a cheap city break filled with sightseeing. Among the many must-see spots are its Wawel Royal Castle, one of the world’s first Unesco world heritage sites, and St Mary’s Basilica, where each hour is marked by a trumpet call. Try also to fit in time for people-watching on Market Square; even there, a plate of pierogi dumplings and a pint of Pilsner should bring change from a tenner. Shuttle buses for sober day-trips to Auschwitz begin at £3.50 return; otherwise you could just wander past palaces and bars in the old, narrow-laned heart of Krakow. Typifying Krakow’s affordability, the classy Grand has 65 antique-filled rooms, a Viennese café and a piano restaurant.

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5. Lisbon, Portugal

Occasionally, western Europe can be cheap too. In 2023, the Post Office has unexpectedly ranked sun-soaked Lisbon as the continent’s best-value city of them all, its status boosted by low accommodation prices: a two-night stay in three-star digs will set you back £121 on average. Budget travellers can accomplish two things by eating petiscos (Portugal’s take on tapas) in taverns: not just saving dosh, but fuelling themselves for walks up the city’s seven hills to the miradouros — azulejo-tiled viewpoints. Bouncing atop baroque cobbles, wooden trams are £2.50 per ride; 40-minute trains serve the sandy beaches of Cascais and free-to-roam Parque Marechal Carmona, where peaco*cks strut about. Brown’s Central Hotel, which hosts art exhibitions and regular live music, has 84 cool, contemporary rooms.

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6. Bucharest, Romania

Considering both flights and accommodation, another study proclaimed Romania’s capital Europe’s cheapest city break. That’s good news for clubbers, creatives or hipsters bound for the “new Berlin”, as Bucharest is frequently tagged. Yes, it can sometimes be gritty and traffic-choked — but then comes a gorgeous green space, a vegan café serving perfect pizzas, a sky bar or a winsome old Orthodox church hiding in plain sight. You’ll also find the world’s second largest administrative building, with only America’s Pentagon outstripping the Palace of the Parliament for its unsubtle size. Dinners, routinely scoffed on garden or pavement terraces, are easily limited to £10 per person. The blindingly coloured bedrooms at Vilacrosse Boutique Inn are available at reasonable rates.

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7. Montpellier, France

Montpellier is a curious old (and new) mixture. On the one hand, it has an aqueduct, France’s first botanical gardenand a butterscotch-coloured vieille ville. But, then again, you’ll find modernist urban architecture to rival Rotterdam, the cool photography museum Pavillon Populaire and Christian Lacroix-designed tram liveries. For every leafy square, there’s a hip boutique; for every petanque-playing old man in a beret, a chic student in vintage culottes. Crucially, a flat, seven-mile cycle path, past vineyards, puts the beach in reach — expect to pay around £35 for a day’s hire — and it’s free to enter the gothic cathedral. Close to focal Place de la Comédie, Hotel d’Aragon lays out complimentary breakfasts on a glass-roofed veranda.

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8. Barcelona, Spain

Yes, that Barcelona. Various factors render the avant-garde Catalonian capital and its Gaudi confections unexpectedly conducive to a parsimonious weekend. Multiple airlines fly direct from the UK, driving down flight prices. Metro lines connect to the airport and everything is within walking distance if you don’t mind a decent stride. Many museums open for free once a month. The sandy beach isn’t subdivided into clubs with entry fees. Numerous purse-friendly restaurants, from Asian tapas to brilliant bistros, dot the city; so too does a stellar line-up of well-priced hotels, spanning the chic&basic chain, independent stays in well-to-do Eixample or bigger, rooftop-pool affairs. In the latter category is Hotel Motel One, set beside Ciutadella park, not far from the Gothic Quarter.

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9. Bratislava, Slovakia

Common around the Slovak capital, zemiakove placky are fried, garlicky potato pancakes which are sold for just a pound or two. Goulash here is correspondingly reasonable, and a pound buys most pints of beer. One-way flights can be as cheap as £44; such stupendous value is wonderfully at odds with the grandeur of Bratislava. Draped along the Danube like a sleeping cat, its winding, patisserie-peppered old town and cheerfully hued Blue Church (officially the Church of St Elizabeth) seduce visitors below a rectangular castle complex. An equally good lookout point is the riverbank’s futuristic UFO Tower, to whose 95m-high observation deck you can travel by speedy lift for roughly £7. Bratislava’s many permanently moored “botels” are terrific value. The Dunajsky Pivovar throws in a pool and private brewery for good measure.

10. Sofia, Bulgaria

One of Europe’s oldest cities, Sofia is built on top of now-excavated Roman ruins. Despite the rotundas and arched streets, Bulgaria’s capital remains criminally underrated, even among eastern European city breaks. Those who do visit find a beguiling place where functional, sombre Soviet blocks overhang gilded golden churches, and where nodding your head means no while shaking it indicates yes. That’s near-impossible to remember after glasses of rakia, a fiery fruit brandy, which traditionally follow dinners. Talking of which, expect to spend no more than £10 each on three courses with wine, even if eating just steps from gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral — one of the world’s biggest churches. Expect candles, exposed brick and imaginative lighting at the central R34 Boutique Hotel.

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11. Riga, Latvia

Not only are the five pavilions of the Riga Central Market a wonderland of unfamiliar fruit and gingerbread cookies, but you can buy hot samsas (stuffed savoury pastries) for lunch for about £1.70. Cash-conscious travellers will also delight in the free music on central Dome Square and the Latvian capital’s extraordinary bounty of art nouveau buildings. The cobbled old town is equally winsome, and booze in its many bars are inexpensive. For something different, spend little over a tenner to paddleboard along the Daugava River or ride a cheap train for 15 miles to the white-sand beach resort of Jurmala. Recently refurbished, the Ibis Riga Centre is very fairly priced given its convenient location.

12. Sarajevo, Bosnia

Sarajevo has emerged from its war-torn years looking remarkably good. That’s particularly true of the atmospheric, charming original centre, which hosts coppersmith workhouses and homely teahouses. Those, along with a mixture of churches and mosques, underline how multicultural Bosnia’s capital is — as does a local cuisine with Balkan, Turkish and Mediterranean elements. Engagingly small, the hilly city is constantly cobbled, making comfy shoes essential. The choicest hill is Vidikovac, a trudge up which should conclude in sunset-watching and dinner at the bargain namesake restaurant. Trams cost about a pound per ride and it’s only twice that for on-the-go lunches involving a cevapi, or Bosnian kebab. Inside a central, Austro-Hungarian-era building, the modern, minimal Hotel Colors Inn throws in free breakfasts.

13. Ljubljana, Slovenia

Summer’s the best time for a thrifty short break to the capital of Slovenia. It’s when ​​a number of free festivals are held on open-air stages — make room in your diary for events such as the Ana Desetnica street-theatre festival from the end of June, the July jazz festival and Nights in Ljubljana old town in August. You’ll also find cafés set up on leafy riverside terraces, and parties in old sugar factories. Pretty, compact andcar-free (save for electric taxis) as part of its “Vision of Ljubljana 2025” project, the city is easy to stroll or cycle using free-to-hire bikes, though you’ll probably want to fork out £3.50 for a return funicular ride up to its lofty medieval castle. Behind its art deco exterior, Hotel Cubo serves great food next to the old town.

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14. Athens, Greece

Exceptionally affordable when it comes to dining, with three-course, wine-supplemented evening meals costing less than £20pp in total, the capital of Greece also abounds with free attractions. There’s no charge to amble around dreamy Plaka, where creeper plants garland pastel-shade buildings, nor the café-lined steps of Mnisikleous. Equally complimentary are trips to see superlative street art, vintage window shopping on hip Protogenous or even local-led walking tours (although tipping is common). Factor in lots of cheap rental accommodation and you should be able to afford the Athens must-see: the hilltop Acropolis citadel, a wonder of ancient temples and gateways. Multi-site combination tickets including six other archaeological sites offer the best value at £26. As its name suggests, the Acropolis View hotel overlooks that main sight — and is only a short walk from the airport-connecting metro.

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15. Berlin, Germany

The capital of Germany has lots of cheap accommodation. Cool hostels proliferate, while NH operates a series of attractively priced mid-range hotels. Also affordable is eating, with ubiquitous currywurst sausages and doner kebabs — both of them invented in Berlin — widely available. Sightseers will further rejoice at how many free-to-visit wartime sights are within walking distance of one another, from Checkpoint Charlie and Brandenburger Tor to the Reichstag (book ahead) and the Holocaust Memorial. Gratis too is East Side Gallery, a graffiti-strewn portion of the Berlin Wall, and Tiergarten park. Pay just £3.50 to climb the latter’s Victory Column for stupendous views. Handily situated, the NH outpost on Potsdamer Platz offers free wi-fi and clean, modern rooms.

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16. Warsaw, Poland

One of Europe’s eternal underdogs, the capital of Poland is a surprisingly attractive, exciting destination to visit — and wonderfully affordable. It uses the zloty, not the euro, and is a place where you can spend £8.50 on a superb dinner or £4 on a pint of craft beer. Ubers are also terrifically cheap, while most attractions are within walking distance of one another, past handsome neoclassical buildings. The most fun day out is also the cheapest: Warsaw is strung along Poland’s longest river, the Vistula, and has a series of ferry-accessed urban beaches where locals gather on summer days. Some have hammocks and waterfront bars; others football or volleyball courts. On the trendy Srodmiescie Poludniowe neighbourhood’s northern fringes, No 4 Residence pairs Vistula views with retro decor in 22 spacious, colourful apartments featuring kitchenettes.

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17. Naples, Italy

Italy isn’t known for budget breaks, but then Naples has always done things its own way. Despite being a gateway to the decidedly pricey Capri and Amalfi coast, this is a city where value abounds. Raw, relentless and romantic, it’s also one of the most thrilling (and unevenly paved) places you’ll ever walk. Look one way and there’s an 18th-century palazzo hiding in plain sight; another, below washing lines, some stellar street art. Naples is also the home of pizza, with good ones for £6; equally economical is a three-day Campania Artecard (£28), which includes admission to Pompeii and Herculaneum plus 50 per cent off other regional attractions and public transport. In the emerging neighbourhood of La Sanita is Borgo Vergini, an arty B&B set around a typical, tranquil Neapolitan garden courtyard.

18. Podgorica, Montenegro

The pint-sized capital of Montenegro is the cheapest place in Europe for a short break, according to research by Jersey Island Holidays. A two-day break will set you back just £222 on average, including flights, accommodation, some excursions and a romantic three-course dinner. While the city has some lovely parks and churches, you might prefer to head off to visit Plantaze, Europe’s largest vineyard, or hike up to the Zabljak Crnojevica fortress.

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19. Vienna, Austria

You may be surprised to find Vienna on this list but the Austrian capital can offer surprising value. Budget airlines fly here from as little as £30 return if you’re happy to go hand-luggage only and hotels can offer good value if you time your visit right. Most of the museums in the city are unfortunately not free but its grand boulevards and palace gardens offer plenty to see. In the summer, you’ll also find music and film festivals that are open to all. Thanks to a free BundestheaterCard, you can even get tickets to performances at the State Opera for just €4. Smart and modern, Motel One Wien-Staatsoper is just a ten minute walk from the State Opera House.

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20. Seville, Spain

Well-served by budget airlines, this Andalusia city is filled with cultural riches. Visiting the Royal Alcázar of Seville is essential for any fan of Game of Thrones. But even if you’ve never seen the show, its majestic architecture and charming gardens are worthy of a stroll — especially on a Monday when entrance is free. Elsewhere, collect impressive selfie backdrops at the Plaza de España, Parque de María Luisa and Barrio de Santa Cruz, the city’s Jewish quarter. Budget-friendly tapas bars are everywhere, with drinks coming in at under €2 and tapas around €3.

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