City Breaks

Great City Break Destinations

Popular city break destinations include the likes of Paris, Berlin and Rome, however, have you thought about a city break in a smaller, undiscovered city? Why not try Split in Croatia or Seville in Spain? Or perhaps you want to combine your break in a historic city with something a little more contemporary or adventurous? Read on for our favourite city break destinations.

Barcelona

While a bit of a cliche, Barcelona city breaks offer a great deal more than what you might expect. Granted, the sights and attractions, like the Sagrada Familia and Gothic Quarter are incredibly fascinating to learn about, however, you can combine it with a day or two on the beach, or head inland for some stunning hiking options, like a walk to the Monserrat Monastery.

Munich

Munich is another great destination for a getaway. Famous for it's annual Oktoberfest celebrations (which can be an incredibly fun experience), there's a lot more to this city. Take in the numerous beer halls and cafes, admiring the architecture, but be sure to head further out and explore places like Neuschwanstein Castle close to the Austrian border, made famous for it's stunning location and feature in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Dubai

Head further afield and you could enjoy a very different city break. While low-cost airlines don't yet fly direct from the UK to Dubai, flights can be less than £300 per person, which is sometimes cheaper than a school holiday flight to the Canary Islands. But Dubai is a great city break destination. Take advantage of the shopping, beaches, water parks, indoor ski slopes, amusement parks and so much more. Great for families, friends and couples looking for a few days away in an alternative destination.

Las Vegas

Ah Las Vegas. Upping the budget a bit more and you can spend a few days in this mesmerising desert city. Hotels aren't generally too expensive in Las Vegas as the hotels tend to make most of their money from the slots and games that people play inside, but flights can be around £450-500 per person, and don't forget to budget for your spends in Vegas, as well as any excursions to the Grand Canyon you might want to enjoy.

How To Maximise Your Budget

Booking your flight and hotel together can be a great way of getting a good deal. You'll often find that holiday companies will discount packages or airlines may offer lower fares when you book them together, so be sure to check out booking them seaprately and together.

And while it's nice to stay in a luxurious five-star hotel, it's obviously going to push up your budget so check out a range of accommodation options. Websites like Trivago will check the latest hotel prices from all the top providers, so you may get a bigger discount with one than another, meaning you might be able to get that boutique hotel you've been after.

You may find that booking early or at the last minute can get you a great deal, so always keep an eye out throughout the year for flight and hotel sales or discounts.

Staying outside of the city centre may also help to reduce costs, as hotels will often be at a premium if you're staying within walking distance of a top attraction. So try a hotel a little further out and buy a travel card. You'll likely need one anyway for getting about the city, so why not use it to get in and out each day from your hotel?

Travelling closer to home can also help save you money. Shorter journeys usually means cheaper travel costs. Great places closer to home include cities in Ireland, northern France and Belgium, with the Eurostar also being an option for the latter two.