25 Of The Best City Breaks In Europe: Destinations You Will Love

The Best City Breaks In Europe: plan your next long weekend away with this blog, full of amazing destinations to discover and fall in love with.

Living in the UK may come with some challenges (not least the unpredictable weather), but we are spoilt with a wealth of amazing cities to explore on our doorstep.

Americans and Australians are endlessly envious of how close we are to some of the best city breaks in Europe; different cultures, food and warmer climes are just a short flight away and we should never take it for granted.

For ease, I’ve broken these city break ideas for Europe down by flight time from London so you can pick the right choice for you depending on how far you want to travel on your next European city break.

25 OF THE BEST CITY BREAKS IN EUROPE CONTENTS

**Please note, where flight times are listed, these are from London**

UNDER 1.5 HOURS FROM LONDON

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

The capital of the Netherlands is one of the closest and easiest trips for a weekend break away from the UK. With an incredible food scene, world famous museums, iconic narrow houses and the chance to cycle along the picturesque canals, Amsterdam is best enjoyed in good weather.

Amsterdam has some of the best food in Europe, with incredible bakeries, restaurants and famed spots serving Dutch favourites such as poffertjes (mini Dutch pancakes), stroopwafels, next level pimped up fries and bitterballen, a Dutch meat croquette.

The Van Gogh Museum is a vital insight into one of the most important artists of the 19th century, whilst the Anne Frank Museum, where you can see where the Frank family spent two years hiding behind a bookcase is haunting yet important.

Go in late April and you can catch the city dressed all in orange, celebrating King’s Day with street and boat parties!

Flight time: 1 hour 15 mins or 3 hours 50 mins on the Eurostar

Don’t Miss: The Anne Frank Museum, Van Gogh Museum, wandering along the canals eating poffertjes.

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UK

Belfast is severely underrated as a city break destination. Sure, it’s not going to be the sunny escape that the rest of Europe can provide but it’s a fantastic place with interesting history, a top food scene and great pubs with live music at every turn.

Learn about Belfast’s troubled past and political history on a black taxi tour, and dive into the history of The Titanic at the excellent museum dedicated to the doomed ship, built by Belfast hands in the city.

If time permits I highly recommend getting out of the city to experience some of the amazing natural beauty of the surrounding areas. The Giant’s Causeway, rustic beaches and famous Game of Thrones’ filming locations such as the Dark Hedges are all easy to visit from Belfast city.

Flight time: 1 hour 20 mins

Don’t Miss: The Titanic Museum, live music, The Giant’s Causeway.

BRUGES, BELGIUM

The medieval cobbled streets of UNESCO heritage Bruges are nothing short of picturesque. The city is a popular choice around Christmas; there’s something special about medieval places in the winter months, and Bruges has a lovely Christmas market.

Eat waffles, moules frites and Belgian chocolates all washed down with good Belgian beer before marvelling at the pretty buildings in market square and climbing the belfry clock tower. Take a boat trip down the canal to enjoy the old architecture in all its glory and make sure to look around the beautiful Basilica of the Holy Blood church.

Flight time: 1 hour 5 mins or 3 hours 10 mins on the train via Brussels

Don’t Miss: The Belfry, Belgian waffles smothered in Belgian chocolate, wandering the cobbled medieval streets and taking a boat trip down the canal.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, UK

Easily one of my favourite cities, Edinburgh makes for a brilliant cultural city break. The city serves as an impressive gateway to the rest of Bonnie Scotland, whilst historical sights Edinburgh Castle, The Real Mary King’s Close and Holyrood Castle make Edinburgh an exciting city break for history buffs.

Edinburgh thrives year-round. It’s bitterly cold but enjoyably festive over Christmas and Hogmanay, with cozy pubs and speakeasy cocktail bars tucked down little lanes to warm up in between sightseeing. Later in the year August welcomes extra crowds to town for the famous the Edinburgh Fringe, where you can supplement your city break with amazing theatre and comedy.

Flight time: 1 hour 20 mins flight or 4.5 hours (on average) by train

Don’t Miss: Edinburgh Castle, The Real Mary King’s Close, hike Arthur’s Seat for sweeping views.

PARIS, FRANCE

Paris is always a good idea! I know, I know, but clichés are often clichés for a reason: they’re true. The French capital is easily one of the best city breaks, and it’s a great repeat trip as it’s impossible to fit in everything to see, do and moreover: eat into one trip.

Incredible art collections at multiple galleries, the Eiffel Tower, boat trips down the Seine, Notre Dame, Le Sacré-Coeur – I could go on. Paris is truly excellent through all seasons, and it’s also one of the easiest city breaks from London due to the Eurostar and their regular flash sales which can get you a return ticket for under £80, direct to the centre of the city.

Eat all the pastries, sit outside a Parisian cafe with a carafe of wine and watch the world go by, marvel at the architecture in the historical streets and vow countless times to make a city break in Paris an annual thing.

Flight time: 1 hour 20 mins or 2 hours 15 mins on the Eurostar

Don’t Miss: Views from Le Sacré-Coeur, Parisian cafe culture in Montmartre, the Eiffel Tower light show, beautiful Notre Dame and Mamiche’s chocolate chip cookies.

1.5 – 2 HOURS FROM LONDON

BERLIN, GERMANY

Berlin is a very cool city; fantastic vintage shopping, great food, legendary clubbing (if that’s your thing!) and just has an overall fun vibe. 

On the flip side, its breadth of rich cultural history makes Berlin one of the best city breaks for history fans. Schloss Charlottenburg is a huge palace that dates back to the time of Prussian kings and emperors, where you can enjoy ornate rooms and manicured gardens. When it comes to more recent history, you can explore the East Side Gallery, the largest part of the Berlin Wall that still stands, which is covered in brightly coloured works by graffiti artists. Of course there is a very dark part of Germany’s history, WW2. Learn more this period at the Jewish Museum, and pay your respects at the Holocaust Memorial.

In the summer months, Teirgarten nearby to the Brandenburg Gate is a great spot for an al fresco drink and the floating barge pool at River Spree is an iconic way to spend a hot day. If you’re keen to experience Berlin’s flea markets, don’t miss the Sunday flea at Mauerpark.

Flight time: 1 hour 50 mins

Don’t Miss: Brandenburg Gate, Schloss Charlottenburg, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

SALZBURG, AUSTRIA

Criminally underrated but one of the best city breaks I’ve been on, Salzburg gets too often overlooked.

If you know The Sound of Music, you know Salzburg. The classic movie was set and filmed in the Austrian city, and much of their tourist trade feeds off of people visiting the sites. If you’re at all into the movie, The Sound of Music tour is a must!

Salzburg is also the home of Mozart, and there’s an excellent museum detailing his life. The food is of course typically Austrian: schnitzel, spaetzle and strudel galore; you’ll be hard pressed to find a bad meal in town.

Hop on the train to the mountains should you want to explore further afield; the beautiful lakeside town of Zell am See and one of the prettiest villages in Europe, Hallstatt, are not too far away. As you can imagine, the city is full of wonderful Christmas markets during December.

Flight time: 1 hour 55 mins

Don’t Miss: The Sound of Music Tour, Mozart’s Museum, day trip to Hallstatt, and the chance to eat as much schnitzel as possible.

SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN

The capital of Basque country in northern Spain serves as an excellent food focused trip, and is probably the best city break destination for foodies in Europe. You can combine world class food with beach in San Sebastián, which makes it even more appealing.

For those who are into fine dining, San Sebastián boasts the most Michelin stars in any Spanish city – though of course if you are planning a trip to one of these restaurants, you’ll want to be organised and book well in advance. If you are more into a casual food scene, pintxos (Spanish tapas style bar snacks) are famous across the city, similar to the cicchetti bars of Venice.

When you’ve got a break between food stops, you can hit the beach, hike up to Monte Urgull or get the funicular up to Monte Igueldo for amazing views across the Bay of Biscay.

Flight time: 1 hour 55 mins

Don’t Miss: Pintxos food tour, a Michelin starred experience, funicular to Monte Igueldo for sweeping views.

2 – 2.5 HOURS FROM LONDON

BARCELONA, SPAIN

The most popular Spanish city break is Barcelona, where city meets beach amongst great tapas and incredible architecture. 

Wandering the gothic quarter and stumbling across tiny tapas bars to wile away some time at is a quintessential part of any long weekend in Barcelona. For football fans, Barcelona’s home stadium Camp Nou is a must on the hit list, whilst others will enjoy the mountain cable car for unparalleled views of the city.

Sagarda Familia, the incredible carved church with stained glass windows by Catalan architect Gaudi is the most famous sight in Barcelona, and is due to finally be completed next year. There are multiple other Gaudi works to marvel at too: Park Güell, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà are all musts to seek out during your time in Barcelona.

Flight time: 2 hours 10 mins

Don’t Miss: Sagarda Familia, Park Güell, tapas in the Gothic Quarter.

BOLOGNA, ITALY

Bologna is too often overlooked in favour of bigger Italian cities, but it is a perfect weekend city break! It’s a small city, so you won’t be rushing around trying to fit everything in as you would in Rome or Florence, which makes Bologna one of the best city breaks for a relaxing weekend.

The city is the food capital of Italy; the home of Bolognese and gelato. The food and drink is cheap and excellent, the streets of this historical city are pretty in a quintessentially Italian way and there are good train connections to nearby foodie cities of Parma and Modena.

Partake in a food and drink tour to enjoy the best offerings of the city, marvel at the leaning towers of Bologna that dominate the skyline and tackle the walk up the The Sanctuary of San Luca church for amazing views. 

Flight time: 2 hours 10 mins

Don’t Miss: Authentic bolognese amongst locals at Osteria dell’Orsa, aperitivo at the oldest bar in Bologna, Osteria del Sole, walk up to The Sanctuary of San Luca.

FLORENCE, ITALY

The home of Italian Renaissance art, wonderful architecture and even better food, Florence has long been one of my favourite solo city break destinations. There is so much culture and history to experience in the capital of Tuscany that it’s impossible to get bored.

The art is Florence is amongst the most impressive in the world, with Michelango, Botticelli and countless other famous Renaissance artists gracing the halls of Palazzo Pitti, the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery.

Incredible food is everywhere, but the pasta all vodka and all you can drink chianti at local haunt Alla Vecchia Bettola is a must, as is a fancy cocktail at the Loggia rooftop bar – both in the Oltarno neighbourhood.

You can climb to the top of both the Duomo and the Campanile next to it (I recommend the latter if you only do one), and make sure you watch the sun set over the city from Piazzale Michelangelo. 

Flight time: 2 hours 15 mins

Don’t Miss: Michelangelo’s David, dinner at Alla Vecchia Bettola, cocktails at Loggia rooftop and sunset views from Piazzale Michelangelo.

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA

The Slovenian capital of Ljubljana remains an underrated city break, just over 2 hours flight time from London. The stunning Lake Bled is just a 40 minute drive away from the city, with the popular sight of the medieval Bled Castle nearby, overlooking the lake. 

Ljubljana itself is full of bridges that run over the river and pretty streets that thrive through the seasons, with four Christmas markets gracing the city in December. The city has an ancient castle you can visit, a beautiful cathedral, Tivoli Park to wander around and the famed Central Market to explore. 

Flight time: 2 hours 10 mins

Don’t Miss: Lake Bled, Bled Castle and the Central Market.

MADRID, SPAIN

The Spanish capital makes for a chilled city break focused on great tapas and amazing rooftop bars. There’s less to sightsee in Madrid than most capitals, so it works particularly well for a trip with friends where you can focus on enjoying the vibe of the city.

That said, for those who do want some culture on their city breaks, Madrid boasts some of the best art museums in Europe, the royal palace is breathtaking and Retiro Park is well worth spending some time in.

Flight time: 2 hours 25 mins

Don’t Miss: Tapas in Mercado San Miguel, Viva Madrid’s espresso martini, rooftop bar hopping, the royal palace and row boats in Retiro Park.

PORTO, PORTUGAL

Famed for its food scene, port tastings, and one of the prettiest McDonald’s in the world (yes, really), Porto is becoming an increasingly popular city break.

Whilst there’s no shortage of beautiful tiled buildings in Lisbon, little sister Porto’s offering are even more impressive – do not miss the iconic blue and white tiles in the train station and on the outside of the Igreja do Carmo church.

A port cellar tour and tasting is an absolutely must when in Porto, as is a river trip on the Douro river. For epic sunset views, head to Jardim do Morro before venturing to one of the cities fantastic restaurants for traditional Porto favourites such as Francesinha and Bacalhau.

Flight time: 2 hours 25 mins

Don’t Miss: Port tasting, boat trip on the river Douro and traditional blue and white Portuguese tiles.

ROME, ITALY

If you’re at all into history, Rome is an unmissable city break. The Italian capital is big, and there is no shortage of ridiculously old things to see: the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain and especially the Colosseum. There’s a lot to fit into a city break to Rome, so don’t be afraid to spend more than a weekend there, or save some sights for a second trip.

The best food can be found away from the most touristy areas; I cannot recommend wandering around the Trastevere area enough – eat at Tonnarello!

Flight time: 2 hours 30 mins

Don’t Miss: The Colosseum, throwing a penny for good luck in Trevi Fountain, wandering the Roman Forum and the best pasta in Rome at Tonnarello in Trastevere.

VENICE, ITALY

The floating city is one of my favourites. There is such charm to Venice: the cobbled winding streets amongst the canals, taking a vaporetto to different spots in the city and over to the brightly coloured island of Burano, watching the sky change colour across the iconic skyline from Accademia Bridge.

When it comes to food, expect dozens of brilliant little cicchetti bars. Grazing your way through the day on delicious Venetian tapas washed down with cheap Aperol spritz amongst the locals is a fantastic way to experience Venice.

Venice is fantastic all year round, but if you want to see it at its peak, visit for the Venice Carnival (usually late Feb – early March) and you will see dozens of people dressed up in traditional costumes and masks – it’s amazing!

Flight time: 2 hours 5 mins

Don’t Miss: Cicchetti bars, sunset from Accademia Bridge, climbing San Marco Campanile and exploring Burano island.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

The Austrian capital is home to two of the largest and most impressive palaces in Europe: Hofburg Palace, dating back to the 13th century, and Schönbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the Hamburg dynasty. Both are well worth a visit.

Fuel your sightseeing with the best thing about Austria: the Weiner schnitzel. Make sure to eat a slice of Sacher Torte chocolate cake, made famous by the famous Sacher Hotel, and stop by the opulent Cafe Central for a coffee, the old stomping ground of multiple famous historical figures. 

Last but by no means least, Vienna is considered the classical music capital of the world, and it would be remiss not to catch a concert or an opera at Vienna’s famed opera house. 

Flight time: 2 hours 15 mins

Don’t Miss: Schönbrunn Palace, a Mozart concert, schnitzel and a Sacher torte at the Cafe Central.

2.5 – 3 HOURS FROM LONDON

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

Split by the Danube River into two sides of the city – one named Buda, one named Pest – the capital of Hungary is one of the best city breaks in Central Europe.

The parliament building, an iconic gothic building that sits on the banks of the Danube, looks magical lit up at night, which you can enjoy from one of the many cruises along the river. Views from the Fisherman’s Bastion are amazing, as they are from Buda Castle, the historical residence of the Hungarian royal family.

Don’t visit Budapest without enjoying one of their famous spas. Szechenyi Baths is the most popular: a huge complex of outdoor and indoor thermal baths and saunas. By night they even hold ‘sparties’!

Flight time: 2 hours 30 mins

Don’t Miss: Szechenyi Baths, cruise along the Danube to see the Parliament Building lit up at night and views from Fisherman’s Bastion.

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

Dubrovnik is one of the prettiest European cities, all cobbled streets and terracotta roofs right by the ocean – it’s no surprise the city served as the location for Game of Thrones’ Kings Landing. Bearing that in mind, one of the most popular things to do is to do a GoT tour whilst in the Croatian city.

If you’re not a fan and don’t want the production facts along with exploring, a self guided walk along the ancient walls of the city is the ultimate way to take in Dubrovnik. Visit Rector’s Palace to learn about Dubrovnik’s history as a small republic called Ragusa, and hike up to Mt Srđ for vistas of the Old Town and the Adriatic beyond.

Flight time: 2 hours 45 mins

Don’t Miss: Walk the ancient city walls, explore the cobbled streets of the Old Town and hike Mt Srđ.

LISBON, PORTUGAL

Truly one of the best city breaks there is; Lisbon is fantastic with friends, as a couple or for a solo trip.

You can enjoy a mix of city and beach, there’s no shortage of amazing food and drink at good prices and the weather is reliably sunny and warm for the majority of the year. Day trips out to Sintra and Costa da Caparica add variety to this city break – you could easily spend a bit longer than a weekend in Lisbon and find plenty to do to fill your time there.

Flight time: 2 hours 45 mins

Don’t Miss: The viewpoints across Lisbon at sunset, a day trip out to Sintra, pastel de nata and taking one of the traditional yellow trams in the city.

PALERMO, SICILY, ITALY

The capital of Sicily is a little rough around the edges in places, but the architecture is fantastic, the food and drink is excellent whilst being reasonably priced, and one of Sicily’s best beaches, Mondello Beach, is 30 mins by bus from the city centre.

I highly recommend a couple of extra days in Palermo if you can squeeze it, as a day trip to Cefalù is a must do, and you could easily spend another day taking the train to Agrigento in the South to explore some of the most incredible Ancient Greek temples.

Flight time: 2 hours 50 mins

Don’t Miss: Sicilian street food from Mercato del Capo, walking the roof of Palermo Cathedral, Mondello beach and a trip out to Cefalù if you have time.

SEVILLE, SPAIN

The home of flamenco, tapas, and incredible Moorish architecture and pretty hand painted tiles: Seville is an excellent city break be it solo, in a couple or with friends.

Seville makes a particularly good city break for the colder months as its location in Southern Spain means it’s relatively mild even in the winter months; and autumn and spring can easily reach a balmy early 20s in temperature.

There’s plenty to see and do without the city being overwhelming, and there is amazing food all over. You could easily spend a couple of days extra here and get the train out to neighbouring Cordoba and Granada, too.

To enjoy the smell of orange blossom filling the streets, visit in late February and early March. Beware it can get sweltering in the peak summer months, but the shoulder season is perfect for eating outside and enjoying some sunbathing time at one of the many hotels with rooftop pools.

Flight time: 2 hours 45 mins

Don’t Miss: The stunning Royal Alcazar (make sure to book at least a month in advance!), Plaza de Espana and Palacio de las Dueñas.

OVER 3 HOURS FROM LONDON

ATHENS, GREECE

At 3 hours 40 minutes, you’ll probably need a couple more nights than a weekend to make a trip to Athens worth it, but the bonus is that your chances of better and warmer weather in the winter months will be higher, and if you’re into history it’ll be one of the best city breaks you could ever do.

Athens boasts a silly number of ancient Greek temples; not least the Acropolis and the Parthenon, dating back thousands of years. The Plaka neighbourhood is full of pretty coloured buildings down narrow streets lined with bougainvillea, and if you’re into Greek food, you’re going to have a brilliant time eating quality street food and meals at affordable local tavernas.

Flight time: 3 hours 40 mins

Don’t Miss: The Acropolis, wandering Plaka and eating all the souvlaki, tzatziki and taramasalata you can fit in.

ISTANBUL, TÜRKIYE

It may not be the capital but it’s the most popular city in Türkiye and a brilliant choice for a city break if you’re looking for something different, given Istanbul straddles where Europe meets Asia. 

Hagia Sofia Grand Mosque is beyond beautiful, and a dinner cruise on the Bosphorus is a magical way to spend an evening. Stock up on spices at the Grand Bazaar before relaxing with a hammam spa experience, then spend time enjoying Istanbul’s rich food offering – Köfte, börek, menemen and a proper donor kebab.

Flight time: 3 hours 55 mins

Don’t Miss: Hagia Sofia, cruise the Bosphorus and haggle in the Grand Bazaar.

VALLETTA, MALTA

Whilst Malta itself is well worth a longer holiday to enjoy the breadth of the island, especially the incredible ancient city of Medina and the gorgeous blue lagoon off the coast, the capital Valletta is full of charm.

Valletta has one of the most impressive European cathedrals I’ve been to, and the upper and lower barrakka gardens are beautiful, with fantastic views out to sea. The streets are pretty, with interesting doors and fully covered glass balconies that jut out from the buildings. Beyond the long and interesting history of Valletta, there are excellent restaurants and lovely bars that dot the steps on the cobbled streets.

Valletta is far south enough that even in the winter months you’ll hit highs of 16/17 degrees, which makes a welcome break from the freezing temperatures of the UK, whilst also being the off season which means you also have the bonus of fewer crowds.

Flight time: 3 hours 15 mins

Don’t Miss: Views from the Barrakka gardens, a day trip to Mdina (if time permits) and drinks on the steps of The Bridge Bar whilst listening to jazz.

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Updated July 2025

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