Europe & Asia · Short breaks
City breaks
Twenty-three cities, each with the same honest treatment: what to book before you fly, which neighbourhood to sleep in, and the month to avoid.
Twenty-three cities, each with the same honest treatment: what to book before you fly, which neighbourhood to sleep in, and the month to avoid.
Timed-entry tickets now govern the great European sights, and most of them sell out well before the flights do.
The Colosseum, the Vatican, Gaudí's Sagrada Família, Vienna's Schönbrunn and the Alhambra all work on capped half-hour slots. Amsterdam's Anne Frank House releases tickets exactly six weeks ahead and they go within hours — people are turned away at the door every single day. Book the entries first and arrange the flights around them, not the other way round. That one habit is worth more than any other advice on this page.
Ruins, basilicas and the best three-night city break in Europe.
Two nights, and stay overnight to see it empty.
Gaudí, tapas and a city beach.
Flamenco, orange trees and the finest Alcázar.
Hills, trams and Europe's best-value capital.
Gothic spires and the cheapest beer in Europe.
Palaces, coffee houses and imperial grandeur.
Thermal baths, ruin bars and grand architecture.
A perfect medieval square, and Auschwitz nearby.
Canals, Van Gogh and a very walkable centre.
Design, hygge and the world's best restaurants.
Twentieth-century history, and Europe's best nightlife.
A castle on a rock, and no flight needed.
Walk the walls at opening, before the ships.
Two continents, and a skyline of domes.
Every one includes flights, a central hotel and transfers.
No flight needed from much of the UK, and no currency to change.
Europe's largest medieval square, at the lowest price on this list.
The mildest winter of any European capital.
Book the tickets before the flights. Genuinely.
Long-haul that feels short-haul. Guaranteed winter sun.
Worth the flight only with four nights or a second stop.
Guide prices, per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, accommodation and transfers where stated. They indicate what a holiday of this type has typically cost and are not an offer or a quotation. Your price depends on dates, party, board basis, departure airport and availability, and is confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.
Ready-built and fully reshapeable around your dates.
10 nights · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · from £1,349pp
11 nights · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct, Dec · from £1,149pp
8 nights · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · from £849pp
8 nights · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · from £899pp
11 nights · May–Jun, Sep · from £1,149pp
12 nights · Apr–May, Sep–Oct · from £2,399pp
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