Whether you want to soak up world-class culture, feast on regional specialities or discover historical sites, there’s no denying that when it comes to city breaks, Europe never lets the side down. Our pick of the perfect city breaks in Europe include legendary cities and up-and-coming destinations.
Bookmark this list to plan your weekend trips for the year!
Best City Breaks In Europe
1. Madrid, Spain
Madrid is the capital of Spain and its most populous city. With culture and history flowing through this city’s veins with its many plazas, palaces and parks, there’s heaps of things to do in Madrid.
The sunniest city in Europe, Madrid has over 300 sunshine-filled days a year, so it’s perfect year-round.
2. Florence, Italy
Florence is one of the great tourist cities of the world, with beautiful things to see around every single corner. As the gateway to the scenic region of Tuscany, it is also home to countless pieces of Renaissance art and architecture.
There is just so much to take in and see and an endless array of things to do in Florence.
3. Edinburgh, Scotland
No trip to Scotland is complete without a visit to the picturesque city of Edinburgh.
With the historic Edinburgh castle looming over the city, culture in spades and wonderfully friendly locals, this is one of the world’s greatest city breaks.
4. London, England
Pretty pink restaurants, futuristic space-age toilets and jungle skyline views are just some of our favourite things about London. And of course, all the classics: Big Ben, red phone boxes and world-class museums and galleries. No wonder it’s one of the top city breaks in Europe.
5. Budapest, Hungary
Brimming with intriguing architecture and rich cultural heritage, Budapest still feels slightly untouched by tourists. It’s compact, making it one of the best places for solo travelers in Europe.
Check out local ruins bars, enjoy a river cruise along the Danube, or meet locals on a walking tour. This city truly has it all, and the local exchange rate makes it an ideal vacation spot for travellers on a budget.
6. Toulouse, France
Toulouse’s gorgeous summer-y climate and its exciting fusion of cultures from being so close to the Spanish border makes it a real gem of a place to visit. Its nickname is La Ville Rose (‘The Pink City’) because of the red-pink clay bricks that are used in the buildings.
It’s a lively, student-friendly city. There’s more than 1,000 events on average every year and summer evenings that are particularly animated!
7. Berlin, Germany
Arguably the coolest city in Europe (where else would you find techno-playing spas and abandoned amusement parks?), Berlin is the rough diamond of the continent where people play hard and work hard. This edgy city has graffiti on every corner and has turned into one of Europe’s coolest destinations since the fall of the Berlin Wall in ’89.
