Cheap city breaks: Cheapest places in Europe for a weekend getaway this summer - with affordable flights, food and drink

From booking flights on the cheapest day to snapping up travel deals in the sales, there are a number of ways you can save money on your holiday. Thankfully Europe is blessed with a number of budget destinations.

If you are looking for a cheap city break in Europe this summer, listed below are some options.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest ranked seventh in the Post Office’s annual City Costs Barometer, which estimated the total cost of a weekend break for two people to be £310.87. Meanwhile, Ryanair and Wizz Air fly to the Hungarian capital from airports across the UK for as little as £25 return. A visit to the imposing Hungarian Parliament, with its neo-Gothic architecture, should be top of your list (be sure to book in advance as tickets sell out quickly), while Buda Castle and St Stephen’s Basilica are also well worth a visit.

Riga, Latvia

Dubbed ‘Europe’s best kept secret’ by keen travellers, the Post Office estimates the total cost of a two-night holiday in Riga will set you back just £297.20. Return flights from London Stansted to Riga start from £28, while direct flights are available from other airports across the UK. If you’ve not got long there, make sure you check out the House of The Black Heads, an architectural landmark dating back to the 14th Century, and have a nose around the old town and the central market.

Tirana, Albania

A meal for two in a mid-price restaurant in Tirana costs an average of just £31, while you can expect to pay just over £1.50 for a local beer. A large (1.5 litre) bottle of water, meanwhile, will set you back around 50p. Direct flights from London, Manchester and Bristol are available to Tirana for as little as £21 with Ryanair.

Athens, Greece

The Post Office’s City Costs barometer put a weekend in Athens at a humble £289.40. It was also ranked as the fourth cheapest European city for accommodation, at £140 for a weekend, and the second cheapest for eating out. A three-course meal for two with a bottle of house wine was estimated at £49.95. Flights to Athens from London Luton start at £31, with Wizz Air, Ryanair and easyJet all offering direct routes.

Krakow, Poland

Expect a weekend in Krakow to set you back around £278.87 for two people, and the city was ranked third-cheapest for accommodation, at £133 for a weekend. Flights to the Polish city start from £29, with Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet all offering direct flights from across the UK. In Krakow itself, meanwhile, make sure to check out the stunning Wawel Castle — once the home of the Polish monarchy — the historic St Mary’s Basilica with its hourly bugle call, and the underground salt mines in Wieliczka.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

A meal for two at a mid-range restaurant in Ljubljana will set you back around £43, but dinner at a budget restaurant could cost as little as £9, while a cappuccino costs around £1.70. It’s possible to fly direct from London to Ljubljana for as little as £58 with easyJet. Make sure you have Ljubliana Castle on your list of things to see.

Vilnius, Lithuania

Vilnius was recently crowned Europe’s most affordable city, with a weekend for two in the Lithuanian capital estimated at £236.51. It also ranked lowest for accommodation costs, at £131 for a weekend, and can be reached via direct flights from London Luton or London Stansted for as little as £28. One of the city’s top attractions is its hot air balloon rides over the old town, but panoramic views of Vilnius can still be discovered with a more budget-friendly trip up Vilnius’ TV tower.

Bratislava, Slovakia

One-way flights can be as cheap as £44. You can visit the good lookout point at the riverbank’s futuristic UFO Tower, where you can travel by speedy lift for roughly £7. In Bratislava, you can expect to pay around 7-15 euros for an inexpensive restaurant meal, 30-70 euros for a mid-range restaurant meal for two, and around 2-3 euros for a domestic beer.