European City Break ideas - Not too expensive

[LadyDanburysHat]

DH and I are wanting to take a weekend city break somewhere in Europe in September. We don't want to spend too much as we are having a family holiday in October too.

Pretty open to most places, but not too long a flight as it will only be 2 nights. Don't mind about temperatures at all.

I think that you'd be mad to fly anywhere for 2 nights. It's not worth it.

Too much time, hassle and expense for the sake of 2 nights. You'd spend more time organising it, packing, travelling and finding your bearings than you would enjoying yourself. Just go somewhere in the UK!

Another vote for Krakow! One of my favourite city breaks. Small and walkable, very pretty. Great food and really affordable. Obviously Auschwitz is a must visit although very emotional, and that salt mines were great.

Lisbon also very lovely!

Is it easily walkable? Am desperate to go but can't go many places with heat and hills lol

In Lisbon if walking is difficult, just use the trans.

Another vote for Lisbon, it's just fabulous!

I must have eaten my weight in pastel de nata there.

Prague is also good for a short weekend; if you leave early and fly back late you csn still get 3 days

Prague is monstrously over touristed. Why spend time and money going to somewhere where all you can do is shuffle along in a giant mob, being overcharged for everything by surly, resentful locals.

Lisbon is a very hilly city, but there are lots of flat areas. There are also escalations and elevators strategically placed around the city to help transport people up the steeper hills to flat bits.

Sorry that was in reply to @ChocoChocoLatte

Budapest or a city in Poland if you want cheap.

Cheap rules out Belgium, Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria and all of Scandinavia.

Spain depends on where you go. Same for Portugal. Italy as well.

Croatia is nice but becoming a lot more expensive. I wouldn't call it cheap.

Slovenia, Slovakia and Czechia are options. But avoid Prague as its too touristy.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are doable. You can do nice city breaks to Talinn, Vilnius or Riga.

Bulgaria and Romania are definitely cheap but perhaps a little more challenging.

Basically go as east as you can.

I agree with you, two hours or more on a flight, plus all the waiting around, is why I suggested The Netherlands.
Last time, I went from a small regional airport, arrived an hour before the flight, took bag on my board and had checked in on line.
Flight was 45 minutes! ( actually the downside was the queue for passport control in Amsterdam as non EU - thanks Brexit) - which took longer than the flight.