How much do you spend on a city break/long weekend abroad?

[doistayordoigo]

Have just been costing up a 3 night break in Seville for October, we haven't done a non-UK city break before, and I'm curious about how much people usually spend on a trip like this? Stupidly I thought it wouldn't be that expensive, but unless I'm missing something it will end up costing as much as a longer holiday! What tips and tricks am I missing, and what do you usually spend on this type of break?

Keep looking OP.

I've done loads of these, usually with BA packages or Easyjet packages which also include hold luggage. Never paid more than £500 for three nights and it's only in the last year that I've paid more than £400. Minimum 3 accommodation, usually 4.

The only time it's been more is if I've gone somewhere for an event and dynamic pricing comes into play (e.g. Eurovision).

Having said all this I live close to Gatwick which probably helps although some of the BA ones have been from LHR.

It varies a lot from city to city, but they are never a bargain when I am organising them. We have school aged kids, so tied to school holidays. I always book flights and accomodation separately, we almost always fly Ryanair as there flights are always the cheapest and obviously they don't do package holidays. Last few times the flights have been £100 per person return (including seat reservations (compulsory with kids under 12) and one 20kg checked bag for all 4 of us), but in 2022/much of 2023 the flights cost me more. I spent £120/ night on the hotel we stayed in Valletta, which was probably cheaper than my average, more typically spend £200 per night for a family room, and sometimes more. All being in one room is key for us and that limits our options. We usually Uber from the airport, unless we are somewhere like Madrid or Pisa where the airport is connected by train. Plus feeding 4 people and visiting museums, and the cost is never low. Cities like Paris where the kids are free in almost all the museums are a win for us! Apart from when we went to Gdansk (which was a bit cheaper), I can't imagine we get much change out of £2000 for a 4 night trip as a family of 4.

Seville is the foodie capital of Spain! You’ll have a great time.

Uh, San Sebastian would like a word 🤨
😂

It varies tremendously depending on where and when you're going and if you're able to get cheap flights.

I've just done a couple of days in Oslo for £12.99 each way on the flights and £85 for the hotel. It was mindblowingly expensive once there though. £25 for the bus from the airport and £13 for a beer.

I'm currently booking a long weekend in Barcelona. Flights will be about £120 return and I've done an air B&B this time, which works out about £150 pp for 3 nights.

I am very good at packing for a weekend with just an underseat bag and never pay to reserve a seat.

My DH usually spend between £1800 and £2600 on a city break. We like decent time flights and lots of activities such as concerts. We book 5 star hotels with a spa that is very centrally located.
My DS often travels on his own and spends about £400 on travel, transfer and accommodation and around £70 per day spending money.

@doistayordoigo I travel really light and just take a bag that fits under the seat in front. I don’t pay for seats either. Sometimes we end up sitting together, sometimes not, but I quite like the peace and quiet to read my book! Flights are only a few hours anyway.

We have older teens, so it’s usually just DH and I travelling.

We did Prague quite cheaply recently

Seville I'd expect

400 flight
450 hotel inc breakfast
120 other meals and snack
50 transfers

So around £500pp plus up transport and hotel

You get a lot more for you money in Eastern Europe Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

Prague is beautiful. I've been twice in the last year!

we found Seville to be quite cheap especially if you ate outside the city centre. We spent a 8 days there with flights and car hire for under £500. Food was only about €20-30 a head per day.

Did Prague last year for under £200 for 4 nights including flights. And spends once there not expensive

We did sevlle

flights £60 each
airvnh £300 for 8 mights
car hire £30 for 8 days.

We had three days in Dubrovnik last month, it was about £1200 for two of us then another £1k spending there. Nothing is cheap anymore! So worth it tho we had the best time!

What were going to Paris for the olympcis and only cost £300 for flights and 3 nights hotel.

We're going to see DS2 this month - he's in Europe for the summer but not anywhere fancy. Costing £170pp for flights and a nice Airbnb for three of us (,two bedroom flat). Obvs transfers,food, entertainment on top of that. But hopefully food will be cheaper as we have a kitchen.

Last year dd and I went to Budapest for two nights for the world athletics- tickets were so cheap! Think flights and hotel were about £5-600 for the two of us.

Blimey! Our Eurostar tickets to Paris for the Olympics were pretty cheap but the hotel was £££££. Did you book ages ago?

It is different for everyone, because it depends on which city, quality of hotel, availability of flights etc etc. But 3 nights would be min £1,000, I guess.

@doistayordoigo
We did Seville cheaply - for us it's that or don't go! Decide your budget and stick to it. It's a beautiful city and so much to see just wandering around.
Ryanair flights.
Hotel £75 a night for triple room inc breakfast.
Lunch bought from supermarket/bakeries enjoyed in leaf squares.
Dinner around 30 euros for 3 for plenty of tapas and a glass of wine.
Free walking tour (well pay what you like).
Entrance fees to Giralda and Real Alcazar.
Train to Cadiz.

P.s. that was in Feb half term

You are right a weekend break ends up costing as much as a week. Friday to Monday flights are generally more expensive and sometimes hotels have higher weekend rates too. Travelling light really reduces the cost. If you buy the specialist Ryanair under seat bags that go for free you really can travel that light for 3/4 days. The trick is to use compression bags for anything that doesn’t matter if it creases and to decant certain toiletries into tiny pots and buy others at the airport or do boots click and collect. Anything in an airport carrier bag can go on in addition to your free bag

Two weeks ago. £50 a night it’s about 30 mins out

Fuck me where are you going for a grand for 3 nights?

If flying we only take hand luggage,never check in a case. Poland is very cheap for city breaks and beautiful.
This year we are going by train for the first time to Lille. Sick of all the crowds and hassle of flying so hopefully this will be more relaxing. We always stay Air BnB.

I went to Dubrovnik in April flights were £89 return easyJet and we splashed out on a decent 5 star hotel which was £660 for 4 nights for two of us (got a good deal on that) We spent about £200 on food and cocktails.

Am going to Barcelona in October, again for four nights. Flights were £77 easyJet and we've booked an air bnb that's £241pp (7 of us going).

I bought a cute mini suitcase off Amazon that meets the easyJet free cabin luggage requirements, so no need to pay for luggage.

I won't fly Ryanair anymore (unless there is no other choice to get to that destination) after they stranded my friend and her child in Rome. You read news articles and think, that can't be true they wouldn't treat passengers like that but they did.

About £1000 for two of us on a 3 night city break including all food, travel, accommodation, sightseeing, souvenirs etc.

It might be a bit more but definitely wouldn't exceed £1500. We don't do them often.

I think it all also depends what you want. I don't mind a very early flight but Ryanair is a no-go for two reasons, I hate their policies and it's too complicated and costly to go to an airport they fly from.
And with restrictions to school holidays prices go up. I flew last year in term time to Florence and prices were a lot cheaper obviously.

I like a city center hotel so I don't need to look for public transport and can go back for a break (DD has ASD and often needs 1-2 hours rest).

I also don't like to squeeze everything into the handluggage.

I also like the relaxed morning with a nice breakfast.

So that's all adds up but for us a city break is one of the two holidays we do per year and budget for.