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?

@Retiredearly61 what are the specialist Ryanair under seat bags?

@doistayordoigo

i have this one in 40x20x25 size

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cabin-Max-Manhattan-Stowaway-20L/dp/B07K4FGLMS/ref=sxin_15_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.966d9ff0-326c-427b-918c-d4f05ff158c6%3Aamzn1.sym.966d9ff0-326c-427b-918c-d4f05ff158c6&crid=2QVGJHR7FTJV1&cv_ct_cx=ryanair%2Bcabin%2Bbags%2B40x20x25%2Bunderseat&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bO9wvZ9B0A3sdg2dVnN6TaLrCkImbb83Iw7d7ssK4QDrTlBw6ihwDrrFEyOVCbaVpB4UYNWpiFszDfniJoUPkw.hEopEnPT98EHyC9HHVQV-g50bWiFiJz4zrjIqjecacA&dib_tag=se&keywords=ryanair%2Bcabin%2Bbags%2B40x20x25%2Bunderseat&pd_rd_i=B07K4FGLMS&pd_rd_r=c84f19e0-9ee5-46e2-9aa1-179c056d5a9b&pd_rd_w=Os209&pd_rd_wg=3yMMP&pf_rd_p=966d9ff0-326c-427b-918c-d4f05ff158c6&pf_rd_r=JQYW8XXY5SJFSQRPBD0N&qid=1717485821&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=Rya%2Caps%2C77&sr=1-2-76163601-3bc5-4bd6-b454-ded14c50366a-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

@doistayordoigo bear in mind you are not allowed a handbag in addition to your free bag. I travel with a tiny cross body bag and either put it in my airport carrier bag (WH Smith ones are better than the boots paper ones) or I put it on under my jacket and hide it. Not been challenged yet

I do this too!

@aveenobambino you are right about getting travelling light down to a fine art. The more you do it the better at it you get, we just did our first free bag only 4 night weekend. We are now down to two free carry ons and one 10kg priority bag for a full week too. I can’t believe the amount I used to take, I can remember airlines putting ‘heavy’ stickers on!

I looked at Seville and found it was much more expensive than I expected, particularly flights - even with EasyJet.
is another city an option ? Flights to Gibraltar with EJ from Gatwick are pretty inexpensive

Have you made sure you have booked your parking through Gatwick recommended suppliers ? There is a real issue with scammers at the airport at the moment, the new tactic appears to be meeting people in the short stay car park, taking the money and then leaving the vehicle insecure with the keys in it and never being seen again. Resulting in passengers arriving home to massive car park charges because their car has spent 6 days in the very expensive short stay car park. Some poor lady recently got done for about £600 of parking charges on top of the money she gave the scammer and had to pay it before she could get out.

please double and triple check any Gatwick parking you have arranged that it is reputable.

And a little tip for the hand luggagers - if you have a backpack or a soft body bag they don't really seem to look at it at all. It's always wheeled cases that come unstuck, I guess because they are rigid. A soft bag can be squished in. I managed a week in Porto including clothes for a 2 Michelin star lunch on the free EJ hand luggage bag by really thinking about what I needed to take. I favour the rolling method for clothes and wearing layers on the plane. This is what I use, it's brilliant.

@whiteroseredrose you are the queen of good bargains. DH and I went to Barcelona recently just for a couple of days and managed to spend nearly £1k, including flights and hotels. We did spend a fair amount on tickets to see all the Gaudi stuff, but we didn't go mad in restaurants or buy many souvenirs. It just came to that much. It put me off weekend breaks tbh. We could have spent about the same if we'd stayed for a week in self catering.

Flights are usually well under £100 return each and either a hotel or apartment is never more than maybe £75 per night.

This is around my budget, too. I take only cabin baggage and a handbag, and I research budget accommodation (sometimes guesthouses, sometimes studios) and book the ones with the best reviews and location. I was in Lisbon a couple of months ago and booked a private room in a hostel. Probably the best short break accommodation I've had! Super friendly with stuff going on, and the only downside was sharing a bathroom (which really wasn't a problem).

But if you're going to go for 4*+ hotels in a city or can cost you an arm and a leg.

I have a Cabin Zero backpack. It makes use of every square centimetre of cabin allowance (no wheels or frame using up space and weight) and I've done ten day trips easily with it.

@Lilacdew Barcelona is a pretty pricy destination, I'm glad I already went very many years ago so have no need to go again now it's whomped up hugely.

We went to Seville a couple of years ago and saved money by going midweek rather than weekend. We booked an Airbnb as much prefer those to hotels in cities. Was fabulous!

Went to genoa recently
Flights: £100 including cabin bag with Ryan air
Apartment: £500 (between 3, we wanted something amazing, can be done a lot less)
Spent: £330

£600 all in. Lots of great food, all meals out and amazing wine.

Was well worth it! Had an amazing time!

This bag would be too big on Ryanair as the free bag, just so people are aware

Yep, Ryanair is 40x20x25

Wow! Who did you go with?

Seville in October is one of the peak seasons so hotels won't be that cheap. And don't pay extra for a hotel with an outdoor pool as it's unlikely to be open at that time of year, even if it's 30°. Definitely don't pay for breakfast at the hotel, you can get breakfast at any bar and for a few euros (it's cheap if you know where to go and avoid tourist places). Eating and drinking out is fairly cheap, although the rooftop bars are more expensive.

You can get the airport bus into town for 5€, which is regular and quick (there is no train), but I'm not sure what time it starts and ends. Around 6am and midnight I think.

The weather in October won't be cold but you could get unlucky and it might rain.

Looking at 4 nights in Berlin for 2 in October is £1,600 package then food and activities might be another £1k max.