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The 25 best weekend breaks from London (all road-tested by me)

I'd rather do ten weekend breaks than one fortnight on a sunbed. Out of work on Friday, early flight, back on Sunday night and straight into the office on Monday. I've done dozens of these, so here are my 25 favourites, ranked.

Every one of them I've done as a short trip myself. For each: when to go, getting in from the airport, and whether it's cheap, mid-range or pricey.

25 of 25 ticked off

  1. Prague ✓
  2. Budapest ✓
  3. Rome ✓
  4. Amsterdam ✓
  5. Lisbon ✓
  6. Porto ✓
  7. Berlin ✓
  8. Barcelona ✓
  9. Marrakech ✓
  10. Venice ✓
  11. Reykjavík ✓
  12. Dublin ✓
  13. Ljubljana and Lake Bled ✓
  14. Stavanger and Pulpit Rock ✓
  15. Lake Como ✓
  16. Gdańsk ✓
  17. Tallinn ✓
  18. Riga ✓
  19. Vilnius ✓
  20. Malta ✓
  21. Valencia ✓
  22. Monaco ✓
  23. Bratislava and Vienna ✓
  24. Wrocław ✓
  25. Stockholm ✓
  1. Prague
    Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    1 Prague

    Czech Republic✓ Been: December 2024 (and several times before)

    A medieval old town, a castle on the hill, great beer and everything within walking distance. I keep going back.

    Budget
    Cheap
    When to go
    April to May, or September to October. December for the Christmas markets.
    Getting in
    Bus and metro, or a taxi, into the centre.

    Read my storyFind a tourFind a hotel

  2. Ornate neo-Gothic parliament building with spires and domes under a cloudy sky.

    2 Budapest

    Hungary✓ Been: February 2011 and March 2025

    Thermal baths, ruin bars and the Danube. Two cities in one, and you'll struggle to spend a fortune.

    Budget
    Cheap
    When to go
    March to May, or September to November. Any time for the baths.
    Getting in
    The airport bus into the centre, or a taxi.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  3. The curved stone arches of the Colosseum in Rome rising behind green trees under a blue sky.

    3 Rome

    Italy✓ Been: February 2015 and March 2026

    The Colosseum, the Forum and the Trevi Fountain, all walkable, with pizza and gelato between them.

    Budget
    Mid-range
    When to go
    March to May, or September to October.
    Getting in
    The train from Fiumicino to Termini.

    Read my storyFind a tourFind a hotel

  4. A row of tall, narrow, leaning canal houses reflected in the water under a blue sky.

    4 Amsterdam

    Netherlands✓ Been: October 2022 and May 2026

    Canals, bikes, brown cafés and a lot packed into a small city. Great for a race weekend too.

    Budget
    Pricey (fly or take the Eurostar)
    When to go
    April to May for the tulips, or September.
    Getting in
    The train from Schiphol to Centraal.

    Read my storyFind a tourFind a hotel

  5. Lisbon
    Photo: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    5 Lisbon

    Portugal✓ Been: June 2017

    Hills, trams, viewpoints and custard tarts, with the sun out most of the year.

    Budget
    Mid-range
    When to go
    April to June, or September to October.
    Getting in
    The metro from the airport into the centre.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  6. Porto
    Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    6 Porto

    Portugal✓ Been: April 2015

    Port lodges across the river, a riverside old town and some of the best-value food in Western Europe.

    Budget
    Cheap
    When to go
    May to September.
    Getting in
    The metro from the airport into town.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  7. Berlin
    Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    7 Berlin

    Germany✓ Been: September 2017 and September 2026

    History on every corner, from the Wall to Checkpoint Charlie, plus some of the best nightlife in Europe.

    Budget
    Mid-range
    When to go
    May to September. September for the marathon.
    Getting in
    The train from BER into the centre.

    Read my storyFind a tourFind a hotel

  8. Barcelona
    Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    8 Barcelona

    Spain✓ Been: April 2011

    Gaudí, the Gothic Quarter and a city beach, all in one weekend.

    Budget
    Mid-range
    When to go
    May to June, or September to October.
    Getting in
    The Aerobús or train from the airport into the centre.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  10. Tubs of dried flowers and spices in a Marrakech souk.

    9 Marrakech

    Morocco✓ Been: December 2019

    Souks, spice stalls, riads and gardens, and the closest thing to a long-haul trip you can do in a weekend.

    Budget
    Cheap
    When to go
    October to April. It's too hot in summer.
    Getting in
    A taxi from the airport to the medina. Agree the price first.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  11. A narrow Venetian canal lined with old buildings, moored boats and laundry hanging out to dry.

    10 Venice

    Italy✓ Been: October 2016 and June 2023

    Nowhere else looks like it. Get lost in the back canals away from St Mark's.

    Budget
    Pricey
    When to go
    March to May, or October to November. Avoid the summer crowds.
    Getting in
    The water bus or bus from Marco Polo airport. Check whether the day-tripper fee applies on your dates.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  12. Reykjavík
    Photo: Richard Bartz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    11 Reykjavík

    Iceland✓ Been: February 2013

    The northern lights, the Golden Circle and hot springs, all doable from a city break.

    Budget
    Pricey
    When to go
    September to March for the northern lights; June to August for the midnight sun.
    Getting in
    The Flybus from Keflavík.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  13. The River Liffey flowing between quays lined with colourful terraced buildings under a cloudy sky.

    12 Dublin

    Ireland✓ Been: February 2023

    The Guinness Storehouse, Jameson, Temple Bar and a proper pint of Guinness.

    Budget
    Pricey
    When to go
    Any time. March for St Patrick's Day.
    Getting in
    The airport bus into the centre.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  14. The blue water of Lake Bled from the castle walls.

    13 Ljubljana and Lake Bled

    Slovenia✓ Been: November 2013

    A tiny, pretty capital, and a lake with an island and a castle just up the road.

    Budget
    Mid-range
    When to go
    May to September.
    Getting in
    The airport shuttle to Ljubljana, then an easy bus ride to Bled.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  15. The flat-topped Pulpit Rock cliff above a fjord with a beam of sunlight cutting through cloud.

    14 Stavanger and Pulpit Rock

    Norway✓ Been: May 2023

    A weekend hike to one of the most famous viewpoints in Norway, from a direct flight.

    Budget
    Pricey
    When to go
    May to September.
    Getting in
    The airport bus into town, then a bus or car to the Preikestolen trailhead.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  16. Lake Como
    Photo: Manfred Werner - Tsui, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    15 Lake Como

    Italy✓ Been: December 2016

    Lakeside villages and boat trips, a short train ride from Milan.

    Budget
    Pricey (fly to Milan)
    When to go
    April to June, or September.
    Getting in
    Train from Milan to Varenna or Como, then the ferries between the villages.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  17. Tall colourful gabled townhouses in green, red and yellow against a grey sky.

    16 Gdańsk

    Poland✓ Been: December 2023

    A rebuilt old town full of colourful houses, an excellent Second World War museum and very good food.

    Budget
    Cheap
    When to go
    May to September. December for the Christmas market.
    Getting in
    The bus or train from the airport into the centre.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  18. A medieval stone tower of Tallinn's city wall above fresh snow

    17 Tallinn

    Estonia✓ Been: October 2011 and February 2018

    One of the best-preserved medieval old towns in Europe, with walls and towers to climb.

    Budget
    Mid-range
    When to go
    May to September. December for the Christmas market.
    Getting in
    The tram from the airport to the old town.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  19. Riga
    Photo: PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    18 Riga

    Latvia✓ Been: May 2014

    Art nouveau buildings, a lively old town and very cheap nights out.

    Budget
    Cheap
    When to go
    May to September.
    Getting in
    The airport bus into the centre.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  20. A panorama over Vilnius old town and its church towers on a sunny day

    19 Vilnius

    Lithuania✓ Been: November 2014 and May 2024

    A baroque old town and the self-declared Republic of Užupis, with its own constitution.

    Budget
    Cheap
    When to go
    May to September.
    Getting in
    The train or bus from the airport.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  21. Malta
    Photo: Marie-Lan Nguyen, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

    20 Malta

    Malta✓ Been: December 2025

    Valletta, Mdina and the ancient temples of Gozo, with sunshine most of the year.

    Budget
    Mid-range
    When to go
    April to June, or September to November.
    Getting in
    The airport bus to Valletta, or a taxi.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  22. Valencia's ornate white City Hall with a clock tower under a bright blue sky, palm trees to the side.

    21 Valencia

    Spain✓ Been: February 2024

    The home of paella, a city beach and the space-age City of Arts and Sciences.

    Budget
    Mid-range
    When to go
    March to June, or September to October. March for Las Fallas.
    Getting in
    The metro from the airport into the centre.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  23. Monaco's harbour packed with yachts below the hillside city

    22 Monaco

    Monaco✓ Been: February 2017

    Yachts, supercars and the casino. Stay in Nice to keep the costs down.

    Budget
    Pricey (fly to Nice)
    When to go
    April to June, or September. May for the Grand Prix.
    Getting in
    Fly to Nice, then the train or bus along the coast.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  24. The grand Vienna State Opera house under a blue sky

    23 Bratislava and Vienna

    Slovakia and Austria✓ Been: April 2014

    Two capitals in one weekend, with a river cruise in between.

    Budget
    Mid-range
    When to go
    April to June, or September to October.
    Getting in
    Fly into either city; a boat along the Danube links them.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  25. Two small bronze dwarf statues lounging on the pavement beside a brick wall.

    24 Wrocław

    Poland✓ Been: November 2021

    One of the prettiest market squares in Europe, and hundreds of little bronze dwarfs to hunt for.

    Budget
    Cheap
    When to go
    May to September. December for the Christmas market.
    Getting in
    The bus from the airport into the centre.

    Find a tourFind a hotel

  26. Stockholm
    Photo: Julian Herzog (Website), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    25 Stockholm

    Sweden✓ Been: October 2016

    An old town on an island, the archipelago on your doorstep, and a hostel inside a jumbo jet at the airport.

    Budget
    Pricey
    When to go
    May to September.
    Getting in
    The Arlanda Express train.

    TOP TIP: The Jumbo Stay at Arlanda is a real 747 turned into a hostel. Do a night in it.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

Pick one, book the Friday evening flight and go. Then tell me which weekend I've missed.

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