YOU don’t need a huge holiday budget to jet off on an amazing European city break.
With flights from £13.99 each way and hotel rooms from under £40 a night, a weekend escape to Spain, Italy, or France can easily cost less than a big night out at home.
Whether you fancy sipping €3 (£2.50) wine by the river in Porto, grabbing fresh beachside tapas in Malaga, or drinking in views from a 360-degree rotating bar in Tirana, you can do it all while on a budget.
Here are the best bargain European city breaks you can book right now for under £18 a flight, with ridiculously cheap hotel stays to match.
Lyon, France
Bag a cheap city break to Lyon where you can sip a drink on a floating bar at the River Banks, wander Renaissance-era cobblestone streets in Old Lyon, and sample some of the best food in France.
Known as the food capital of France, it isn’t hard to find somewhere good to eat here – even on a budget.
Head to Marronniers Street at lunchtime and take your pick of Bouchons, which are traditional, local restaurants serving high-quality authentic meals for as little as €10 (£8.50).
You can fly to Lyon with Wizz Air from £17.99 each way. Sometimes the return flight from Lyon can be as low as £13.99.
The People Lyon offers rooms from £37 a night. The building used to be a secondary school, and has now become a vibrant spot for people to sit and enjoy views of the Fourvière Basilica.
Milan, Italy
While famous for high fashion and luxury, Milan is surprisingly easy to do on a budget if you know where to look.
The city’s aperitivo culture is ideal for inexpensive light snacking and drinking – especially in the vibrant, canal-side district of Navigli.
Soak up world-class architecture for free by wandering through the mall Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, admiring Sforzesco Castle, and of course taking in the views of the famous Milan Cathedral.
With super cheap flights, an affordable metro system and plenty to do for free once you’re there, you can book a city break to Milan knowing it won’t dent your wallet.
You can fly to Milan with Ryanair from £14.99 each way.
The Glam Hotel Milano has rooms from £50 a night, and is a modern hotel directly opposite the train station.
Malaga, Spain
Far more than a typical getaway to the Costa del Sol, Malaga is a vibrant, sun-soaked city full of Andalusian culture.
Dining out is wonderfully cheap, with beachside bars serving fresh sardine skewers for only a few euros, alongside plenty of low-cost tapas spots.
Sightseeing costs next to nothing thanks to free Sunday afternoon entry to art museums and historic sites like the Alcazaba fortress.
Pair that with beach days and scenic hikes to the Gibralfaro viewpoint, and you’ve got yourself a very affordable few days away.
You can fly to Malaga with Wizz Air from £17.99 each way.
Rooms at funky capsule hotel Futurotel Malaga start from £59.
Porto, Portugal
Cheap wine, unique architecture, amazing city viewpoints – Porto is the ideal pick for a walkable city break packed with affordable things to do.
Spend a day strolling through the Ribeira District where medieval colourful houses and charming cafes line the riverfront.
Another top free sight is to watch the sun set behind the huge steel Dom Luis I Bridge from the Jardmin do Morro, to the sound of local street musicians.
As for cheap wine, pop into neighbourhood tascas for a bite to eat and a drink – here you can enjoy local wine by the jug for €3.50 (£3)!
You can fly to Porto with Ryanair from as little as £13.99 each way.
The ever-reliable ibis budget Porto Gaia has rooms from £55 a night.
Tirana, Albania
Tirana is easily one of Europe’s most underrated and budget-friendly capitals, buzzing with pastel-painted buildings and an amazing coffee culture.
You can explore giant, Communist-era nuclear bunkers turned underground art museums at Bunk’Art, or catch a cheap cable car ride up Mount Dajti for sweeping views across the valley.
Nights are best spent in the trendy Blloku district – a neighbourhood once off-limits to locals as it was an restricted zone for communist regime leaders – now it’s open to everyone with lively cocktail lounges and traditional grill houses that serve up dishes and drinks for pocket change.
You can fly to Tirana with Wizz Air from £17.99 each way.
The four-star Sky Hotel Tirana has rooms from £38 per night, and is home to the largest rotating bar in the Balkans.
The revolving rooftop bar completes a 360° turn every hour, giving you sweeping city and mountain views alongside your meal.
Dublin, Ireland
When you can hop over to Dublin on a £14.99 hour-long flight, this might just be the quickest and easiest city break to tick off in a weekend.
While Temple Bar is certainly worth a visit to walk its pretty cobbled streets and grab a pic outside the famous red pub, save your pint of Guinness for elsewhere.
Head to South William Street to find cheaper beer at spots like Pygmalion and Grogan’s, where all the atmosphere comes from taking your pint back out into the street to listen to buskers.
For an affordable yet delicious lunch, head to Pablo Picante. Dublin has a huge burrito culture, and this Mexican chain offers well-stuffed wraps that will keep you full all day from €10.75 (£9.20).
You can fly to Dublin with Ryanair from £14.99 each way.
Stay at the Wetherspoons-owned Keaven’s Port Hotel from £82 per night. The hotel sits on Camden Street, which packed with some of the city’s best bars, pubs and clubs.
Alicante, Spain
With year-round warmth and 300 days of sunshine per year, Alicante is a solid bet when it comes to booking a sunny Spanish city break.
Spend your days wandering the whitewashed, flower-filled lanes of Barrio Santa Cruz, or taking in sweeping Mediterranean views from the hilltop Santa Barbara Castle for free.
Eating well can be remarkably cheap if you visit Mercado Central for fresh tapas, or tuck into authentic regional paellas at backstreet neighbourhood bars.
You can fly to Alicante with Ryanair from £14.99 each way.
You can book a stay at the Travelodge Alicante Puerto from £39 per night, which is conveniently located a short walk from Alicante Harbour and the Explanada de España.