With schools breaking up this week, it really does feel that summer is finally upon us. And for those of us who are yet to firm up those summer getaways, it can often feel like we’ve left it too late.
OR HAVE WE?!
I’ve taken a look at where you can still book from all over the UK for a 7 night getaway for under £300 per person.
FROM LONDON
London, with its wide array of airports, has more cheap options than other UK locations but I’ve gone with this flight to Split in Croatia.
FLIGHTS
London to Split, Croatia
Tues 16th July – Tues 23rd July
£80 return
As Croatia’s second city, Split has a lot to offer. Bars, restaurants, Roman ruins and endless spans of turquoise sea. There’s also plenty of beaches within easy distance of the city centre so if you’re looking for a more traditional summer getaway, this could be the one for you.
Average July temperature – 31 degrees
Pint of beer – £2.19
Three course meal for 2 at mid range restaurant – £30.99
Cappuccino – £1.83
One way ticket on local transport – £1.34
For more prices, check out Numbeo!
ACCOMODATION
Airbnb
£58.29 a night – £408 total
(you can get £25 off here if you haven’t used Airbnb before!)
Total = £279 per person
FROM LIVERPOOL OR ABERDEEN
The great thing about the next destination is that so many airports fly there, but here’s two flights that I thought were a great price!
FLIGHTS
Aberdeen to Gdansk, Poland
Sat 24th Aug to Sat 31st Aug
£87 return
Liverpool to Gdansk, Poland
Weds 21st Aug to Weds 28th Aug
£102 return
Now, you may think ‘Poland? That’s not a summer destination’ but THINK AGAIN. Not only does Gdansk feature a beautiful old town with numerous places to eat and drink, but it’s also a quick train away from the beach leading up to the seadside town of Sopot.
I’ve visited Gdansk twice before – both in temperatures a little bit nippy – but I can only imagine how fun this city would be in the sunshine. When I was there in March there was a lot of redevelopment happening and so I only expect this destination to keep growing and growing!
The city isn’t huge, so I’d definitely pair it with some time in both Sopot and Gydnia which make up the Tri-City metropolitan area.
Lastly, no one can argue with these prices – and what’s better than a holiday where you’re not constantly worrying about your purse strings?
Average August temperature – 22 degrees
Pint of beer – £1.68
Three course meal for 2 at mid range restaurant – £21.06
Cappuccino – £1.90
One way ticket on local transport – 67p
For more prices, check out Numbeo!
ACCOMMODATION
Serviced Apartment
£57.57 a night – £404 total
Aberdeen total = £289 per person
Liverpool total = £304 per person
There are so many choices for Gdansk that I couldn’t possibly leave it at just that. Whilst not in the Old Town, this cute apartment is just £285 for the week!
And this place in Sopot is just £253! Very budget friendly.
If you were looking to spend a little more, I love the design elements of this Airbnb which would cost £476 for the week.
FROM BRISTOL
FLIGHTS
Next up, we have:
Bristol to Budapest, Hungary
Thurs 22nd Aug to Thurs 28th Aug
£118 return
As so wonderfully summarised by Lonely Planet:
Budapest has something for everyone – from dramatic history and flamboyant architecture to healing thermal waters and a nightlife that is unrivalled in Eastern and Central Europe.As so wonderfully summarised by Lonely Planet.
And if you fancied getting out of the city a little, you could even get the 1 hour 40 mins train to Lake Balaton which is a major holiday destination with its beaches, volcanic hills, resort towns and high-rise hotels.
Average August temperature – 28 degrees
Pint of beer – £1.24
Three course meal for 2 at mid range restaurant – £27.50
Cappuccino – £1.27
One way ticket on local transport – 96p
For more prices, check out Numbeo!
ACCOMMODATION
The good news is that there are plenty of Airbnb’s within budget.
Airbnb
£52.85 a night – £370 total
(you can get £25 off here if you haven’t used Airbnb before!)
Total = £303 each
(okay FINE I’m £3 over but the flights were £25 less last night so use this as a reminder to book soon!)
FROM LONDON
Yes, we’re looking at London again but for a different purpose – we’re looking at package deals!
FLIGHTS & ACCOMMODATION
London to Gran Canaria, Spain
Via ThomasCook.com
Mon 22nd July to Mon 29th July
This is your classic holiday getaway – sun, sea and sand. Plus, having 15kg luggage included sure is a perk, and what a deal for £269 per person! And for just £24 more, you could get a room with a side view of the sea.
Average July temperature – 22 degrees
Pint of beer – £1.12
Three course meal for 2 at mid range restaurant – £31.41
Cappuccino – £1.12
One way ticket on local transport – £1.26
For more prices, check out Numbeo!
FROM ANYWHERE
For our last top destination, we’re going to be taking a look at France. Yes. We’re going that broad.
I find that people often overlook France – perhaps it’s too close to us – but the great thing is that there’s beaches, sunshine, incredible cities and most importantly – WINE.
Yes, the prices will be higher than other destinations on this list but that’s okay, because I’ve got a special trick up my sleeve… But first, let’s talk getting there.
EUROTUNNEL
As is often the case with most forms of travel, it is cheaper if you book in advance but given that prices start at £85 each way for staying a week, I quickly found options for very close to that in July.
What’s more, this is a perfect option if you’re travelling as a family, or, if you’re popular, with friends.
ACCOMMODATION
Now, here’s where the magic happens. Let me show you how you can get totally FREE accommodation.
Enter side stage: house sitting.
When people – often with pets, or perhaps they have a luscious garden or post to bring in – want to go on holiday, they put their homes up and invite people like you and me to stay for free.
IT’S A TOTAL WIN WIN SITUATION.
I’ve done this twice – once in Paris and once in a multimillion pound home in Germany (it was awful) – and I couldn’t recommend it enough.
Now, you can do this absolutely anywhere across the globe but I’ve mentioned France because house sitting website, Nomador, was originally a French site and so there are so many places to choose from our mate across the channel.
In fact, when I looked before, there were over 889 results coming up when I searched for France this summer!
There are lots of different house sitting websites – Trusted Housesitters, Mind My House and House Carers – but I like Nomador because it has a totally free option that lets you send three messages to owners out for absolutely nothing.
You can see what the home in Paris we stayed in was like here!
And find all my top tips on applying for your own house sit here:
That’s it for this post – I hope this gives you some holiday inspo and remind you that there is STILL TIME to book a cheap getaway this summer!
how many holidays 