I know I say this all the time but I genuinely wasn’t planning to go away but when I stumbled across some £5 flights to Gothenburg (cheers Ryanair), I simply could not resist!
That and James had NEVER been to Scandinavia before so we basically HAD to go. Right?!
Now, all things Scandi are known for being chic and… Well, bloody expensive. But the good news is that Gothenburg is probably one of the cheapest places you can visit if you want to get your Nordic on.
Finding your own £5 flights is super simple – watch from 1 min 39 secs to find out how!
I think you can’t get excited for Christmas until AT LEAST 25th November however, that doesn’t mean to say we can’t all be booking our Christmas Market getaways now…
All deals listed are:
2 night weekend breaks – Fri to Sun or Sat to Mon
Decent flight times that allow at least 1.5 days in your chosen city
Based on 2 people travelling
Less than £175pp for flights and accommodation
And this time, I’m looking at departures from Manchester.
This is a proper cool 3 star hotel – I actually once won a stay at the Qbic in London (I am bloody jammy) which I gave to my parents and they loved it!! A really great way to do a more budget stay but without having to lose out on the style
Whilst on a map you may think it’s fairly far out, it’s in the area of Amsterdam Zuid which is well known for its museums. The hotel is also next to the Metro station and so you can be at Centraal station in just 10 minutes
Total cost – £158 per person
Also for the same dates is a cracking £27 flight to Belfast – their markets are also supposed to be top notch.
Sat 15th Dec – Mon 17th Dec
Basel, Switzerland
Christmas markets start: from 22nd November 2018
This is not your start up Christmas Market, this is your bonafide WINTER WONDERLAND Christmas Market but do keep in mind that Switzerland is PRICEY!
The airport is actually in France so you can say you’ve visited two countries in one – kapow
Flight – £64pp (or just £54pp if you left at 1810)
There are some really decently priced Airbnbs including this and this HOWEVER, in 2018, Basel introduced a nifty little incentive for tourists where if you book into a hotel, you get a free BaselCard which gives you free public transport and a load of discounts! Given how spendy the city is, I think that’s a good deal. The website says that it will be handed to you on check in, but apparently if your booking is marked ‘mobility ticket’ then you can even use it to get to your hotel. Madness. So make sure you email your hotel ahead of time to ask what’s what.
I really wasn’t expecting such lush hotels for the budget! This one is 4 star and really well rated
22 min walk from the markets!
Total cost – £145 per person
Let me know if you end up booking any of these – or if you find your own deals of your own! I STILL haven’t booked a getaway for myself… There are just TOO MANY OPTIONS!
Often featured in top 10 lists of the best markets in Europe
Make sure to visit the city centre amusement park Tivoli which looks incredible at Christmas – park entrance will cost you 110DK (around £12) and then you pay extra for rides
FINE I WENT OVER BUDGET ON THIS ONE – but it does have free breakfast so… Can you let it slide??!
If you want something fancier than a 2 star, you could also try this lush 4 star hotel for the same price but it is a little further out. However, Copenhagen public transport is very good.
FINAL OPTION: you could also fly to the Danish city of Aarhus on the same dates for a mere £35! The flight times are mint too and, having visited twice before, I can imagine Christmas on its cute, cobbled streets being proper magical.
Sat 15th Dec – Mon 17th Dec
Gothenburg, Sweden
The second largest city in Sweden has plenty to offer – including the fact that it’s a hell of a lot easier to get to from the airport than its capital (if you’re flying cheap, that is!). The centre is just a 30 minute bus shuttle away.
Another Scandi country with a festival amusement park! Visit Liseberg for artificial snow and over five million fairy lights (110 SEK – around £9.50)
The room may be on the cosy side but this hotel is well rated and in a great location
Free breakfast – this will definitely help in pricey Sweden!
Total cost – £137 per person
If you do end up booking any of these deals – or finding an even better one of your own – then please, let me know!
As well as commenting below, you can also find me on Twitter and on Instagram.
London done – Manchester deals are next!
watch related videos:
James and I visited the Christmas markets in Timisoara, Romania last year and for a two night break for two adults with B&B accommodation, flights, airport transfers, a three-course meal, coffee, mulled wine and cake spent the grand total of… £92.10 each.
how many holidays 