This ultimate guide to Poland’s capital will clue you up on transport, accommodation, activities and so much more – so you can spend less time faffing, and more time enjoying your trip!
Tag: where to go
cheap christmas market weekend getaways from manchester
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.
(You can check out my London deals here).
Sat 1st Dec – Mon 3rd Dec
Hamburg, Germany
- Christmas Markets start: 22nd November 2018
- When it comes to this sort of thing, Hamburg is a worldie. I mean, nothing says German Markets more than actual real life Germany, right?
- Great food, great drink, great nightlife – Hamburg should be on your wishlist, regardless of markets!
Flight – £96pp
Airbnb – £71.50pp
- This Airbnb may not be nothing particularly fancy, but it looks clean, full of light and has got great reviews
- Location wise, you’re just a few metro stops away from the action
- Not booked with Airbnb before? Sign up here to get £25 off your first booking
- For a bit more, you could stay in this CUTE studio for £85.50 per person – it’s slightly more central as well
Total cost – £167.50 per person
Sat 8th Dec – Mon 10th Dec
Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Christmas markets start: from 17th November 2018
- Amsterdam has A LOT going on for Christmas including multiple markets, multiple ice rinks and even a World Christmas Circus!
- It’s such a popular city to visit anyway – you won’t be stuck for things to do!
Amsterdam – £80pp (there are a few cheaper options but I preferred the timings on this one)
Hotel – £78pp
- Qbic Hotel Amsterdam WTC
- 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.
Hotel – £81 each
- Hyperion Hotel Basel
- 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!
cheap christmas market weekend getaways from london
Christmas may only be 6 weeks away but if you’re hoping to amp up your excitement with a festive weekend break, there’s still time to bag a bargain.
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 £150pp for flights and accommodation
First up, we’re taking a look at deals from London. Make sure you check back throughout the week to also find deals from other areas on the UK!
(Prices last updated on Monday 12th November at 7:30am)
30th Nov – 2nd Dec
Warsaw, Poland
- Christmas markets start: 24th November 2018
- Poland is great value – the average cost of a pint is £2
- As Poland’s capital, there’s lots to see and do around the city!
Flight – £73pp
Airbnb – £48pp
- City centre studio apartment
- Great reviews
- Not booked with Airbnb before? Sign up here to get £25 off your first booking
Total cost – £121 per person
Sat 1st Dec – Mon 3rd Dec
Toulouse, France
- Christmas markets start: 23rd November 2018
- Held in the heart of Toulouse, at the famous Place du Capitole
- Airport is just a 18 minute drive from the city centre
Flight – £21pp
Hotel – £81pp
- Le Grand Balcon Toulouse
- 4 star city centre top rated boutique hotel
- You could find even cheaper hotels or Airbnbs but this is a great deal!
Total cost – £102 per person
Fri 7th Dec – Sun 9th Dec
Bucharest, Romania
- Christmas markets start: 1st December 2018
- Yes, you’ll pay more for your flights but you’ll spend a lot less when you’re there – we’re talking £1.50 a pint!
- As the capital, you’ll have plenty to see and do
Flight – £94pp
Airbnb – £41pp
- Just a 10 min walk to the Old Town (and 23 mins from the market)
- Brilliant reviews
- Not booked with Airbnb before? Sign up here to get £25 off your first booking
Total cost – £135 per person
Sat 8th Dec – Mon 10th Dec
Bremen, Germany
- Christmas markets start: 26th November 2018
- No one does German markets like the Germans, right?!
- Bremen airport is super close to the city centre – only 10 mins away!
Flight – £34pp
Hotel – £95pp
- Maritim Hotel and Congress Centrum Bremen
- 4 star city centre and well rated
- I do prefer a more modern hotel but for the location and the fact that most places (even Airbnb) is super booked up, it’s a good deal!
Total cost – £129 per person
Fri 14th Dec – Sun 16th Dec
Copenhagen, Denmark
- Christmas market starts: all will be open from 17th November 2018
- 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
Flight – £67pp
Hotel – £97pp
- Wakeup Copenhagen
- Well rated 2 star hotel in city centre
- Free breakfast
Total cost – £164 per person
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)
Flight – £46pp
Hotel – £91pp
- Scandic No 25
- 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.
I AM NOT JOKING.
how to stay in a €1,000,000 holiday apartment | barcelona wedding vlog
What’s even better than going on holiday and living like a local? Going on holiday and living like a LUXURY LOCAL!
Our apartment in Barcelona was stunning – and here’s exactly how you could stay here yourself for a whole lot less money than your average hotel.
ENTER STAGE LEFT: Love Home Swap!
This is the second time we’ve used Love Home Swap (remember that insane New York apartment with the Emmy Award? Yeah, that one was one of them too) so to say we’re impressed is a total understatement. I really love how not only the quality of homes on the site are proper BANGIN’, but also that there’s nice ‘community vibes’ – because no one’s there to make money out of you. Everyone’s just after the same thing – somewhere nice to stay.
In this video, I’ll break down how we found this particular apartment and how we used Love Home Swap’s clever ‘points swap’ feature to stay. We also go to our friends’ incredible Barcelona wedding, get a chronic hangover (standard) and properly explore the neighbourhood of Eixample.
