24-hour destinations
Europe is a treasure trove of experiences, each city offering something vastly different with unique blends of history and culture. Yet, with such an enormous offering of destinations, how could one ever hope to sample their fair share?
Well, for those based in the UK consumed by wanderlust, you’re in the perfect place to visit plenty of European cities. You could squeeze the essence of a city into a whirlwind adventure-packed 24 hours.
The travel and luggage experts at Bounce have created this index to reveal the best locations for a short and fulfilling European city break. We’ve looked at flight costs from major UK departure points as well as average flight times for each destination. We’ve also looked at travel times from each city’s airport to the city centre, restaurants and things to do, temperature and rainfall, and the average hotel cost for each city.
The best European cities for a 24-hour break
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1. Dublin
24-hour destination score: 7.05/10
Dublin is officially the best destination for a 24-hour city break for those travelling from the UK. The Republic of Ireland's capital had the cheapest flight costs when flying from either London (€118/£102/$129) or Manchester (€72/£62/$79), and from the latter, it also had the shortest flight duration of just one hour.
It also ranked top for the most restaurants per 100,000 people, including the highly rated WILDE, an international fusion restaurant. Dublin also took second for the most things to do per 100,000 people, including the Kilmainham Gaol Museum, or you could take a trip to the Guinness Storehouse.
2. Amsterdam
24-hour destination score: 6.75/10
Amsterdam shares second place with a score of 6.73 out of 10. This is despite the city running a campaign in April 2023 called “Stay Away”. The campaign, aimed at British males aged between 18 and 35 looking to go on stag dos, was triggered by a surge in particularly rowdy behaviour from tourists who’ve been out for a night of heavy drinking.
The Dutch capital, often referred to as the “Venice of the North,” has the shortest flight duration from London (one hour and eight minutes) and the third shortest from Manchester (one hour and 20 minutes). Additionally, it only takes nine minutes to travel from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to the city centre when using public transport, the joint sixth fastest among these European cities.
The city ranked twelfth for both the highest number of restaurants (180) and things to do (116) per 100,000. Options among restaurants include Michelin restaurant’s De Silveren Spiegel and Mont Blanc. As for things to do, there’s the historical Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum to add a bit of art to your dose of history, both of which have luggage storage spots nearby if you’d rather explore unburdened by your bags!
3. Brussels
24-hour destination score: 6.73/10
In third palce, we have Brussels, the Belgian capital, with a score of 6.73 out of 10. The city had the joint-fourth shortest flight time from London (one hour and 10 minutes) and sixth shortest from Manchester (one hour and 28 minutes). Additionally, flights from Manchester to Brussels are the second most affordable, costing just €72 (£62/$79) for a next-day return flight.
The journey from Brussels airport to the city centre by public transport is just 20 minutes and 19 minutes by car, respectively. There are also 137 restaurants per 100,000 people, options include the Asian and Thai restaurant Thaiburi and the classic French and Belgian restaurant Le Rabassier.
The most affordable and fastest flight from London is to…
The most affordable flight from London
Dublin
Cost of a next-day return flight from London: €118/£102/$129
Dublin is the most affordable 24-hour destination in Europe when flying from London. A next-day return flight departing in August costs just €118.
This is likely largely due to Dublin and London's close proximity. Additionally, London has a variety of airports and airlines, which drives high competition and forces airline carriers to offer lower costs, especially with London to Dublin being a frequent flight destination.
The fastest flight from London
Amsterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht
Average duration of flight from London: One hour, eight minutes
We have a three-way tie for the fastest flight destination for a 24-hour European city break from London. It takes just one hour and eight minutes to fly from London to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which is the nearest airport for each of these three destinations. And then in the case of The Hague and Utrecht, it is just over 30 minutes to reach the city centre from Amsterdam Schiphol by public transport and closer to 40 minutes by car.
The most affordable and fastest flight from Manchester is to…
Dublin
Cost of a next-day return flight from Manchester: €72/£62/$79
Average duration of flight from Manchester: One hour
As with London, Dublin is also the cheapest 24-hour European city break destination when flying from Manchester, at just €72 (£62/$79) for a next-day return and the fastest at just a one-hour flight. This is likely due to the close proximity, as with London, and this being a regular flight, operating costs will be somewhat lower, making flight costs cheaper.
The fastest journey from the airport to the city centre by public transport
Geneva and Vilnius
Time to travel from airport to city centre (public transport): Seven minutes
Sharing first place for cities with the shortest travelling time from the airport to the city centre using public transport, we have Geneva and Vilnius, both taking just seven minutes. According to Google Maps, Geneva airport runs a train service, the IR15 line, which can have you in the city centre in less than 10 minutes. Similarly, Vilnius runs a train service, the LTG Link, which can have you in the city centre in a similar amount of time.
The fastest journey from the airport to the city centre by car
Bilbao and Zürich
Time to travel from airport to city centre (car): 11 minutes
Public transport isn’t always the best option depending on individual circumstances, and some people may want to hire a car. As such, the cities with the fastest travel time from the airport to the city centre via car, are Bilbao and Zürich, taking just 11 minutes, respectively. However, this can obviously increase or decrease depending on the traffic at the time of travel, so make sure to keep an eye on projected travel time to make sure you're back in the airport on time!
The European holiday destination with the most restaurants
Dublin
Number of restaurants per 100,000 people: 463
The overall best city for 24-hour European city breaks ranks top for cities with the most restaurants per 100,000 of the city’s population. Some of the options available include Mister S, which is listed in the Michelin Guide. Their specialties include burnt-end rendang spring rolls and retired dairy côte de boeuf. Alternatively, Ryleigh’s, a steakhouse, and PI Temple Bar, serving Italian food, are among the more affordable options.
The European holiday spot to keep you busy
Venice
Number of things to do per 100,000 people: 385
The northeastern Italian city of Venice ranks first for having the most things to do per 100,000 of its population, with 385 activities and landmarks to explore. Some options for things to do include visiting many old Gothic buildings, such as the Venetian Doge’s Palace and the Basilica di San Marco, a cathedral with golden mosaics and historic artwork.
Of course, there are also the canals, such as the Canal Grande, which serves as the city's main artery. From here, you can get a good view of more of the city's breathtaking architecture.
The most affordable hotel costs for a quick European break
Istanbul
Average cost of a night in a hotel: €66/£57/$72
The largest city in Turkey, Istanbul, comes in first place for the most affordable hotel costs for an overnight stay. If you need to grab a hotel room for your 24-hour European city break, Istanbul has the most affordable rooms for a three-star hotel at €66 (£57/$72) per night.
Some three-star hotels in Istanbul include Hotel Villa Zurich, which has 1,081 reviews and a score of 9.0 out of 10, and Hotel Nena, with nearly 2,800 reviews, also scoring 9.0 on Booking.com.
Cody Candee, CEO and Founder at Bounce, has this to say about 24-hour breaks:
“In this day and age, you can often find amazing deals on flights to European countries from the UK, for not much more than a train from, say, Manchester to London. And with so much to see in Europe, it’s no wonder these 24-hour city breaks are becoming more and more popular!
“To really maximise your short time in a different country and city, you should really consider doing some rather in depth planning prior to your trip. If you decide where you’d like to visit in your chosen destination, pick out maybe three “must-see” places within reasonable distance of each other to maximise efficiency. You can also scout out potential places to eat near the places you’d like to visit within the city. As such, you might find it better to stay within the city centre where transportation links are likely to be better and come more often.
“Other preparations you can make is to be sure you’re at least a little familiar with the public transport links if you’ll be using them, and pre-book tickets for activities where possible. And, of course, the earlier the flight you take, the more time you’ll have in your destination city to explore as much as possible before returning home. And as for your luggage, whether you’re using a hotel and it’s too early to check in or not, using luggage storage facilities might be a perfect option to explore unencumbered by your belongings.”
Methodology
Using the World Best Cities, we took the top 50 cities (excluding those in the UK) to determine the best 24-hour city breaks from the UK to Europe. We also recorded each city's population figures.
We then used Skyscanner to look at which of the cities had the most affordable prices for a next-day return from London and Manchester separately. We took the “best” pricing displayed at the top of the results in GBP, with the departure and return dates set as 23/08/2024 and 24/08/2024. We also recorded the average flight duration. This data was taken on 07/08/2024. We then converted the costs into USD and EUR using Google Finance on 08/08/24, 12:32 BST. Note: in the case of these cities, we used the nearest airport available: The Hague (Amsterdam), Utrecht (Amsterdam), Lausanne (Geneva) and Bonn (Düsseldorf).
Using Google Maps, we then measured the time it takes to get from each city's airport to the city centre, using public transport and cars. This data was recorded on 08/08/2024.
We then used Tripadvisor to get the number of restaurants and things to do for each city, which we then calculated as per 100,000 of the population using the previously acquired population figures. This data was taken on 08/08/2024.
Using Weather Spark, we recorded the monthly temperature (ºC) and rainfall (mm) for each city, which we then used to calculate the annual average for each. This data was recorded on 08/08/2024.
Then using Booking.com we recorded the average cost of a night’s stay in a three-starred hotel in GBP, using the FAQ section at the bottom of each city’s page on the site. We then converted the costs into USD and EUR using Google Finance on 08/08/2024 at 12:50 BST.
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