The Most Popular European City Breaks for 2024
Which city is at the top of your bucket list?
Whether you want to indulge in the finest Italian cuisine in Rome or stroll the chic boulevards of Paris, there’s a European city for every traveller. With the majority of Europe’s most popular tourist cities being reachable in under 3 hours by plane from the UK, at prices as low as £12.99 (thank you, Ryanair), travelling to these destinations couldn’t be easier. The hardest part is deciding on where to go!
The travel experts at Holidu, the search engine for holiday rentals, put together a list of the must-visit European cities for 2024! After analysing Google searches from the past 12 months, this ranking reveals the cities people are most eager to visit.
1. Amsterdam, The Netherlands – 91,200 searches per month
The UK’s most desired city break destination for 2024 is none other than the Dutch capital, Amsterdam! Whether you fancy hopping from coffee shop to coffee shop, raiding some vintage flea markets, or taking a cruise along the canals, Amsterdam has something to offer everyone. A flight to Amsterdam from London only takes roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes, making this a favourite for people who want to squeeze their trip into a quick 48-hour weekend getaway.
2. Dublin, Ireland – 64,000 searches per month
Dublin secures its spot as the second most popular city break location! With flights from Liverpool to the Irish capital lasting less than 1 hour, travellers on a tight schedule might even opt to fly over just for a day or two. Perhaps the most popular activity to do whilst you’re in Dublin is to visit the Guinness Storehouse, the brewery experience that tells the tale of Ireland’s world-loved beer, complete with tastings and a rooftop bar.
3. Paris, France – 61,000 searches per month
The City of Love takes third place! There are plenty of quick and affordable flights operating every day from the UK with airlines such as AirFrance, EasyJet or Ryanair. If you’re closer to London, hop on the Eurostar and reach the city centre in just over two hours. Start your day with a freshly baked pain au chocolat, visit a few of Paris’ superb art galleries and museums, and end your magical day by watching as the Eiffel Tower twinkles at night.
4. Barcelona, Spain – 64,000 searches per month
Barcelona secured its spot as the fourth most popular city break location this year, and it’s not hard to understand why! Wander the streets of Las Ramblas, marvel at the Sagrada Familia, or spend a day lazing on Barceloneta Beach. Barcelona is also home to some great music and cultural events, such as Primavera Sound and Sónar, both of which are taking place in June.
5. Rome, Italy – 41,400 searches per month
In fifth place, we have Rome. Whether you fancy a history and culture-filled trip visiting the Colosseum and contemporary art museum MAXXI or satisfy your foodie desires by indulging in the best carbonara pasta that Italian cuisine has to offer, a weekend trip to Rome will not disappoint. A flight to the Italian capital from Edinburgh will take around 3 hours and deals can be found for as little as £60 return!
6. Malaga, Spain – 25,170 searches per month
Malaga is the second Spanish city that makes the top ten, and comes in as the sixth most popular city break destination for this year! With excellent weather all year and high summer temperatures, Malaga is a much-loved destination for sun-seekers. Malaga is the epitome of the Andalusian lifestyle and offers an array of wonderful cafes, restaurants and bars to discover. Art lovers will enjoy a trip to the Picasso Museum, where you can delve into the history of the Malaga-born artist.
7. Prague, Czech Republic – 29,800 searches per month
The Czech city of Prague comes in seventh place! Be it because of its medieval squares, Baroque and Gothic cathedrals, well-preserved castles or dreamy bridges, Prague is a fairytale dream destination. The city centre has also been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, and is often dubbed as the medieval heart of Europe due to its extensive history and cultural heritage. Prague is also home to the largest club in Central Europe, so get on your dancing shoes!
8. Budapest, Hungary – 30,190 searches per month
The eighth most popular European city break destination this year is Budapest. The capital city of Hungary, Budapest is a popular spot due to its rich culture and for being the Spa Capital of the World! Visitors often go especially to visit one of the many spa baths, the best and largest being Szechenyi Spa Baths, which hosts 15 indoor baths and 3 grand outdoor pools. Aside from the baths, Budapest is also famous for its Ruin Bars, a collection of bars that are located inside abandoned buildings and are decorated with colourful graffiti and plants.
9. Lisbon, Portugal – 16,300 searches per month
Famed for its tropical climate, colourful buildings, delicious food scene and buzzing nightlife, Lisbon is the ninth most popular city break destination for this year and completes our bucket list! The Portuguese capital has a rich colonialist history, making it a great spot for history buffs. Lisbon is also said to be considerably more affordable than some of its other European capital counterparts, so really, what’s not to love?
10. Berlin, Germany – 24,400 searches per month
In tenth place is the German capital of Berlin. Berlin is famous for its vibrant nightlife scene – from an array of bars and events to attend, to one of the most renowned club scenes in the world, this is the ideal city for people looking to party until the early hours. If this isn’t your vibe, opt to explore the city on foot with a free walking tour, or perhaps go for a picnic on the abandoed Tempelhof runaway and watch the masses of people making the most of the flat surface by doing activities including rollerskating and skateboarding.
Methodology:
The 300 most populous cities in Europe were considered for this study. British cities were omitted in order to have a mainland European and non-staycation-based ranking. The ranking was then drawn up using the average number of monthly searches on Google in the UK in the last 12 months for each of the city names combined with the following keywords: “things to do in”, “city break”, and “flights to” in order to determine which destinations were most popular with and sought after by travellers.