Have you ever been to a city that everyone recommends, but it didn’t live up to your expectations? There are many tourist destinations that are very popular and that makes them overcrowded and overpriced. It’s hard to properly enjoy your holiday when there are constant crowds and annoying tourist-traps. We have visited some hidden gems that deserve to be on everyone’s list to visit. Here are the best alternative European city breaks you need to visit. These are places that we loved and are less popular and also more affordable.
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Tirana – Albania
Tirana has a lot to offer with unique history, rich culture, and beautiful mountains. It’s also only an hour away from the Adriatic coast. Prices of restaurants and bars are very affordable, we even had a beer for less than £0.50! We really enjoyed strolling around the city, exploring the local markets, and learning about the history.
Albania has a lot of remaining bunkers that served as shelters for high government officials. You can visit some that have been converted into museums. We visited Bunk’Art 2 where we found out a lot about Albania’s communist past for less than £8 per person.
We visited lots of nature spots around the city. Tirana Park offers a calm and relaxing atmosphere and you can easily walk there from the centre. There are also beautiful mountains and the best thing we did was take the Dajti Ekspres which is the longest cable car in the Balkans. It took around 15 minutes to get to the top and the views were amazing. We even saw some secret bunkers hidden in the mountains. And the cost of that? We paid less than £15 per person for the round-trip. Instead of paying for a taxi we recommend taking the local bus that departs from the main square.
We also took a day trip to the coastal city of Durrës to relax on the beach. There’s a lot of beachfront resorts, but you can also hire sunbeds for a third of the price it would cost you in some more popular seaside resorts in Europe. The journey takes around 1 hour and you can check the schedule and book your tickets on the Traveling.com website.
Nimes – France
Everyone has heard of Nice and Marseille, but you should consider Nimes. It’s located only 1.5 hours inland from Marseille, and deserves to be visited before tourist numbers surge. Even though it doesn’t have the coast, the serene atmosphere, authentic feel and rich culture make it one of the best alternative European city breaks.
Nimes used to be an important Roman city and a lot of the sights have been very well preserved. Walking around the city feels like going back in time and it’s a fantastic place for people who want to explore the historical sights. The little polished streets are great to walk around and get lost in. There are also lots of restaurants and local cafes to enjoy.
We brought a pass that allowed us to visit 3 of the main Roman sites in Nimes which cost around £13. One of the most important landmarks is the Arena of Nimes which is a well preserved Roman amphitheater that you can visit and walk around freely. We visited in the peak of summer but there was no queue as opposed to what you see in Rome. The next attraction was Maison Carrée which is a former Roman temple. The last place included in the pass is Tour Magne which is the tallest point in the city and it offers great views.
We also found a lot of smaller Roman sites hidden around the city, so it’s great to just walk around and explore. We also explored the beautiful Jardin de La Fontaine which is a lovely tranquil space to relax.
Bologna – Italy
Everyone always goes to Florence or Pisa but there are other destinations nearby that don’t get as much attention. Bologna is definitely one of them! We really enjoyed our time in Bologna, even though there are still tourists around, it’s a lot quieter than other destinations in Italy. Of course, you can still catch the train and visit Italian hotspots such as Florence, Pisa, Venice or even Rome. All are within a 2 hour train ride!
We loved strolling around the city and getting lost in the old narrow streets. The city is nicknamed La Rossa, as there are many beautiful terracotta buildings in the historical centre. You can also climb the famous medieval Two Towers for great views of the city.
Bologna has a more authentic Italian feel and restaurants are more affordable than other well known Italian cities. It is known as the culinary capital of Italy meaning there are plenty of options to enjoy.
Accommodation is also affordable for Italy. Bologna is a student city and we actually booked student halls for a couple of nights. This was a great alternative to paying for a hotel, ours even had a swimming pool! We stayed at The Social Hub.
Bratislava – Slovakia
Bratislava is another one of the best alternative European city breaks. The old town is really charming and perfectly walkable. There are no cars in the centre of the old town, making the atmosphere even more relaxing. We enjoyed plenty of restaurants and bars which are reasonably priced. The city is great to visit all year round. Summer promises good weather, or in the winter you can enjoy the Christmas market with smaller crowds.
Bratislava Castle is definitely the main attraction, with views overlooking the old town and Danube river. The Castle’s history dates back to the early middle ages and the site has been renovated several times since. You can also find collections from the Slovak National Museum on site and learn a lot about the local history. The entrance to the castle grounds is free but if you want to explore inside the ticket costs around £12 per person.
If you stay in the city you can also do a day trip to Vienna which is only 1 hour away. It’s a perfect way to visit the Austrian capital without paying the accommodation prices there. If you’re using public transport you can either take Flixbus or The Slovak Rail. Both are very affordable and you can get a return ticket for as little as £20.
Ljubljana – Slovenia
Ljubljana is a charming town that is much quieter compared to cities in neighbouring Croatia. It is very walkable and you can easily explore all the attractions by foot. It has a laidback atmosphere and the little streets look as if they are from a fairytale.
We really enjoyed walking along the river and around the old town. Most of the attractions are located there, including the main square and Dragon Bridge. There are many restaurants and bars around which were very affordable. Our favourite place served giant thin crust pizzas for less than £10. These were the biggest pizzas we have ever seen and they would easily be enough for 2-3 people.
Ljubljana Castle is the main attraction with amazing views of the city. You can either climb up the hill or there is a cable railway that can take you to the top in about 1 minute. We took the cable railway up and then walked back down. The castle grounds are interesting to explore with a museum and many exhibitions inside. Going inside the castle will cost less than £11 per person including the return cable railway. If you just want to explore the outside, it’s free and the railway costs around £3 one way.
We also took a day trip to Lake Bled which is a beautiful place surrounded by mountain landscapes and forest where you can truly switch off. There are tours that can take you there and they are pretty affordable, but we preferred to do it ourselves so we could explore at our own pace and also save some money. We took the public bus which took about 1 hour and we paid less than £10 return per person. You can check the timetables and purchase the tickets online on the Ljubljana Bus Station website or you can buy them directly at the bus station.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about some of the best alternative European city breaks, and that we have given you some new options for your next trip.
