7 Tips To Make Your Short City Break A Success

Here are just a few tips that could help you to make the most of your short city break.

If you can’t take the time off work or simply can’t afford a long vacation, a short city break could be a great alternative allowing you to still get your travel fix. It could be a romantic break or a crazy weekend away with friends or simply a solo adventure. Of course, going away for a few days means that you can’t afford to waste any time whilst you’re there. Here are just a few tips that could help you to make the most of your short city break.

​Book last minute for cheaper deals

Flights to cities can generally be quite expensive, however you can often find cheap deals if you’re willing to book last minute. This does require a certain level of spontaneity, although if you’re planning a weekend break you may not have to worry about booking time off work. Alternatively, if you go away in the week, you could book the time off work in advance, but wait until the week before to book flights. Ideally, you want to look for cities fairly local otherwise you could spend a huge amount of time flying and not much time at your destination. There are many sites that specialise in last minute deals, sometimes with accommodation thrown in.

​Choose a hotel in the right location

​When finding city accommodation, consider the location. A central hotel could allow you easy access to the big attractions so that you’re not spending half your day travelling through the city to get to these sights. That said, these hotels are also likely to be much more expensive if they’re located right in the hub, whilst a hotel on the outskirts could be very cheap. Weigh up the cost and the convenience – if you’re planning to see lots of attractions you may want to pay extra for central accommodation, but if you’re planning a city break on a tight budget you might be better off looking for accommodation further out. Also consider your flight times as these could be an important factor – if you’ve got an early morning flight back, it could be worth finding a hotel near the airport so that you don’t have to get up hours earlier to reach the airport.

Pack light

If it’s only a short trip, you don’t want to be packing a huge amount of stuff. Packing light could save you money on baggage costs with many airlines, allowing you to take your belongings as hand luggage. It could also save you a lot of time as you won’t have to wait around at the airport conveyor belt. If you have to check out early on your last day but your flight’s not until the evening, packing light will also allow you to get around more easily – ideally you want a backpack and don’t want to be lugging around a suitcase on wheels for your entire last day. Only pack what you need and go easy on the souvenirs

Pay extra to skip queues to attractions

Many city attractions will come with long queues. This could eat away at your day and waste a lot of time. Plan ahead by looking into fast-track tickets that allow you to skip these queues. You’ll have to pay more than you would do for general entry, but it will be worth it. Some cities sell multi-pass tickets that allow you access to multiple attractions. There may also be options such as these tours that allow you to skip the queues whilst giving you more for your money. Always buy from official sources – in some cities, shady ticket touts will hang around outside attractions selling fake fast-track tickets. You’re best off always booking tickets online or at the attraction’s booth.