
We don’t know about you, but we’ve got the travel bug looking ahead to 2025. If you’re planning a 2025 getaway, a European city break offers the perfect mix of culture, excitement, and relaxation—but finding a destination that balances quality and cost can be tricky. To make your travel planning easier, hospitality group Accor has analysed the average price for flights, accommodation cost, and dining expenses to reveal the cheapest city breaks in Europe, so your travel budget can stretch further in 2025.
Topping the list of cheapest outbound flights from Manchester, Brussels in Belgium offers flights starting at just £41.80, with January being the best time to visit. The city’s iconic Grand Place, bustling markets, and delectable chocolate shops make it an ideal destination for a short yet memorable European getaway. Think waffles, chocolate, beer and Belgian frites, all of which you can enjoy whilst strolling around the capital, admiring the gothic architecture alongside modernist structures and of course, say hello to Manneken Pis.
Brussels came 13th cheapest in the overall research of city breaks from the UK, with an average outbound flight price during the cheapest month of travel being £56.75, daily hotel price being an average of £108.68 and a daily dining price of £39. Add this to the average acitvities price of £18, and £11 transport around Brussels, and its total affordability score comes to 7.2/10.
With flights from Manchester available for as low as £46.36 in January, Dublin comes second from Manchester, promising an affordable and charming trip. Visitors can enjoy Ireland’s rich literary history, friendly pubs, and landmarks like the historic Trinity College. In third place, starting at just £50.92 in January, flights to Milan offer an affordable way to explore Italy’s vibrant fashion and cultural capital, if you fancy somewhere a bit further afield.
The cheapest flights from Manchester airport are (in January):
- Brussels, Belgium: £41.80
- Dublin, Ireland: £46.36
- Milan, Italy: £50.92
- Cologne, Germany: £54.72
- Barcelona, Spain: £56.24
Overall, Bulgaria’s capital Sofia came in at the cheapest price for a city break from the UK, with the following average prices in January: £75.49 outbound flight price, £62.32 for a hotel daily, a dining price of £21, £5 for activities and £6 for transport – giving Sofia a score of 9.5/10.