FOR a cheap jaunt to Europe, Ryanair is first in line for a bargain break – with flights sometimes as low as £11 each way.
But what if low-priced flights sometimes end up costing you more, arriving at the destination only to spend a fortune on food and activities when you’re there?
The three cheapest places you can fly to on this month are , and .
We asked three writers to spend the day exploring each city to find out how much the entire trip costs once you’ve bagged the bargain .
From cheap pizza to £5 pints, the results are in – and you may be surprised to find out which break was best for your budget...
Milan, Italy
Bex April May flew to Milan Bergamo from Stansted for £30 return.
Milan may be a designer capital of the world, and while it may have its fair share of daft designer prices, you can have a fantastic time .
I travel here at least once a month, and as editor of The Luxe Review, I’ve cracked the code on how to enjoy this stylish city – without breaking the bank.
Forget splashing £20 on a sad sandwich by the Duomo – Milan’s tastiest food is hiding in plain sight.
Our first stop is Panzerotti Luini (Via Santa Radegonda), a hole-in-the-wall spot just behind the cathedral, famous for its deep-fried pockets of cheesy heaven.
A piping hot, freshly made panzerotto will set you back just £2 – though you’ll probably want to return for even more.
The stunning Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II), right beside the Duomo is a .
But, instead of wandering into the upscale restaurants by its entrance, take the lift up to the sixth floor and head to I 12 Gatti (The Twelve Cats), a rooftop pizzeria tucked above the Galleria.
Their £10 aperitivo deal gets you a drink, and a huge Italian tagliere (meat and cheese board) for each person.
It’s the best bargain rooftop terrace in Milan.
You can’t go to Italy and . For cheap and tasty slices around town Pizza e Mozzarella Milano (Via Carlo Torre) serves up flesh, fluffy Margheritas for around £4.25.
An espresso at an everyday cafe in Milan will generally only set you back £1 – while a glass of wine or beer is around £4.
If you are after a cheap tipple, historic standing bar, Cantine Isola (Via Paolo Sarpi), a century‑old staple in Chinatown – serves up even cheaper wine by the glass, at around £2-£3, with buzzy, if not slightly chaotic vibes.
No trip to is complete without an Aperol Spritz in the sun so I took a stroll along the Navigli canals, where rows of buzzing outdoor cafés line the water.
Stop at Spritz Naivligi (Ripa di Porta) where you can sip a cocktail and tuck into a generous sweet and savoury aperitivo buffet as part of their evening Happy Hour – all for just £9.
Believe it or not, dinner is the biggest bargain in Milan.
A delicious bowl of fresh pasta, such as a Rigatoni alla Norma, starts at £8 from fab people-watching spot Navigilio 48 (Alzaia Naviglio Grande), grab a table and enjoy the show.
That’s your evening sorted, Italian-style.
Best of all, some of the most beautiful things to do in Milan are totally free.
Wander the canals of Navigli. Take in the majesty of the Duomo and the golden Madonna on top and chill out in the city’s beautiful Parco Sempione, behind Sforzesco Castle – all without spending a penny.
Milan might be stylish, but if you know where to go, you can enjoy Primark prices in a Prada World.
Milan’s cheap checklist:
- Getting from the airport: A bus from the airport to the centre of Milan is £10 each way
- Lunch: £4.25
- Cup of coffee: £1
- Glass of Beer: £4
- Dinner with wine: £12
- Best free activity: A stroll through Navigli
- TOTAL: £41.25
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Eimear O’Hagen flew from , to Belfast, for £31 return.
I may have lived away from for over twenty years, but it will always be home to me because of the warm welcome and friendly atmosphere.
Whenever I get the chance to get back there for a visit, I grab it, so I’ve almost become a ‘local’ expert again.
Whether it’s visiting my old haunts or discovering new ones, Belfast always delivers.
I love that it’s now a buzzing destination and perfect for a city break.
As it’s grown in popularity, so has the perception that Belfast must be an expensive place to visit.
However, if you know where to go, parts of the city still offer a great time on a budget.
Getting from the airport is easy, and since it was the weekend, we headed straight to St George’s Market.
This place really showcases the personality of the city with live music, food and craft stalls to peruse, and a buzzy, friendly atmosphere.
As well as being a cool and colourful spot, St George’s Market is a historic building that has been home to a market at weekends since 1604.
Better still, lunch is sorted with huge potato bowls from one of the stalls, Tapitas.
A generous portion of patatas bravas is topped with a chorizo skewer and pork belly bites for only £11.
However, if it’s your first time to Belfast, it’s almost compulsory to try the Ulster Fry at Maggie May’s, in the city’s university area.
The all-day “Bumper Fry”; will only set you back £11 and is a proper Irish breakfast/brunch that will keep you going for hours.
After a good feed, we headed off to explore Belfast on foot, which is the best way to see it.
If you just want to go for a wander and see if a particular bar or restaurant takes your fancy, the Ormeau Road and Botanic area as well as the Andersonstown and Falls Roads often offer a cheaper alternative to the more touristy city centre and Cathedral Quarter.
From here, Belfast’s beautiful Botanic Gardens offer a step away from city life and are completely free of charge.
You can also explore Belfast’s historic waterfront area for zero pennies by doing the maritime mile walk, which includes iconic locations from Game of Thrones too.
Stop at Paper Cup on the route for a £2.50 coffee to take along with you.
If you plan on spending more than one day in Belfast, I highly recommend taking a £5 train to the beach.
Holywood Beach, or ‘Sea Park’ as the locals call it, is only 15 minutes by train and is a beautiful spot on the coastline for a stroll and a paddle on a sunny day.
Back in the city, I stopped in for some Irish charm at the American Bar at the docks.
It’s a favourite of mine for a great atmosphere and live music, plus a pint of Guinness is only £5.50.
Or if wine’s your tipple, at The Pavilion on the Ormeau Road a ¼ bottle of rose will only set you back £5.20.
While some restaurants in Belfast’s tourist areas have a reputation for being inauthentic and overpriced, Kelly’s is a local institution.
This is one of the oldest pubs in Belfast, dating back to 1720, and about as proper an Irish pub you’ll get.
They only serve one thing – Irish Stew – and it’s really good. Tuck into a hearty bowl with a wedge of fresh warm bread for just £7.20.
You’ll leave feeling like a local yourself.
Belfast’s Cheap Checklist:
- Getting from the airport: A return bus ticket from Belfast International Airport to the city centre costs £13.50.
- Lunch: £11
- Cup of coffee: £2.50
- Glass of Beer: £5.50
- Dinner with wine: £12
- Best free activity: An afternoon on Holywood Beach
- TOTAL: £42.50
Gdansk, Poland
Helen Wright flew from London Stansted to Gdansk, for £29.
Finding a cheap city break and spending as little as possible while I’m there is one of my special skills as a .
I love living in the UK and being able to explore Europe so cheaply and easily.
But, if you don’t do your research, a cheap flight can lure you in and end up costing you a fortune in food, drink and accommodation.
Gdansk, Poland, is definitely not one of those places.
Flights to Gdansk on Ryanair are always cheap and the city is beautiful, easy to explore, and inexpensive.
If you’ve never been, it’s the – everything is cheap.
I start off with a walk through Gdansk Old Town and along the historic Mariacka Street, which is one of the oldest streets in the city.
You’ll be surprised by the architecture, which looks more like a fairytale village in Scandinavia than a Polish city.
Along Mariacka street, there are lots of cafes and bars, so I stop off a Cafe Kamienica for a £1 coffee on the sunny balcony.
From here, it’s a short walk to the Waterside Area which is lined with bars and restaurants but you’ll pay extra for the sprawling patios and the river views.
Instead, head into the Main City and grab a table at Pierogarnia Mandu, a modern restaurant that serves traditional pierogi, Polish dumplings.
My favourite is the chicken, dried tomatoes and feta cheese pierogi, served with paprika-olive sauce and you get a huge bowl for £8.
If you have kids with you, they also do a cheeseburger dumpling, which was a hit with my four-year-old.
If you’d rather eat-while-you-walk, Ketili Puri is a Georgian bakery that sells the most delicious pastries to go.
Pick up the khachapuri, creamy cheesy bread.
For only £3, two people could share this for a tasty snack as you stroll in the sun.
My top tip is to go to Gdansk Sunday to Tuesday if you can. This is because museums in the city are free on Mondays (some are free on Tuesdays).
While fantastic museums like the European Solidarity Centre and the Museum of the Second World War are not expensive to enter anyway, you can get your culture fix without spending anything if you go at the start of the week.
By now, it was time for a drink. Beer and wine in Poland is typically cheap and surprisingly good.
Pull up a stool at Red Light in Chlebniczka, hidden on a backstreet between Piwna and Dlugaand, and sample the local bottled beer.
Usually packed with locals, this kooky bar has a great atmosphere with a small dancefloor in the basement and a mismatch of seating upstairs.
They also sell coffee if you’re not ready to booze.
Despite being a small city, there is something around every corner here.
A look at the beautiful Neptune’s Fountain is a must since it’s one of the most distinctive landmarks of the city.
The fountain is located at the DÅ‚ugi Targ, in front of the entrance to the Artus Court.
This area is usually buzzing with people, buskers and street performers.
My top spot for dinner is Mono Kitchen. This is a modern space, frequented by trendy hipsters, tourists and local old-timers who come for the air con as much as the great lunch deals.
It’s a fantastic place to sit and people watch, too.
Dinner was a bargain with three courses, a glass of Prosecco or a cocktail for only £20.
The food is beautifully presented and definitely feels fancier than the prices suggest.
A meal here is half the price of the tourist traps along the river, but it’s only five minutes away so you can walk it all off by the water, which is beautifully illuminated and looks stunning after-dark.
Gdansk Cheap Checklist
- Public bus to Gdansk £1.40 or taxi is £15 each way (20 mins)
- Lunch: £8
- Cup of coffee: £1
- Glass of Beer: £3
- Dinner and a drink: £20
- Best free activity: A stroll along the waterfront
- TOTAL: £67
So if you’re after a cheap getaway in Europe this summer, a flight to Milan to enjoy Aperol Spritz and a fresh plate of delicious pasta is certainly a good idea.
