London tops the list for short breaks

SINGAPORE, 10 January 2024: London, Prague and Sofia are the top European capitals for weekend getaways this year, according to a new report from Slot.Day that checked out the quality of nightlife and the cost of accommodation in all European capitals.

Britain’s capital also has the best-rated nightlife. Skopje (North Macedonia), Tirana (Albania), and Sofia (Bulgaria), which are all featured in the top ten capitals in Europe for city escapes, also have the most affordable accommodation of all.

Photo: hotel.com

The researchers focused on the number of highly rated nightlife establishments in each capital listed on TripAdvisor, specifically the ones that received four stars and above out of five. To evaluate the cost of accommodation, the study considers two people sharing one room.

London is Europe’s best destination for weekend getaways among all capital cities on the continent. The UK capital has a staggering 854 highly rated bars, clubs and pubs to choose from on a typical night out. It is worth noting that London is the fifth most expensive European capital for accommodation, estimated at an average of EUR116.9 per person for one night. However, the unmatched range of things to do on a city escape outweighs the steeper hotel costs.

Famous for its variety of award-winning beer, Prague is the second-best capital city in Europe for weekend getaways. At half the cost for hotels compared to London, the Czech Republic’s capital city boasts 418 nightlife places that earned stellar reviews from its visitors.

Completing the top 10 list for weekend destinations are Skopje (North Macedonia), Tirana (Albania), Bucharest (Romania), Belgrade (Serbia), Warsaw (Poland), Berlin (Germany) and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). They all have a good nightlife-hotel balance.

As for the cheapest capital cities to stay in over an extended weekend this year, Skopje (North Macedonia) top the list with just EUR38.1 per person for hotel expenses, on average. Tirana (Albania) and Sofia (Bulgaria) follow closely, with average accommodation costing EUR40.6 and EUR41.9 per person, respectively. 

The study ranked Bern (Switzerland), Reykjavik (Iceland), and Valetta (Malta) among the least preferable European capitals for short holidays. Bern is both expensive to stay in (EUR139.8 per person) and only has seven places rated with at least four stars, making it the last capital on the list to consider for a city escape in Europe. Although it offers a reasonable range of highly appreciated bars and clubs, counting 41, Reykjavik can be quite pricey for hotels, averaging EUR122.1 for a weekend trip. Malta’s picturesque capital of Valletta only has seven nightlife establishments of 4-5 stars and a steep €99.8 cost for a one-night hotel stay, per person, making it less than ideal for a typical weekend city escape.

The study was carried out by Slot.Day, an online catalogue for slots and game reviews.
(SOURCE: https://slot.day/)