15 Exquisite Europe Weekend Trips for an Unforgettable Getaway

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

If you’ve got a bucket list, odds are pretty good that the phrase ‘Europe Weekend Trips’ appears somewhere on it. And why shouldn’t it?

With rich histories in every country, a varied veritable tapestry of cultural sites and events, and multiple transit options, a pocket-size getaway anywhere in Europe is a treat within easy reach. 

A solid weekend trip case could be made for nearly every city on the continent, but we’ve collected the very best cities for weekend trips in Europe to help you find the minibreak that best suits you. 

Europe Weekend Trips

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Bustling Amsterdam–the capital of the Netherlands and one of Europe’s great cultural cities–is a fantastic European weekend getaway.

With its picturesque canals, great public transit, many fantastic museums, and a lively night scene, a traveler could pack a complete fun and diverse trip into one weekend, from culture to clubbing. 

Foodie social media darlings Fabel Friet and van Wonderen Stroopwafel are perennial great options for dining.

If you’d like to wander a little off the beaten path, though, roam a few blocks behind Fabel and find the Mr. Blou I Love You vegan street food truck for a flavorful plant-based experience.

Then make your way to the city’s oldest bakery, Hans Egstorf, for your stroopwafel. You can browse all kinds of goodies in a gorgeous Art Nouveau bakery and get a super-fresh stroopwafel to indulge in for dessert.

Activities for your weekend days can include an iconic canal cruise, visiting the Rijksmuseum, or just taking your camera and exploring the winding streets on a photo tour.

If you’re adventurous enough to brave public transit, going further afield to dreamy little villages like Zaanse Schans or Edam is a rewarding pursuit as well.

At night, dance and techno lovers can head back into Amsterdam to party in one of Rembrandplein’s many clubs. Those who prefer jazz or classical music can find delight in concerts and jam sessions at Cotton Club or Concertgebouw.

And, of course, there’s the Red Light District Walking Tour, always a titillating, interesting favorite.

Split, Croatia

Coastal Split is a beautiful weekender dream, especially in the summertime. Photography enthusiasts will love the wide range of subjects to capture, from cobbled streets to modern life.

Lovers of art and culture will appreciate a near-endless buffet of festivals, museums, and historical architecture. And of course, there’s a robust nightlife as well!

The best thing is that Split is a true hidden gem of a foodie paradise. Seafood and Croatian wine are of course the standouts here.

For the best fresh, local seafood dishes, traveling just outside Split to Stobrec will take you to the treasure that is the family-run Konoba Nikola.

And Monika’s Wine Bar in central Split cannot be missed–owner Monika is a sommelier and winemaker who really knows her craft, so you’re guaranteed a delicious wine and tapas experience here.

Then there’s the Old Town. By day, its beautiful winding streets and alleys are a cultural paradise, anchored by the third-century era Diocletian’s Palace. By night, the clubs, pubs, and cafes come alive, and the city is a living river of fun and frolic until morning.

Dublin, Ireland

The capital city of the Emerald Isle is an absolute must for the literary-minded traveler.

Dublin is proud of its reputation as a giant of literature, and for good reason. Greats from history like James Joyce and Oscar Wilde, as well as more contemporary legends such as Sally Rooney and Maeve Binchy, have all called Dublin home at one time or another.

So, if bookish pursuits are your thing, Dublin is the city you cannot miss in terms of Europe weekend trips. 

Visiting Dublin on June 16th when it falls on a weekend will let you celebrate ‘Bloomsday’ with other James Joyce enthusiasts. You can dress up in Edwardian fashion, take in a pub crawl, or simply join a Ulysses themed walking tour. Talk about a unique weekend European getaway!

On the non-literary front, the historic Liffey-side Temple Bar neighborhood is a required itinerary stop. Here, you can find all sorts of bars, restaurants, and live musical acts (though in the daytime of a weekend, the Temple Bar Book Market is here as well).

Then there’s shopping on legendary Grafton Street, where you mustn’t forget to stop in at Bewley’s for coffee made with beans roasted in-house and one of their delicious baked goods. 

Valencia, Spain

Spain’s third-largest city is a little on the underrated side next to Barcelona and Madrid. It’s quite a contemporary destination, but that doesn’t at all mean Valencia has little to offer when compared to her more historical sisters.

In fact, it may be one of the best cities for a weekend getaway in Europe!

For starters, Valencia is the home of paella. This divine rice and saffron dish is largely thought of as a light seafood casserole, but in its purest form, it’s a hearty chicken, rabbit, and bean dish served fresh and family-style in a big flat pan.

The best and most authentic paella is said—by locals!—to be served by Restaurant Levante.

The very traditional paella here is made with local ingredients and can be eaten with one of the thousands of bottles of Spanish wine from the capacious restaurant cellars.

Thanks to its level terrain, Valencia is also a city that’s wonderful for exploring by bicycle. Tourists can rent a bike and explore over 150 kilometers of bike paths or even safely cycle through the city center thanks to the stringent driving laws set in place to protect cyclists and pedestrians.

Cycling app Komoot has put together a list of 20 amazing bike routes in Valencia, for anyone looking to make their weekend Europe trip a wheel-y excellent time.

Textile history buffs will enjoy a European weekend trip in Valencia as well; the city has a rich three-hundred-plus-year history as part of the Silk Road trading route.

Visit the Silk Museum in the Velluters neighborhood for a fascinating look into the history of the silk trade in Valencia.

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is a marvelous destination for those who would love to center their Europe weekend trips around artistic pursuits.

From streets filled with graffiti and sculptures to the thriving performing and visual arts trade on the Charles Bridge, there’s something for nearly every taste here.

The city is also proud of its place as home to 20th-century literary icon Franz Kafka–Kafka is to Prague as James Joyce is to Dublin.

A weekend in Prague affords visitors plenty of time to visit art installations dedicated to the author, to frequent cafes that he once visited, or to take in a museum tour about his life. 

Historians with an artistic eye will find treasure here as well: Prague is full of beautiful architecture and historical sites such as Prague Castle, the Strahov Monastery, and of course, the entirety of Old Town Prague.

An absolute must-see during any weekend in Prague is the Orloj, the astronomical clock in Old Town Square. This marvel of 15th-century clockwork is stunning to look at, and every hour, the animated mechanical figures on the clock put on a show.

Gothenburg, Sweden

Gothenburg, like Valencia in Spain, is a deeply underrated destination.

A big city with a small-town feel, Gothenburg is an ideal addition to your ‘Europe Weekend Trips’ list if you want Scandinavian charm and culture with less of the crowding you’ll find in Stockholm.

This West Coast port town boasts several interesting experiences for the intrepid traveler looking for something a little different.

For plant lovers, the Palmhuset glasshouse in Trädgårdsföreningen Park is a gorgeous place to explore exotic plants and palm trees year round.

Those looking for quirky museums will have fun in the Spårvagens Museet for trams and trains or the Volvo Museum (this museum is moving in December of 2023 and will be closed for five months).

And, of course, walkers can enjoy strolls alongside beautiful canals similar in style to those in the Netherlands, thanks to a strong Dutch influence in the city’s early days. 

Then there’s Gothenburg’s Feskekörka, or Fish Church. A feast for the eyes and the stomach, this is possibly the world’s most beautifully housed indoor fish market, designed to resemble a Neo-Gothic church.

Here, you can buy the freshest seafood to cook yourself or enjoy a lovely canal-side meal at the market’s fish restaurant.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Whisky, walking, and wind: Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh is well-known for these three W’s, but this compactly arranged cultural center offers even more splendid options for the weekend traveler. 

Edinburgh Castle looms on its craggy peak over the city at one end of the Royal Mile, while the Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official home of the UK royal family at the other.

The streets between offer plentiful shopping, dining, and entertainment options, and in theory, you could spend your entire weekend centralized here and be content!

If you prefer gardens to palaces, explore the Princes Street Gardens below the castle, or venture a little further out to wander through the Royal Botanical Gardens–you should definitely spend the extra few euros for access to the incredibly beautiful glasshouses here.

Tea lovers will enjoy paying a visit to Cuttea Sark on iconic Victoria Street, where a bag of their lemon tea blend makes for a gorgeous souvenir. 

Edinburgh is famous for one more W: writers! If you enjoy the works of Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, or Robert Louis Stevenson, you certainly need to make your way to the Edinburgh Writers’ Museum.

A bonus from the gift shop area on the Burns floor is the incredible view of the castle, the Scott Monument, and all of the surrounding gardens.

Berlin, Germany

Berlin has an extremely storied history, and if you’re into that, then you already have a list of monuments and sights you definitely want to see.

But there is so much more to Berlin in terms of culture, entertainment, and recreation, and that makes it a great Europe weekend trip destination.

German techno music is, of course, legendary, and many clubs in Berlin are open 24 hours a day, with Berghain being perhaps the most well-known and desirable to get into. Many people find it a fun undertaking just to try to gain entrance into Berghain!

If you don’t make the cut, however, no fear–take some of the new friends you met waiting in line and head off to another club because there are plenty.

DJ Bec Irvine has an amazing list of clubs that aren’t Berghain, including one on a boat and another whose art gallery-esque exterior conceals a tiny club that attracts some major DJ talent.

For those who prefer somewhat more leisurely pursuits, Berlin doesn’t disappoint with the scope of her offerings.

On a nice weather day, grab a towel and your bathing suit and head out to the shores of the Wannsee, Europe’s largest inland outdoor swimming area.

After a lovely lounge on the beach, you can get dressed up and take yourself out for dinner at one of the several so-hip-it-hurts bars near Potzdamer Platz, then catch a concert with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Budapest, Hungary

The beautiful divided city of Budapest is really taking off as a prime continental travel destination, and it is about time this underrated gem had its day in the sun–it’s beautiful, relatively inexpensive, and easy to get around, making it a top European weekend trip for any and all tastes.

Made up of medieval Buda and the more Art Nouveau Pest, linked by the Chain Bridge, Budapest is an exquisite choice for the self-care-focused traveler.

Thermal baths and spas dot the city, with Szechenyi Baths being the one you’ve probably seen your fellow travelers frolicking in on social media. But there are other baths you can visit as well, so be sure to find one and get your mineralized soak on.

Budapest is a treat for the eyes as well, with gorgeous architecture and incredible views. Head up to the fairy-tale towers of Fisherman’s Bastion for the most epic view of the city; most of the towers have free or very low-cost entry.

For those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground, or at least on the deck of a boat, a Danube river cruise is an excellent alternative.

Lastly, don’t forget to grab a snack at the enormous Great Market Hall, and then poke around the 7th distinct for one of the many cool ‘ruin bars,’ where enterprising bar owners have snatched up abandoned buildings and turned them into shabby chic paradises with epic drinks lists.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Dreaming of a seaside village weekend escape? Beautiful Cinque Terre, with its pastel buildings cascading down cliffside terraces, is the destination for Instagram travelers and foodies alike.

Five gorgeous villages make up this heaven of a getaway destination, whose individual beauties will really keep your camera busy all weekend.

Monterosso is the largest village and the only one with a beach and a seaside promenade. Here, you could book a sunset boat tour with amazing views and delicious wine.

Or enjoy a Michelin-star meal at L’Ancora della Tortuga, the cliffside restaurant that’s basically in a cave. The food here is incredible, as you’d expect, and the views can’t be beat.

Another can’t-miss foodie experience is making pesto at Nessun Dorma in Manarola. Organic basil is harvested for you from the restaurant’s own garden, a marble mortar and pestle is provided, and visitors can compete to see who has made the day’s best pesto.

Since pesto alla Genovese originated around the Cinque Terre region, this is the definition of an iconic vacation activity.

For hiking enthusiasts, there are several trails in the Cinque Terre region that provide superb hiking experiences that range from easy to fairly difficult. You can find a list of them here, with a great deal of useful information on each trail.

Brussels, Belgium

Multicultural Brussels is an amazing entry on anyone’s Europe weekend trips checklist. As the seat of the European Union, it’s often thought of as somewhat stodgy and mostly appealing only to civics nerds.

But while there is, of course, a huge government presence here, you’ll also find quirky museums, historical monuments, and fantastic food.

Housed in an amazing Art Nouveau building, the Musical Instrument Museum is a fun and unusual experience.

Hundreds of musical instruments from all around the world are kept here, and a multimedia guide is included in your entrance fee so that you can learn all about them.

When you’re done here, you can also visit other museums in the area, like the Magritte Museum or the Happiness Expo.

For an offbeat afternoon, follow the Street Art Trail or one of the other self-guided street art tours in Brussels and get an eyeful of some of the most impressive large-scale street art in Europe.

Then take a waffle making workshop and enjoy a delicious treat that you made yourself, and finally, head to the Jeu de Balle flea market to find some unusual souvenirs and gifts.

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, with her seven hills, her cobblestones, her cable cars, and splendid Pastel de Nata… oh, what a treat to visit!

You’ll naturally want to see the literally iconic (the city uses it as a symbol) Torre de Belém, and to stuff yourself silly with some of the freshest and best seafood around.

But Lisbon, a pillar of antiquity and culture, has so much to offer, you may not be able to fit it into only one weekend… which is fine, because after your first visit, you’ll want to come back anyway.

The Pastel de Nata, Portugal’s signature egg custard tart, was invented in Lisbon at the Monastery dos Jeronimos.

While the pastries are no longer made here (you’ll have to visit the nearby Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém–the monastery sold the recipe to a local sugar refinery, who then opened their bakery in 1837 and still sells the original and very secret recipe Pastéis to this day), the monastery is still worth a visit to view the stunning architecture and artwork there.

Portugal’s National Tile Museum is also in Lisbon. Portugal is well known for its beautiful glazed tiles, many of which line Lisbon’s streets.

The museum, which calls a 16th-century convent home, takes guests on a multi-century journey through this unique art form, which has its roots in various Arabic cultures.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavik’s own tourism website says they’re the smallest big city in the world, which makes it pretty much perfect for a weekend rendezvous–and it may be one of the more unique weekend getaways in Europe.

Easily walkable and possessed of a fantastic bus system, travelers can go from exploring nature to partying their way down the main bar street of Laugavegar in just about the snap of a finger.

When you get off the plane, head directly to a geothermal hot spring–Blue Lagoon is the most well-known–or, for a more local approach, one of the several geothermal swimming pools in the city.

Relax and rejuvenate here, then grab a famous, fully loaded Reykjavik hot dog before setting out on your agenda for the day.

If you’re into an interesting or unusual museum experience, Reykjavik’s got the best of them: the Icelandic Phallological Museum is the world’s largest display of penile-related ephemera; the pint-size Icelandic Punk Museum is the most comprehensive history of the global punk scene housed in a former public toilet; the Saga Museum is a close look at early Icelandic history, with stories brought to vibrant life through audio tours and life-size, lifelike silicone figures.

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Another pint-size powerhouse of a perfect weekend escape, Luxembourg City is a real off-the-beaten-path treat.

The charming, multicultural capital city of the world’s last Grand Duchy is easy to get around thanks to its free public transit network–this is a travel perk to take advantage of!

The main pedestrian zone of the city is the Place d’ Armes, a square dotted with cafes and shops.

This is a great place to grab a terrace table and people watch for a while! Plus, every other Saturday, there’s a large antique market, an ideal place to pick up a perfectly interesting souvenir tchotchke. 

You should also spend time in The Grund, the jewel in the crown that is the beautiful Old City of Luxembourg. It’s a one-stop shop for culture by day and a thriving nightlife after dark. 

London, England

London, home of tea, sprawling street markets, a cheeky Nando’s, the Royal Family. If there’s one city that suits pretty much every taste in European weekend trips, it’s multifaceted London, the capital of British pop culture, British museum culture, and, well, British culture full stop.

Colorful Portobello Road is home to possibly the world’s most famous market, a half-mile-long stream of food stalls, vintage fashion, and antique bric-a-brac.

And of course, if you’re a lover of quintessential British rom-coms, you’ll know that nearby, you can find the famous House with the Blue Door from Notting Hill.

If you’d like a break from the bustle of the city, grab some nibbles and head toward Hampstead Heath, London’s largest green space. Here, you can walk the fields that inspired some of poet John Keats’ most famous works and sit to enjoy a lovely picnic.

Final Thoughts: Weekend Trips in Europe

There’s a weekend getaway for everyone out there, from culture hounds to party animals to social media foodies. And even some destinations that can do it all if you have the fortitude!

Whether this list helped you narrow down your choices or added even more to your list, we hope we helped you find your next great Europe weekend trip.

Save this post for later:

Explore more of Europe with these posts:

• 13 Most Romantic Cities in Europe for a Memorable Getaway
• 17 Best European Cities for an Unforgettable Vacation
• 15 Best European Destinations for Christmas
• 15 Most Beautiful Places in the Netherlands That Will Leave You in Awe
• 15 Magnificent Famous Churches in Europe
• 15 Must-See Famous Buildings in Europe