10 affordable cities to visit right now
There’s nothing like a city break to jump-start us out of the great winter slump – but why wait until spring? European cities don’t sleep during winter months; they bask in a tourist-free normality, with queue-less museums, dinners that don’t need reservations and the chance to experience some of the world’s most renowned tourist sites without being submerged in cruise crowds.
Many are also bathed in warm sunshine in February and early March (March 20 is the first day of spring this year). True there may be a greater chance of rain – but even damp days can be romantic if you’re in the right place. One of my favourite recent travel memories is sitting under a restaurant canopy in Rome’s Campo de’ Fiori, eating pizza and drinking Moretti while the rain bounced off the pavements, watching delivery men scurry back and forth and market vendors huddling inside their stalls.
Best of all, hotel rates at this time of year are around half what they would be in April. Here are 10 places to kick off the city break season early.
1. Seville, Spain
With average highs of 18C in February and five or six hours of sunshine a day, you’ll need T-shirts and sun cream to explore Seville’s extraordinary Moorish heritage. The big hitters – the Giralda, Cathedral and the Real Alcázar – will be less crowded and it’s far easier to snaffle counter space at some of the city’s best-loved tapas bars.
Try El Rincocillo (Calle Gerona 40), the oldest in the city, or La Brunilda (Calle Galera 5) – although a reservation, even in February, is still a good idea. Even in the depths of winter there are regular flamenco performances, with tickets usually available; the Casa de la Memoria cultural centre, dating back to the 15th century, holds nightly performances – some of the best in the city.
Book it
Vueling flies to Seville from £51 return, departing from Gatwick. Stay at the Hospes las Casa del Dey de Baeza, which offers doubles from £108 (hospes.com).
Plan the perfect break in Seville with our guide.
2. Lisbon, Portugal
A ride on Tram 28 – the city’s best-loved trolley car, dating back to the 1930s and taking in all of Lisbon’s most charming neighbourhoods – can be fraught with stress in high season: long queues, people jammed in, tempers fraying in the heat. In winter, there’s rarely a queue at any stop; get off at Alfama for lunch at O Cartaxeiro before heading on to the Castelo de São Jorge for a spectacular view across the city. Dip into the crowd-free Calouste Gulbenkian gallery to see the three Rs – Rembrandt, Rubens and Renoir – or join the party at the Lisbon carnival, with parades, street workshops, parties and concerts from 2-15 Feb.
Book it
Ryanair flies to Lisbon from £40 return, departing from London Stansted. Stay at the Emerald House, which offers doubles from £124 (hilton.com).
Plan the perfect break in Lisbon with our guide.
3. Rome, Italy
Every 25 years, Rome celebrates its Jubilee, a Holy year that sees millions of pilgrims arrive in the city to reaffirm their faith - all the more reason to visit in the quieter months. Book tickets late in the day to the Vatican museums (most people think going early is the best time, which means it’s always at its busiest), which is running a special Icons of Hope exhibition until Feb 16, and dip into the Doria Pamphilj museum for a glimpse of life in Rome at its most ostentatious. Foodies should dip into the Testaccio neighbourhood, home to the city’s best-loved food market, with more than 100 stalls and street food vendors.
Book it
Wizzair flies to Rome from £42.98 return, departing from Gatwick. Stay right next to the Spanish Steps at the newly-reopened Hotel d’Inghilterra Roma, spruced back up to its glamorous, fin de siecle best, with doubles from £355 room-only (collezione.starhotels.com).
Plan the perfect break in Rome with our guide.
4. Athens, Greece
Take your party shoes if you’re heading to Athens from Feb 9 to March 2; Apokries, the Greek equivalent of Carnival, sees the capital explode with three weeks of parties, restaurants and bars hosting special events, with the Plaka neighbourhood at the heart of evening celebrations. If the weather is good, walk or take a cab up Lycabettus Hill for lunch or dinner at Orizontes, which has spectacular views over the Acropolis. If it’s chilly, the Acropolis Museum immerses its visitors in the artefacts, sculpture and culture of ancient Greece – without the summer crowds. Keen skiers can even get a day on the slopes; the Parnassos Ski Centre is around 2.5 hours away.
Book it
Easyjet flies to Athens from four UK airports from £80 return. Stay at the Gatsby, which offers doubles from £161, including breakfast (gatsbyathens.com).
Plan the perfect break in Athens with our guide.
5. Nice, France
Last year, at the beginning of March, I managed to get sunburnt sitting on Nice’s Cours de Saleya having lunch; every outdoor restaurant table was taken, the entire city gleefully soaking up the sun. Nice has had a serious facelift in recent years; the Promenade des Anglais offers dreamy, sunkissed strolls, while the old town is fabulous for an afternoon of pottering in and out of fromageries and perfumiers – don’t miss Tresors Publics (11 Rue de Pont Vieux) for traditional gifts, or Nicolas Alziari (14 rue Saint Francois de Paule) – home of the best olive oil in town since 1932. Art-lovers should head to the Musee Matisse where, until April 2025, the ‘Rediscover the Master’ exhibition takes a four-floor deep dive into every stage of Matisse’s work.
Book it
Easyjet flies to Nice from £46 return, departing from seven UK airports. Stay at the Anantara Plaza Nice, which offers doubles from £245 (anantara.com).
Plan the perfect break in Nice in our guide.
6. Madrid, Spain
Sitting by the lake in the El Retiro Park – Madrid’s vast, elegant green heart – with hot chocolate and a saxophonist busking nearby, is one of my favourite moments from a recent December visit. Blue skies in February are equally possible; on cooler days, dip into the city’s extraordinary food markets – skip the touristy Mercado de San Miguel, and instead settle in for empanadas and a cana (a small, 200ml beer) at Mercado san Fernando in the Lavapies district, or Mercado de la Paz in leafy Salamanca. There may still be queues for the Prado, but in December, I walked straight into the Thyssen-Bornemisza, one of the world’s most extraordinary private collections, while the Sorolla museum – the original house and studio of artist Joaquín Sorolla – is one of the loveliest spots in the city.
Book it
British Airways flies to Madrid from £94 return, departing from Heathrow or Gatwick. Stay at the Ocean Drive, which offers doubles from £116 (od-hotels.com).
Plan the perfect break in Madrid with our guide.
7. Istanbul, Turkey
Exploring Istanbul is so much easier in winter: roads are less jammed, ferries less busy, everywhere feels just that bit less frantic. Explore two of the city’s best the city’s newest museums – Istanbul Modern and the Hagia Sophia History Museum – and discover the rich history of hamams at the 500-year-old Çinili Hamam, which opened last year after 13 years of restoration. To mix culture with culinary adventures, head to Çiya in Kadikoy (the Asian side of the city) for spectacular meze, created from traditional Anatolian recipes; Kiyi in Tarabya, one of the city’s best fish restaurants for the last 60 years; or join the hip crowd at Michelin-starred Arkestra, with pre-dinner cocktails upstairs in the chic Listening Room bar.
Book it
British Airways flies to Istanbul from £228 return, departing from Heathrow. Stay at the Stay Bosphorus, which offers doubles from £177 (thestay.com.tr).
Plan the perfect break in Istanbul with our guide.
8. Bruges, Belgium
One of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations, Bruges’ iconic half-timbered houses gaze out over quiet cobbled streets and peaceful squares in the winter months; the 360-views from the 83-metre, high 13th century Belfry offer a unique perspective across the gently-snoozing town. It’s an ideal time to indulge in Belgium’s hearty cuisine; try Bistro Zwart Huis, where Flemish stews come with a side order of live music or Bistro Christophe for rabbit bourguignon - and there’s currently nowhere better for a classic moules frites than the jolly Poules Moules. Chilly evenings are best spent at Le Trappiste, a specialist beer bar housed in an 800-year old cellar.
Book it
Eurostar has an ‘Any Belgian Station’ ticket from £128 return, including onward travel from Brussels to Bruges. Stay at the elegant Hotel de Orangerie, which offers doubles from £129 room-only (hotelorangerie.be).
9. Florence, Italy
Temperatures can hit the mid-teens in Florence during February, and on sunny days it’s a delight to sit with a ciccheti or two in the Piazza del Duomo, without sharing it with a million other tourists. Browse the shelves in the GiuntiOdeon - an iconic Florentine cinema now reinvented as a bookstore and discover the city’s other spectacular dome - a whirl of intricate, gilt-edged frescoes and great swathes of marble at the Capelle Medicee, the extraordinary burial site of the Medici family. When the skies are blue, leave time to walk up to the Piazzale Michelangelo - you may have the spectacular sunset all to yourself.
Book it
Vueling flies to Florence from £64 return, departing from Gatwick. Stay at the newly-opened Ruby Bea which has doubles from £84 room-0nly (ruby-hotels.com).
Plan the perfect break in Florence with our guide.
10. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Overwhelmed by cruise crowds in the summer months, a winter visit reveals a quieter, more contemplative city, with the chance to actually walk the walls rather than queue your way round. The city’s Wine Museum, which opened last July, offers an insight into Croatia’s rich wine heritage, along with generous tastings. If things get a little swimmy, soak up the vino with one of the city’s best pizzas at Pizzeria Tabasco, handily situated directly beneath the cable car up to Mount Srd. Visiting in the quiet months also makes it easy to get a table at Gradska Kavana Arsenal, one of the city’s best restaurants, housed in the imposing 14th century Arsenal building.
Book it
Easyjet flies to Dubrovnik from February 24, from £74 return, departing from Gatwick. Stay at the Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, where all rooms have gorgeous sea views, with doubles from £137 B&B (adriaticluxuryhotels.com).
This piece was first published in February 2024 and has been revised and updated.
