Exclusive:
We have selected a number of destinations which are fun, family friendly and really interesting – perfect for a minibreak – that’ll cost you less than £100 to visit
We all need a break once in a while, but finding the time and money to get away from it all can be tricky and expensive.
That is exactly why we have put together a list of minibreak destinations which you can visit that’ll cost you under £100.
For each we’ve included some tips from locals on things to do and places to eat, transport suggestions and the environmental impact of travelling there. This is given per passenger in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), which is a unit of measurement used to compare the climate impact of greenhouse gases. According to Curb6, every person has to limit themselves to about 1.5tonnes of CO2e a year, if the Paris Agreement’s objective of maintaining global temperature warming “well below” 2°C is to be met.
Milan, Italy
Milan is the viral content lovers’ choice of an extreme minibreak for two reasons – big rodents and a thunderstorm spa. On the latter front, QC Termemilano Spa is a staple with TikToking day-trippers to the North Italian city, thanks to its beautiful partially submerged arches and simulated thunderstorms which wash customers’ troubles firmly away. On the former, hefty invasive critters from South America called coypu happily splash around in Milan’s canals. It’s an easy city to explore, and one that’s cheap to get to.
Don’t miss: The Duomo. As any building that takes six centuries to complete probably would, the cathedral is completely breathtaking.
Eat: A pizza from Da Zero, a restaurant with Cilento roots that lets its dough ferment for 30 hours.
Flight: 10.40am – 1.35pm Birmingham to Milan with Ryanair, 8.45pm – 10pm easyJet return on January 20. £41.
Environmental impact of flight: 460kg CO2
Alternate transport option: A ten hour train route from London for from £53 each way.
Sunny Beach, Bulgaria
If your idea of a good holiday is a lot of alcohol, sunshine and not spending all your money, look no further than Sunny Beach. In the winter, the post-Soviet era resort is a ghost town chilled by sub-zero temperatures. Metal detecting around abandoned bunkers is the most fun you’re likely to have. In summer, consistently hot weather and pretty out of town beaches such as Neseber and Irakli give a lot more. If you are that way inclined, clubs such as DGV offer all-you-can-drink for an hour for around £5.
Don’t miss: Action Aqua Park. It’s got flumes and a mini-zoo.
Where to eat: Hawaii Restaurant gives you the rare opportunity to eat a roast in the shadow of a ferris wheel in Bulgaria, while sipping Hawaii cocktails. How can you not?
Flight: 5.50am – 11.20am London Luton to Burgas with Wizz Air, 6.05pm – 8.05pm. £37. January 30 – 31.
Environmental impact of flights: 846kg CO2
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is two cities. Buda and Pest, split by the Danube; but also the duality its nickname ‘the Paris of the East’ suggests. Grand neoclassical architecture, baroque spas, and the bombed-out ruin bars are as cheap to enjoy as they are impressive. So, too, are legacies of Hungary’s Soviet past, such as Istvántelek Yard, where once mighty red-star emblazoned trains go to rust. Don’t spend too much in Budapest, soak up all that is on offer for free instead. Vajdabunyad Castle in the beautiful city park; Fishermen’s Bastion on the hill; the tree filled Margaret Island. All free, all wonderful. A day trip can become a weekend at Flow Hostel, one of the world’s cheapest at £7 a night.
Don’t miss: The Great Market Hall at the Pest end of Szabadság Bridge
Eat: On the white frilly tablecloths of Bambi, more Cold War time capsule than cafe.
Flight: 6pm – 9.40pm Liverpool to Budapest with Ryanair on January 11, 4.50pm – 7pm Wizz Air return the next day. £48.
Environmental impact of flights: 692kg CO2e
Alternative: A 16 hour train from London from £78.
Shanklin, Isle of Wight
UK’s largest island enjoys hours of sunshine a day and plenty more during the summer. Shanklin, a pretty seaside town to its east, officially soaks up the most rays of anywhere in the country. Countryfile Magazine named Shanklin’s Sandown Beach the UK’s best, while poet John Keats and Charles Darwin found inspiration there.
Don’t miss: Simon from Visit Isle of Wight recommends taking in Shanklin Chine, a natural wonder carved into a nearby cliff face. At night lights transform it “into something out of this world!”
Eat: Pop in to Fisherman’s Cottage, the thatched pub on the beach, for a pint before walking along the traditional British seaside esplanade for a bite at Chubby’s Chunk Chip Ship.
Transport: The ferry costs from £12.50 with a vehicle, leaving you with an hour drive from Fishbourne to Shanklin. If you’re staying over, call your accommodation provider before booking transport. They can often help you get a discounted ticket.
