December 12, 2024

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Last-minute summer breaks from Europe – Kiwi.com

Last-minute summer breaks from Europe – Kiwi.com

Looking for an interesting European trip this summer? A city break, a beach holiday, a combination of the two? Here’s a selection of cheap, last-minute vacation ideas you can book now on Kiwi.com!

Kiwi.com is the expert in finding cheap flights, and using our Kiwi-Code we can sometimes dig up deals to slightly unusual places: places you might not have thought of, places you’d forgotten about, maybe places you’ve never even heard of! So if you’re looking for a quick, spontaneous summer break, here’s a few destinations you might not have considered.

In a joke that has never been done before, let’s start with a Nice place. Playground for the playboys of the 1960s, Nice is now a slightly-less-thought-of destination for travelers to France, but still exudes an old-world character that means the pace of life is more for strolling than rushing.

A stunning viewpoint in Nice, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the picturesque cityscapeThis viewpoint is easily accessible from the city centre and will be perfect for your Instagram feed © Getty Images

The vast sweep of the Promenade des Anglais lined with palm trees, beach, boardwalk and elegant fin-de-siècle hotels and restaurants is probably the most famous sight in the south of France, and wandering along in the sunshine or sitting and people-watching over a coffee are wonderful ways to spend an afternoon. Explore Vieux Nice, the network of winding alleyways and backstreets that contain everything from the cathedral to boutique stores, markets, museums and bistros. It’s not the most rock and roll place you’ll ever visit, but for sunshine and style, there are few places better.

The whitewashed walls, tumbling cliffs and spectacular seafront scenery have been amazing and inspiring people for thousands of years. Originally a strategic trading post, it’s only 35 minutes by ferry from southern Spain but feels a world away. It’s this dreamy, almost surreal atmosphere that influenced Delacroix and Matisse in their work, and it’s what should bring you to Tangier.

Busy souks in Tangier, filled with vibrant stalls selling spices, textiles, and handcrafted goodsTangier’s souks offer a treasure trove of souvenirs, from colorful textiles to aromatic spices, perfect for capturing the essence of Morocco © Getty Images

Like many Moroccan cities, it’s divided into the Old Town — the Medina — and a New Town, in this case linked by the Grand Socco, a vast, noisy square. In the Medina, you can visit the palace and mosque of the Kasbah (rocking it: not recommended) and drift through the narrow alleyways crammed with tea houses and markets. The city’s main beach is mere footsteps from the Medina, a great sweep of sand from the port to the cool, palm-filled Villa Harris Park. For somewhere so close to Europe, it’s as exotic as they come.

It’s tricky to find anywhere ‘undiscovered’ on the Croatian coast, but Zadar is not Split and it’s not Dubrovnik, so in Adriatic terms it’s also not bad. It’s a great place to get the full Croatian experience: short hops to some of the many islands, a beautiful Roman/Venetian city to use as a base, and easy access to some of the highlights inland.

Dramatic aerial view of the Zadar old town, an ancient Venetian stronghold on the Adriatic sea, in CroatiaZadar captivates visitors with its historic charm, Roman ruins, and stunning sunsets over the Adriatic Sea © Getty Images

The city itself contains the remains of a Roman forum, a smattering of 9th- and 10th-century buildings, and a slew of Venetian grandeur to top it all off. The seafront promenade offers a hodge-podge of Roman ruins, gorgeous sunsets, and the eerie music of the Sea Organ, a subterranean musical sculpture played by the ebb and flow of the tides. For day trips, the surrounding islands mix pine-covered forests with almost Caribbean beaches, and inland you can walk between the blue lagoons and waterfalls of Plitvice National Park, or do some more extreme sports in Paklenica or the Zrmanja River Canyon.

Just about the last country in the Balkan region to become a tourist destination (and even that doesn’t mean big numbers really), the Albanian capital is absolutely worth a few days of your time. Okay, it’s not as pretty as many of the other cities in the region, but it’s interesting, quirky, lively and fun. It’s also a great place to use as a hub to head to the coast, up to the mountain villages, or deeper into the forests.

While you’re in Tirana, though, you might need a bit of context. Take one of the free walking tours to discover why there’s not much Old Town, head to Blloku for food, drinks and a great night out, explore the famous bunkers, or take the cable car up into the hills for an amazing view over the valley and the city below. 

Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice: all wonderful cities in their own right, but full to bursting — especially in the summer. Where can you go that’s very Italian, very laid back, has a beach, a bustling city center, a stunning backdrop and fewer tourists than even the other city nearby? Catania.

Main shopping street off Piazza Duomo, Catania, Sicily, ItalyCatania’s city center offers charming views of the surrounding mountains, with Mount Etna standing prominently in the backdrop © Getty Images

Palermo is the big draw on Sicily generally, so Catania gets overlooked a little bit. It’s the slightly scruffy cousin, but all the more fun for it. It has the cheeky, rough-and-tumble vibes of any good port city, bags of character, great local seafood, and is an easy ride from some of the calmer coastal towns and villages in the region. 

Going north for the summer? It might sound a little counterintuitive, but as temperatures rise, maybe stifling heat isn’t for you. Built on 14 islands connected by over 50 bridges, this city on the Baltic is home to around a million satisfied Swedes. It’s a city that constantly surprises, from its artsy Metro stations decorated with mosaics, paintings and sculptures, to weird oddities like the tiny Mårten Trotzig’s Alley, a ‘street’ that’s only 90 centimeters wide.

The great square of Stortorget, in Gamla Stan Stockholm Sweden.A stroll through the Old Town cannot be overlooked when visiting Stockholm © Getty Images

Contrast the elegant buildings and squares of Gamla Stan, the Old Town, with its well-deserved reputation as one of the most forward-looking cities in the world: running on green energy with bicycles, scooters, excellent public transport (and good, old-fashioned walking power!), it’s also very LGBTQ+ friendly, and due to its northern location, nights are short, beautiful and warm. Take a blanket and a picnic, head to one of the many parks in the evening, and join the locals lying and staring up at the stars.

Search and book your next unexpected city break with Kiwi.com!

If you still don’t know where to go, try Search to: Anywhere and Kiwi.com will find the cheapest destinations you might not even have thought of. Your next adventure starts with Kiwi.com!

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