London, Prague and Sofia are the top European capitals for weekend getaways this year, a new report has found. Britain’s capital also has the best-rated nightlife. Skopje (North Macedonia), Tirana (Albania) and Sofia (Bulgaria), which all feature in the top ten capitals in Europe for city escapes, also have the most affordable accommodation of all.

This is all according to a new study from Slot.Day, who analysed the quality of nightlife and the cost of accommodation in all European capitals. 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.

Top 10 capital cities in Europe for weekend getaways

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 €116.9 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, Czech Republic’s capital city boasts 418 nightlife places that earned stellar reviews from its visitors.

A top destination in the summer, Bulgaria also has its capital city as a major tourist attraction. Sofia offers its visitors a choice of 112 bars and clubs rated four stars and above, while hotels are a reasonable €41.9 per person for one night.

Completing the top ten 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 €38.1 per person for hotel expenses, on average. Tirana (Albania) and Sofia (Bulgaria) follow closely, with average accommodation costing €40.6 and €41.9 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 (€139.8 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 to €122.1 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.

Michael Slot, main author and journalist of Slot.Day, commented on the findings: “We wanted to find out which European destinations might be the less obvious choices for weekend getaways. It is surprising to find places like Skopje, Tirana and Sarajevo offering a good balance of high-quality nightlife and affordable accommodation. Other hidden gems off the beaten path include Vilnius, Riga and Chisinau. These findings offer fantastic insight for anyone planning their 2024 holidays with their partner or BFF. You can tick off your culture quota during the day, exploring another capital city full of history, and top it off with a great night out, all in just one fun weekend without breaking the bank.”