You’ve saved, scrimped, studied and finished your exams – so what are you going to fill your hard-earned three-month break with? Holidays in Europe are becoming increasingly cheaper, with varied accommodation options which range from hostels to couch-surfing attracting more travellers than ever before.
Madrid Post Office and fountain – image via laterooms.com
Flight operators such as Flybe offer cheap flights to some great destinations that will keep you entertained over the summer or even throughout the rest of the year. We’ve compiled some of the best and cheapest European destinations for inspiration when booking student holidays on the continent.
Budapest
Budapest – image irenne56 via Pixabay
The beautiful capital of Hungary combines incredible sights, including one UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the top nightlife you would expect from a capital city. Modern, underground pubs in hidden courtyards and hip rooftop clubs make the nights in Budapest unique and there are so many activities and places to squeeze into your visit that you’re guaranteed never to be bored.
Try and schedule your visit to coincide with the Sziget Music Festival if you can. As one of Europe’s largest music and cultural events (held every August in the north of the city) it’s a great way to experience the local atmosphere.
Ibiza
Ibiza beach – image Andre30c via Wikimedia
Ibiza is one of the default holiday destinations for students and it’s not hard to see why. You can revel in the sun by day and enjoy an array of music at an abundance of bars and clubs by night. The island also boasts beautiful beaches and a mass of pools to relax by on those lazy afternoons.
An abundance of clubs with the biggest and best DJs, combined with long nights watching the sunrise on the beach are the type of features which make an Ibiza break in the Balearics ideal for those who have worked hard and are looking to blow off some steam.
Madrid
Madrid Plaza Mayor -image Jean-Pierre Dalbera via Fotopedia
Grab a cultural fix before heading back to university by visiting the cultural centre of Spain. Madrid is still one of the cheapest European getaways you can get and combines rustic Spanish life with modern, cutting-edge developments.
The city is hectic yet relaxed. The downtown area can be easily explored by foot with a mass of things to see and places to go and plenty of culture and art to experience along the way. You don’t have to give up the nightlife either – with Madrid nights possessing a vigorous character that could see you carrying on until sunrise. Its location is perfectly placed in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula so it is easy to use Madrid as a base from which to explore other parts of Spain.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam canal – image Jean-Pierre Dalbera via Fotopedia
A list of top student holidays wouldn’t be complete without Amsterdam for several reasons. The city remains cheap enough to fly to with plenty of reasonably priced accommodation options helping to keep core costs low. It is also renowned for its relaxed attitude towards certain matters, whilst holding an incredibly rich cultural side with attractions including Anne Frank’s house and the Van Gough Museum.
Amsterdam is certainly a cultural experience with its world-famous cafes and canal trips. So, what are you waiting for? Get on a Flybe flight and enjoy one of these beautiful destinations; you won’t regret it!
This article is brought to you by Flybe.
Some great ideas here. I’d add Prague for the cafe culture, night-life and beautiful buildings, Reykjavik, Iceland for quirky fun and Riga, Latvia for still unspoilt charm.
I want to go to Amsterdam next summer when I finish school and before Uni – mates say it’s cool.
I bet you do Alex – sure you will make it one day, and hopefully get to see some of the cultural sights outside of the bars, clubs and side streets!
A great post with a lovely line up of destinations. As unadventurous as it may sound, I’d also be inclined to add our dear old London to the list. Many students around the country, or indeed visiting students may not yet have been to the capital and there is so much for students to enjoy from the cultural landmarks and museums to the trendy nightlife of Soho and Mayfair. Perhaps the perfect stop gap before venturing across into further Europe?
So agree Hannah – London has so much to offer students and everyone should visit our historic capital.
Madrid City, totally worth-it for all kind of people as could be the case of the students. This city gathers almost all degrees and has really good and prestigious universities, such as UCM, UAM, for example. Another asset of this wonderful city are the exiting nights, where the fun is guaranteed.
San Miguel Market is the best example for students about the spanish cultural fusion. The mix of the latest gastronomic variety with modern rehabilitated buildings as this market, with pretty interesting social clubs around the neighbourhood.
Just check the night of Madrid and you’ll fall in love with the Capital City of Spain.
//madridcitytour.es/en/
Got the link while looking for europian rentals. After reading this post I think that all students will send the blessings to you. Lovely line-up of destinations. But after reading title I was expecting more destinations compared to just 5. The one thing for which you should be appreciated that creating list of cheaper destinations which students can afford. Keep updating.
Thanks for your comment. It was a guest post and as you can appreciate, there is a limited amount of space to cover these topics.