Six ‘second cities’ in Europe to visit instead of the capital – with cheaper flights and fewer crowds
IF you’re planning a city break this year, you might want to overlook the capital cities.
From quieter streets to cheaper flights, a country’s second city can often give you a much better (and affordable) experience.
We’ve rounded up six of the best second cities in Europe to visit on holiday this year.
Ditch Bucharest for Timisoara
Romania is one of the most affordable destinations in Europe, with most heading to Bucharest.
However, thanks to cheap flights with Wizz Air, the second city Timisoara is just as much as a bargain, where you won’t find many tourists.
Recently named as the cheap city break by luggage storage company Bounce, you can find beers for as little as £1.56.
Visit in the summer and you can enjoy temperatures up to 31C.
Flights start from £20 with Wizz Air.
Ditch Stockholm for Gothenburg
Gothenburg is Sweden’s second-largest city, and while it may not be any cheaper, it’s much quieter and more laidback.
The pretty streets are lined with trendy bars, cafes and restaurants so you’re spoiled for choice when looking for a cinnamon bun or a coffee.
Visit in the summer for the annual Way Out West music festival, or head to the 101-year-old Liseberg theme park with record-breaking rollercoasters.
Flights will set you back just £12.99 with Ryanair.
Ditch Paris for Lille
Despite being one of the most famous capital cities in the world, Paris can often be a let down to tourists, even resulting in Paris Syndrome health condition.
Instead, a trip to Lille will have fewer crowds, but all of the history.
The city was home to Charles de Gaulle (the man the main Paris airport is named after) as well as the city’s own Arc de Triomphe on a tiny roundabout.
Make sure to grab the cities iconic vanilla and chestnut cream waffle for £3 too.
It’s quicker to get to than Paris – you can hop on the Eurostar from London St Pancras for £51 each way, and be there in less then an hour and a half.
Ditch Madrid for Valencia
While Barcelona is technically Spain‘s second city, Valencia is a much better option for fewer crowds, with the former one of the most popular destinations for Brits.
Valencia has just as amazing tapas – and is the birthplace of paella – and just as cheap wine too, with a glass for just a few euros.
The main attraction is the £760million City Of Arts And Sciences, which looks like something from another planet.
And it was even named the best seaside city to visit in 2024.
Getting there is cheap, with £15 flights taking just two hours.
Ditch Lisbon for Porto
Everyone knows and loves Lisbon thanks to it’s famous pretty streets and cheap wine – but with that comes heaving streets, especially in the summer.
But second city Porto has just as much for tourists, including the Pink Palace in the World of Wine (WOW) building, with themed rooms dedicated to rosé wine.
While they both have ornately tiled buildings and pretty streets, the one thing Porto has that Lisbon doesn’t is lots of sandy beaches to enjoy.
Flights to Porto are a bargain too, starting from just £12.99 with Ryanair, and could soon get cheaper thanks to the new Jet2 Manchester-Porto route launching this year.
Ditch Berlin for Munich
Berlin is where most Brits flock to for Oktoberfest, having some of the finest beer.
But Munich has some that are just as good, if not better including Hofbräuhaus, the most famous of it’s kind and room for 10,000 drinkers.
For something a bit different, you can even go surfing on a “continuous wave” in the middle of Munich’s main park.
Flights to Munich can be found for as little as £23 from the UK.
