Weekends in Europe: 5 Cities Within 3 Hours of London

A proper weekend away needs two things: a short journey and a plan that fits on the back of an envelope. These five cities are all within about three hours of London by air or rail, and each comes with a Saturday and a Sunday that you can do without a single spreadsheet.

The three hours refers to time on board, and I will be honest about that: airports add a couple of hours at each end, so door to door you are looking at closer to five. That still leaves you a Friday evening if you can get away by mid-afternoon. Paris is the only one here that truly beats the clock, as the train leaves from central London and arrives in central Paris.

The five cities compared

Paris: the one where you can skip the airport

The train from St Pancras reaches Gare du Nord in about two hours twenty, and the check-in closes well before departure, so arrive about an hour early.

Saturday: start early at the Musée d'Orsay, which is smaller and kinder than the Louvre, then walk the Left Bank through Saint-Germain and across to Île de la Cité. Finish with a drink along the Canal Saint-Martin, where the crowd is mostly Parisian.

Sunday: go to the Bastille market in the morning, then cross into the Marais, where many shops stay open on Sundays, and sit for a while in the Place des Vosges. Climb Montmartre only if your train is late enough to allow for it. Skip the Eiffel Tower queue and look at it from the Trocadéro for free.

Amsterdam: walk it, then cross the water

Saturday: book the Anne Frank House online in advance, because tickets are sold only that way and go quickly. Then walk the Jordaan and the Nine Streets, and stop at the Noordermarkt if the Saturday farmers' market is on.

Sunday: visit the Rijksmuseum when it opens, then walk through Vondelpark. In the afternoon, take the free ferry from behind Central Station across the IJ to Amsterdam Noord, where the waterside cafés and old shipyards feel like a different city. Skip the Red Light District on a Saturday night unless you enjoy being stuck behind a stag party.

Copenhagen: expensive, and it is worth a splurge

Saturday: rent a bike and ride with the locals, or walk from Nyhavn (photograph it, then eat elsewhere) past Christiansborg Palace to the Torvehallerne food market. Spend the afternoon on the harbour, where the public water bus doubles as a cheap sightseeing boat, and go swimming in the harbour baths if it is warm enough.

Sunday: take the train to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art at Humlebæk, about 35 minutes north, for art with sea views. Back in town, Tivoli Gardens is fun when it is open, but check the season first, as it closes for parts of the year. Save money with a good pastry breakfast and a picnic, because a sit-down dinner here can easily cost £50 a head.

Prague: the good-value option

Saturday: reach Charles Bridge by 7am, before the crowds and hawkers arrive. Walk up through Malá Strana to Prague Castle, which is worth seeing for St Vitus Cathedral and its views more than the ticket queue. Come down over Petřín Hill.

Sunday: skip the astronomical clock's hourly crush and head south to Vyšehrad, a quiet fortress above the river with a good cemetery and fine views. Then walk the riverside and finish in the Letná beer garden, looking back over the bridges. An ordinary pub beer costs around £2 to £3 away from the Old Town. Czechia uses the koruna, not the euro, so pay in local currency and decline any conversion offered at the card terminal.

A proper weekend away needs two things: a short journey and a plan that fits on the back of an envelope.

Rome: the tightest fit and the richest weekend

Rome is close to the limit, at around two hours forty-five in the air, so choose a morning flight and go straight to your hotel.

Saturday: book a timed slot for the Colosseum and Roman Forum early, as tickets go fast. Allow around £15 to £20, and leave the afternoon for Monti, a quieter neighbourhood right next door. Dinner goes in Trastevere, but walk a few streets away from the main square for a fairer bill.

Sunday: see the Pantheon in the morning (there is a small entry charge now), walk through Piazza Navona, and browse the Porta Portese flea market if you like a rummage. The Vatican Museums are generally closed on Sundays, apart from the last Sunday of the month, which is free and very busy. St Peter's Basilica is usually open outside Sunday services, so go early, or leave the Vatican for another trip.

How to choose, and what to sort out

• Shortest door to door: Paris, especially if you live in London or near a good link to St Pancras.
• Lowest overall cost: Prague, as long as the flights are reasonable. A cheap flight to Rome can change that.
• Best in bad weather: Paris or Amsterdam, which have enough museums to keep you dry.
• Best in summer: Copenhagen. Rome in July and August is hot, so save it for spring or October.

For all five, the same three rules apply. First, take hand luggage only, because waiting at a carousel eats into a weekend. Our 7-day backpack checklist is more than you need for two nights, but it is a good place to start trimming. Second, search for flights a few weeks ahead on a fare-comparison site, then read our notes on finding cheap flights. Third, remember that EU entry rules for UK passport holders have been changing, so check your passport dates and the current requirements on GOV.UK. Allow extra time for border checks in both directions. Plan for a late-Sunday train or flight so you get that last afternoon, then enjoy the Monday feeling of having been somewhere.