Top 5 Cheap Weekend Breaks UK Under £100

There's no better buzz than to travel the world, especially after the restrictions brought upon us by the pandemic. But sometimes, like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz said "there’s no place like home"!

The UK is as beautiful as anywhere in the world and for a small country, Britain really packs a lot in. Within a few travelling hours you can go from a real mix of world-class city breaks to quaint country villages which include historic towns through to wild coastline. And due to the close range of these locations, it means they are all accessible for weekend getaways!

So if you’re looking for inspiration for your next cheap weekend break, here are 5 of our favourite, tried-and-tested UK cheap weekend getaways ideas.

Discover everything you need from what to do, where to eat and drink, where to stay and how to get there!

London City Breaks

When looking at a short break, you need a plan of what you're going to see as if you're not careful, it can be a very expensive trip! Consider the awesome free activities on offer when thinking about what to do.

Nothing beats a free experience and London has it all! There are free museums galore with the Science, Natural History and V&A design museums, plus the British Museum with its treasures from around the world and the National Maritime Museum.

If you fancy something a bit more abstract then Sir John Soane’s Museum or the Horniman Museum will serve the purpose of the wild and wonderful.

Hyde Park is a great place to stretch the legs and take a picnic with a view of Primrose Hill or head over to the South Bank for the best view of all the capitals best landmarks like the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe and Tower Bridge.

If its views you're looking for then the Shard and Sky Garden offers you the best panoramic views of the city with an indoor garden at the top.

Eat your way around the capital!

You'll never be short of food choices in London as there's an abundance of food varieties on offer! London has many foodie markets with Borough being the most famous but you've also got Broadway in the east and Brockley in the south.

There's also the a chance to really experience the East End with the Sunday Market offering 40 nations of food and culture from around the world in just half a mile!

From spice to sweet, London also offers some of the world’s most famous top places to enjoy afternoon tea! The Ritz is exquisite in its offerings but if you don't fancy that well known hangout then Claridge's and Fortnum & Mason are just as decadently delicious.

Where to stay for a cheap getaway in London?

• Wombats Hostel London-they have hostels in cities around Europe and set a new standard for hostels in the UK’s capital. Minute’s walk away from sights such as Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and City Hall and you are an easy walk from the buzzing nightlife of Shoreditch and Wilton’s Music Hall.
• Astor Museum Inn-Set in an incredible location, just around from the British Museum plus a short walk from the key attractions like Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden, the Inn has a laid-back and hippy vibe.
• Caring Hotel, London-This is a comfortable, no-frills hotel in Central London with a good breakfast and the perfect location with Bayswater just a 10 minute walk from Bayswater Underground station.

Beautiful Bristol!

Famous for hot air balloons and bridges, Bristol has a lot to offer! You can take a bike tour around the harbour with Cycle the City for a look at Bristol’s industrial past, then compliment this at MShed, a free museum surrounded by old cranes.

Venture over to see the SS Great Britain, Brunel’s historic ship which was once the world’s longest passenger ship, a great attraction to see as the size of it is mind blowing!

You can't visit Bristol without seeing the famous landmark, the 76-metre-high Clifton Suspension Bridge. There are so many angles to see this impressive bridge, not least on a hot air balloon ride, either on a day trip or when the brilliant Bristol Balloon Fiesta is on!

Where to eat?

You're most likely to find the most popular places to eat are the smaller, independent eateries instead of your world dominating places so head over to St Nicholas Market, for food stalls from the Caribbean to the Middle East. Or Wapping Wharf where there's many restaurants in converted shipping containers.

Cheap Getaways in Bristol

• The Bristol Hotel-in a cracking location, The Bristol overlooks the harbour with lots of the city’s most-loved attractions on the doorstep. The rooms are modern and stylish, and the River Grille restaurant downstairs is the perfect place to watch the world go by over dinner.
• DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre-The DoubleTree is in Redcliffe, close to magnificent gothic church St Mary Redcliffe and less than a ten-minute walk from Bristol Temple Meads train station. The hotel is perfect for all ages and you can dine inside the fabulous former 17th century glass-blowing kiln at the hotel's Kiln Restaurant.
• Premier Suites Plus Bristol Cabot Circus- one and two-bedroom serviced apartments are a great contemporary option for a cheap city break. Equipped with all you could need for a comfortable self-catering getaway, you're on the doorstep of Bristol's busy Shopping Quarter, with as many great places to eat, drink and explore as there are to shop.

Getaway to Cambridge

Cambridge is not only gorgeous but exudes a level of class from the stunning university buildings, the cobbled streets and the River Cam's beauty. Set in the heart of the city, the architecture of the university buildings is a site to behold across the 31 colleges spread around the city, which are open to visitors. The most famous three are King’s, Trinity and St John’s – King’s for its Gothic chapel and choir, Trinity for the Wren Library and St John’s for the Bridge of Sighs.

A very popular thing to do in Cambridge when on cheap weekend breaks is punting! Take a group of friends and learn the knack of using the pole to guide you, or pay someone else to take the stress out of it and sit back and relax whilst sailing down the river and see the college gardens and bridges.

Dining in Cambridge

Cambridge has an abundance of lovely places to eat from snacks through to full on Michelin starred dining. Cambridge’s oldest restaurant, Varsity, has lots of British classics or call into Fitzbillies for afternoon tea, a café close to the Fitzwilliam Museum famous for its sticky Chelsea Buns!

Where to stay on a weekend trip

• West Court at Jesus College-the hotel is a few minutes walk away from the famous university colleges and museum and offers a free continental breakfast. The building is very modern with up to date rooms which are clean and boast floor-to-ceiling windows.
• The YHA hostel-just a 15-minute walk away from the best Cambridge attractions, the hostel is situated by railway station, with very clean and spacious rooms with free facilities like Wifi and 24-hour reception! There's also a bar for relaxing after a heavy day sightseeing!
• Travelodge Cambridge Orchard Park- located very close to the Cambridge Science and Business parks, there are several parks nearby perfect for walks. There's an onsite bar and cafe where guests can stop off for breakfast or evening meals.

Love Liverpool

Liverpool is a great location for everything from eating and drinking to shopping and sightseeing! Liverpool’s Albert Dock is a good starting point for your trip as you'll find architecture, views across the River Mersey, and some brilliant free museums/galleries. There are many free museums here too including the Tate Liverpool, the Museum of Liverpool, the Merseyside Maritime Museum and the International Slavery Museum.

If you’re a fan of the Beatles, there’s also many Beatles themed activities to do.

Where to eat in Liverpool

Liverpool is famous for its food and drink scene with many bars and restaurants to choose from. The Baltic Market is a food court featuring picnic benches and street food pop-ups and it’s dog friendly.

Other places are Maray, Down the Hatch with fab vegan burgers, East Avenue Bakehouse which is great for brunch, Salt House Tapas and a little hidden gem on Rodney Street, a Portuguese restaurant called Cafe Porto!

Where to rest your head

• Hope Street Hotel-A lovely Georgian Quarter boutique hotel is very affordable even with the lovely interiors. The standard king rooms all have high quality design with luxurious little perks such as Nespresso coffee machines, robes, slippers and bathrooms and toiletries that you’re encouraged to take home!
• The Resident Liverpool- You can see why the reviews are so good at this 19th-century cork warehouse-turned-aparthotel, as not only are the staff good but the bedrooms are well-maintained, spotlessly clean and have mini kitchens if you fancy self-catering. Set in the heart of the Ropewalks District, it's surrounded by bars and restaurants, giving it the perfect location.

Hard Days Night Hotel-Perfect for any Beatles fans, this themed hotel has high quality fixtures and fittings in the rooms, including comfortable beds, monsoon showers and interactive flat screen TVs. The specially commissioned Beatles artworks on the walls adds to the Beatles feel and with the iconic Cavern Club round the corner, cheap hotels in Liverpool don’t get much better than this!

Manchester Cheap Weekend Getaways

Like with Liverpool, Manchester is soaked in history and culture and has so much to see and do. There's art galleries like the Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery where you can easily spend the whole day!

The Victoria Baths, a Grade II listed Victorian bathhouse, is a great place to visit with vintage fairs, art exhibitions and cinema/music festivals inside the actual swimming pools. Or, obviously there's many spaces to shop in Manchester but the Northern Quarter offers alternative shops full of quirky independents.

Eating in Manchester

It's hard to narrow down a few places to eat in Manchester as there is so much choice but a few favourites are Evelyn’s Cafe Bar with a wide range of choice including vegetarian and vegan options, brunch, lunch, tea and cocktails. Or The Allotment Vegan Restaurant with amazing vegan tasting menus that are great but without a really high price tag!

For a great Sunday lunch option, The Marble Arch is a cosy, down-to-earth pub with Sunday roast and other traditional pub grub to an excellent standard.

Stays that won’t break the bank

• Motel One Hotel-based by the Royal Exchange theatre, this is a great location and is affordable. Rooms are simple but have everything you need with crisp linen, a choice of pillows, rainfall showers and USB charging points.
• The Abel Heywood -Set in the Northern Quarter, this is a pub with 15 rooms close to the city’s coolest bars and restaurants. Styled like a Victorian boozer, there's leather booths, a large wooden bar, exposed brick wallpaper and Manchester cityscapes above the bed.
• Staycity Aparthotels Piccadilly-very budget friendly, these one-bed apartments can sleep up to four adults and have fully-equipped kitchens, with washer-dryers. Based just outside Piccadilly railway station, all apartments are spacious and bright with clean and simple decor. If you don't fancy cooking, there's always the a small café next door which serves breakfast for pizzas and sandwiches throughout the day.

As you can see in the UK, a weekend break for under £100 is feasible even in bustling cities like London, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, and Cambridge. In London, we’ve seen how staying in budget hostels or guesthouses on the outskirts and using the Oyster Card for cheaper travel to central attractions is a good option.

Bristol offers a vibrant arts scene and affordable Airbnb options close to the city centre whereas Liverpool is rich in maritime history and boasts low-cost hostels near the Albert Dock area.

Manchester provides an eclectic mix of music and football culture, with many inexpensive B&Bs near the city centre and Cambridge, known for its prestigious university, offers budget-friendly college guest rooms during holidays. There’s never a better time to take cheap weekend breaks in the UK under £100!

Living in the UK just gives us so much choice that it’s hard to know where to start to plan a cheap weekend getaways, but this guide should give you a starting point to work out how to do cheap weekend breaks uk under £100 (50 locations) and get the best weekend break on a budget!