Cardiff Aiport isn’t the biggest airport in the UK by far and it’s not the best with fewer destinations and fewer direct flights than the likes of nearby Bristol Airport, but if you live in Cardiff or South Wales and want to get away,
There are still lots of city breaks from Cardiff to go on where you can get a direct flight and therefore easily go on weekend break from Cardiff somewhere new!
Here are the top city break destinations for short city breaks from Cardiff Airport with a focus on European city breaks from Cardiff Airport!
I’ve also given you some tips on searching for the best flights from Cardiff because some destinations have direct flights but not regular direct flights so the best way to get good flights from Cardiff is to be flexible with your dates.
City Breaks from Cardiff
Tips for Booking Flights from Cardiff Airport
When looking into the best flights from Cardiff Airport I came across a few things to note which will help you book your city breaks from Cardiff!
Some direct flights run in some months but you might check the month after and they are not running. This also happens on weekends, one weekend in a month there are direct flights, the next weekend there are not any.
Cardiff Airport has limited flights, it’s not like London Airports where there are flights every day or every other day, therefore to get the best flight selection from Cardiff Airport you should be flexible with when you can travel, or where you can travel to!
Still need to book a flight??
I use Skyscanner to book all of my flights! I’m a huge fan of Skyscanner because I love how easy it is to compare different destinations and different dates for the best price and route!
For example, I type in ‘everywhere’ in the destination if I have fixed dates and want to find the best flights on those dates on Skyscanner.
And if I have a set destination I’ll look at the ‘month view’ to check the cheapest days to fly in that month!
Open Skyscanner by clicking here and search for the best flights as you read this post!
1. Cardiff to Amsterdam City Breaks
Amsterdam is a top city break destination and Amsterdam is definitely one of the city breaks from Cardiff you can do!
I know Amsterdam is popular for certain things and you might be going there to do that, but did you know that Amsterdam is also a great place to go on your own? I’ve been to Amsterdam solo twice and loved it!
I went on a walking tour, found amazing places to eat, took lots of photos of the buildings and enjoyed the city like a local!
If you’ve been to Amsterdam before and want a new place for a Cardiff City break, then make sure to look into places near Amsterdam!
The train system in the Netherlands is great so once you land in Amsterdam Airport, instead of getting the train into Amsterdam city, just go to another city like Rotterdam, Utrecht or Eindhoven.
Search for flights from Cardiff Airport to Amsterdam here!
2. Cardiff to Barcelona City Breaks
Barcelona is another top European city break destination and it’s easy to get to from Cardiff Airport with a good amount of regular flights.
It’s one of those cities that most people have been to and you may have been there before too but there are plenty of hidden gems in Barcelona to visit if this is the case to make it into a totally new and unique trip!
If you haven’t been to Barcelona before, here are some reasons to go on your city break from Cardiff:
It has great all year round weather.
It’s famous for its Gaudi inspired art so there’s so much amazing architecture to see.
The nightlife in Barcelona is really good!
The food and the tapas is amazing too!
Search for flights from Cardiff Airport to Barcelona here!
Check trains to Rhoose Cardiff International Airport here to save worrying about parking!
3. Cardiff to Belfast City Breaks
When looking into city breaks from Cardiff remember that you don’t have to go abroad, you can still get in a plane and stay in the UK!
Belfast is a brilliant place for a city break and not as visited as it should be! Belfast is full of history and culture.
With a few days in Belfast if you can not only see this cool Northern Irish city but you can also get out into Northern Ireland to see some of the best places to see in Northern Ireland like the famous Giant’s Causeway, the even more famous Dark Hedges from Game of Thrones!
Search for flights from Cardiff Airport to Belfast here!
4. Cardiff to Edinburgh City Breaks
When it comes to looking for cheap city breaks from Cardiff, you may find that flying within the UK is cheaper than getting the train somewhere within the UK!
And if the last year or so has taught us anything, it’s just how amazing places in the UK really are, we don’t have to always jet off to Europe!
This is usually the case with Edinburgh. It’s normally cheaper to fly than get the train and luckily, there for regular direct flights from Cardiff Airport to Edinburgh making this an easy Cardiff city break.
Edinburgh is full of Harry Potter vibes, if that’s your thing you’ll be mesmorized around every corner!
The Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle and Arthurs Seat are all brilliant things to do in Edinburgh in one day and with the rest of your weekend break from Cardiff, you could hire a car and see more of the places near Edinburgh to visit like The Kelpies and the famous Loch Ness before coming home late in the evening or early the next morning before work!
Search for flights from Cardiff Airport to Edinburgh here!
5. Cardiff to Malaga City Breaks
Malaga is a brilliant city break because it’s the perfect mix of city with incredible architecture, museums and food, but it’s also right on the beach so if you go at the right time of year you’ll easily find a beach to relax on between sightseeing, that’s my kind of European city break!
Malaga and the Costa Del Sol are often known as a ‘brits abroad’ type of place which can put some people off wanting to visit but you shouldn’t let this put you off!
If you’re looking for culture, history and good food on your city break from Cardiff Airport, this is a great option!
The best things to do in Malaga include visiting Malaga Cathedral, visiting the Picasso museum, learning about the cities history at Malaga Museum, taking a Tapas tour of the city by foot or by bike, and relaxing at a traditional Hammam Bath!
Search for flights from Cardiff Airport to Malaga here!
Still need to book a flight??
I use Skyscanner to book all of my flights! I’m a huge fan of Skyscanner because I love how easy it is to compare different destinations and different dates for the best price and route!
For example, I type in ‘everywhere’ in the destination if I have fixed dates and want to find the best flights on those dates on Skyscanner.
And if I have a set destination I’ll look at the ‘month view’ to check the cheapest days to fly in that month!
Open Skyscanner by clicking here and search for the best flights as you read this post!
6. Cardiff to Palma City Breaks
If you’re looking for a short break from Cardiff Airport which will also act as one of your holidays from Cardiff, Palma on the island of Mallorca is a great option!
Because you’re flying to an island, even with a few days in Palma you’ll feel like you’ve had a true holiday!
You may associate Mallorca with package holidays but Palma has a lot more to offer than this! In fact, recently, a lot of digital nomads have called Palma home because of the great, relaxed lifestyle with access to amazing food, amazing views, good parties and brilliant accommodation.
If you love culture and history you will love Palma, it has castles & ruins, cathedrals & monasteries, grand manor houses, and lots of art galleries and museums!
A city break with a beach is the best kind of city break and you’ll also get this in Palma so you can spend a few days exploring and some timing relaxing by the beach or a hotel pool!
Search for flights from Cardiff Airport to Palma here!
Check trains to Rhoose Cardiff International Airport here to save worrying about parking!
7. Cardiff to Dublin City Breaks
Dublin is another classic city break! If you haven’t been to Dublin you really should go for the craic! And if you have been, there’s no reason you can’t return and see some hidden gems in Dublin or use it as a road trip base!
For some fun, drinks, music and nightlife there are not many places better than Dublin when you’re looking at quick city breaks from Cardiff!
Aside from that, Dublin is full of history, museums, good food, literature and there are plenty of places in nature nearby Dublin to visit.
My ideal Dublin city break from Cardiff would be a day exploring Dublin City centre and then hiring a car or jumping on a train and heading down to the South Coast of Ireland for the day!
Search for flights from Cardiff Airport to Dublin here!
8. Cardiff to Faro City Breaks
I couldn’t see direct flights to Lisbon or Porto when searching for flights from Cardiff Airport so these Portugal cities may not work from Cardiff, but being able to go on a city break to Faro, the capital of the beautiful Algarve region is a pretty good European city break from Cardiff!
Faro is known for its well preserved old town and cultural history, and it’s also known for it’s good food and nightlife.
Whilst many of us may think of Faro only as an airport to go on holiday in the Algarve from, it is actually a city that you can spend a relaxed day or two in.
On your second and third day in Faro on your city break, you could hire and see more old towns and beaches in the Algarve, again, this is the best of both worlds! A city break with a beach in Europe!
Search for flights from Cardiff Airport to Faro here!
9. Cardiff to Alicante City Breaks
Alicante is a city with something for everyone! Whether you want your city break from Cardiff Airport to give you a cultural experience full of sightseeing or you want some time to sightsee but also relax on the beach or by the pool, Alicante can offer this!
A few more reasons to visit Alicante is that it isn’t all parties and ‘brits abroad’ as you may imagine, there are museums and galleries to visit and amazing buildings.
It offers 3000 hours of sunshine a year which is a lot so it’s a great winter city break for some winter sun!
Search for flights from Cardiff Airport to Alicante here!
10. Cardiff to London City Breaks
Lastly, there is always London! I used to live in London and it’s amazing how many people visit London and only see the tourist sights!
If you’ve been to London a few times already and think it’s now boring or too busy or too fast paced for you, I recommend seeing London like a local!
Hampstead is the best part of London to visit for this (which is where I used to live), There are lots of things to do in Hampstead, it is full of pretty houses and cobbled streets, lots of museums, cafes, pubs and restaurants and you can walk around Hampstead Heath which is huge and makes you feel a million miles away from London however you can also see an incredible view of the London skyline from the top!
You can even go wild swimming in the swimming ponds in Hampstead!
I hope this shows that no matter how many times you’ve been to London, you really can see this city in another way and therefore it still makes one of the best city breaks from Cardiff to go on!
Plus, the train from Cardiff to London is under 2 hours!
Search for trains from Cardiff to London here!
