5 Best European cities for an autumn getaway

DiscoverCars.com have ranked the best destinations in Europe for an autumn getaway. To do this, they explored factors such as the average cost of hiring a rental vehicle for a week and the number of budget hotels in each city. The destinations were then scored out of 120 and ranked accordingly.

Speaking on the rankings, Aleksandrs Buraks at DiscoverCars.com said:

‘’Our inclusion of five new cities was useful for further comparison between countries, as we wanted to give travellers as many options as possible when considering the location of their next autumn escape.”

The top five destinations for a European Autumn getaway were

Barcelona takes first place in DiscoverCars.com's ranking of the best destinations in Europe for an autumn getaway. The Spanish city received a score of 98 out of 120 points. With the highest number of cheap restaurants (1,793) and budget hotels (534), there are certainly plenty to choose from when visiting the Catalonian city. 

Barcelona also has some of the most stunning sights in all of Europe from La Sagrada Familia, the Casa Batlló and Park Guell. There are many hidden gems in Barcelona's  Gothic Quarter, so it’s a city that is great for explorers.

The average cost of a week long hotel stay in Barcelona is priced at £981 while plane tickets from Heathrow cost £141 on average during Autumn.

Next, Lisbon ranked in second place receiving a score of 94 out of 120 points – also moving up one position from last year’s results. Lisbon is home to 455 budget hotels and has the highest average temperature from September to November out of all cities examined (18° Celsius).

If you're looking for a town that's great for partying, but is also one of the most artistic and vibrant in Europe, then look no further than Lisbon. The city is famed for its artists and its Fado music, so there's plenty for people looking for culture.

The journey from London Heathrow to Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport costs £148 on average while vehicles are available for hire for £159.

Moving on, in third place is the German capital, Berlin. Berlin is a city that offers you a range of very different experiences. If you are travelling to party, then the world famous clubs that call Berlin home could be for you. If you are looking for history, then few cities have been at the heart of global politics in the same way that Berlin has.

The city received a score of 89 out of 120 points and improved from 2022’s results where the location ranked in fourth place. Berlin offers visitors a choice of 1,422 cheap eateries and 360 budget hotels throughout the city.

Additionally, the average cost of a week-long hotel stay totals £827 while the average amount of daylight throughout Autumn is 10.7 hours.

In fourth place is Budapest—the top-rated destination 12 months ago. The city received a score of 85 out of 120 points. Budapest has an average of 56mm of rainfall during the Autumn months, the second lowest out of all cities investigated.

Buda and Pest form two halves of Budapest and are separated by the Danube River. Each half of the city has its own character and places to explore, with Buda being famed for being quiet and beautiful and Pest being famed for its nightlife and tourist attractions.

Budapest is also a very affordable city, with the average price of a flight from Heathrow costing £160 while a week-long hotel stay is priced at £600 on average.

Lastly, rounding off the top five is one of this year’s new additions, Gdansk. The Polish city received a score of 81 out of 120 points and ranked above popular tourist destinations such as Amsterdam and Florence.

Gdansk has the lowest amount of rainfall (51mm), the cheapest car rental costs (£124) and the cheapest hotel prices on average (£526), from DiscoverCars.com's list, making it a great option for a getaway this Autumn. There are many attractions to see, with these cheap prices and sunny weather, such as the Neptune Fountain. Gdansk is, also, the amber capital of Europe as many amber stones wash up on its famous beaches.

Completing the top ten, the remaining cities in order were; Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Bilbao, Bordeaux and Bruges.