The Best European Cities for Last-Minute Holidays
Searches for last-minute holidays have been steadily increasing over the last few months, with searches increasing 47% over the course of July and rising again by 37% in August, as people are eager to plan last-minute summer trips.
In light of this desire, travel experts at Planet Cruise have researched the destinations in Europe that cater most to spontaneous, last-minute plans, based on factors such as TripAdvisor activities available in each city and the number of activities still available to book last minute, how many hotels are available this month, bus and train stations in the city and restaurants in the city.
From exploring the history of Rome with a pizza in hand to meandering around the markets of Istanbul, never too far from your next pitstop, these are the best European cities to visit without a plan.
Best last-minute travel hotspots
| Rank | City | Number of TripAdvisor activities | Attractions still available to book this month | Hotels available this month | Bus/train stations in the city | Restaurants |
| 1 | Rome | 7,356 | 6,899 | 640 | 8,713 | 10,000+ |
| 2 | London | 3,932 | 3,701 | 460 | 19,604 | 10,000+ |
| 3 | Istanbul | 3,178 | 3,097 | 1,060 | 290 | 10,000+ |
| 4 | Paris | 4,121 | 3,855 | 380 | 5,821 | 10,000+ |
| 5 | Madrid | 1,501 | 1,414 | 500 | 10,055 | 10,000+ |
| 6 | Lisbon | 3,638 | 3,531 | 740 | 67 | 5,967 |
| 7 | Barcelona | 2,512 | 2,353 | 520 | 1,203 | 10,000+ |
| 8 | Florence | 3,085 | 2,893 | 780 | 163 | 2,260 |
| 9 | Berlin | 820 | 778 | 380 | 6,843 | 8,740 |
| 10 | Prague | 1,810 | 1,732 | 640 | 8,713 | 4,707 |
Rome is the best city for type B travel with 1000s of activities to choose from
Steeped in history and culture and once the epicentre of emperors and gladiators, Rome is home to a myriad of heritage sites, artefacts and activities that will keep any traveller occupied without the need for a well-researched plan. In fact, according to TripAdvisor, there are over 7,300 activities you can book in the city, almost double that of London, and almost 6,900 of these are still available to book.
On top of the never-ending sights to see, Rome is one of the world’s foodie hotspots, offering more than 10,000 restaurants for visitors to pick from, so you’ll never be far from your favourite pasta dish.
The city’s transport system is highly developed and consists of a 3-line metro and over 350 bus lines, with over 8,700 bus/metro stops city-wide to help you journey between the endless attractions.
London is a close second, thanks to its extensive transport system
Home to one of the most extensive public transport systems in the world, with almost 20,000 bus, train and tube stops across the city, it’s easy to hop around and experience different boroughs of London and what they have to offer without a formal plan.
With 3,900 activities on TripAdvisor and a huge 3,700 still available to book this month, it’s not somewhere you need to make reservations in advance to have a good time. The options of 10,000+ restaurants means you’ll never be short of a great meal, with the city offering some of the best food from all over the globe.
With 1000s of places to stay, Istanbul rounds out the top 3
Istanbul has a whopping 1,060 hotels available to book, the most out of all the cities in Europe analysed, so you never need to stress about finding a place to stay the night. There are more than 1,000 activities available to book in the city and less than 100 were fully booked for the month of July, so very little planning ahead is needed to see the main sights.
While the transport system doesn’t rival that of Rome and London, it is still home to a comprehensive bus and tram system that is able to drop you off near one of the city’s 10,000 restaurants after an activity-filled day.
For more information on spontaneous trips for type A and B travellers, please visit: https://www.planetcruise.com/en/last-minute-cruises
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